I Officially live in ABQ! (Santa Fe: insurance, living in, mall)

[ABQConvict]

It is going to be 80-81 degrees today. In late October. Yesterday I was out walking around and got overheated. People are fanning themselves. Of course most businesses have turned off their air conditioning for the winter already so the insides of buildings are stifling. If you like a hot autumn, Albuquerque is the place to be.

As for me, I can't wait until tomorrow, high of 69 and a chance of thunderstorms. I can't wait!

ABQConvict

[RNwithFamily]

Chap,
No, we didn't make it to Sagebrush yet. This weekend we are going to. We over slept this past Sunday, I guess we are still on EST. Haha. We are settling in NW. Love NM so much right now!

About license plates.... how long can I legally drive here without switching over my license and registration???

[rybert]

Very carefully.

[AlisonL]

Just take everything you think you will need to DMV, and more. They can and will keep you making return trips. I refuse to ever go there again. I don't drive; and I never will get my license as long as I live in NM. DMV is the pits.

I know someone who is driving around on expired plates from another state, and has been for a couple of years. Simply because she is still paying for the car she bought in another state and does not yet have the title. DVM will not register it for her.

[karmathecat]

I've had no problem in NM, including registering a vehicle I was still making payments on - the lien holder was in AZ. I used the Rio Rancho office, on Sabana Grande.

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by karmathecat

I've had no problem in NM, including registering a vehicle I was still making payments on - the lien holder was in AZ. I used the Rio Rancho office, on Sabana Grande.

That is the office we used and never again. There is one woman working there who I swear goes out of her way to be rude and nasty. She all but accused us of being illegals. (Never heard of an illegal with a downeast Maine accent)
My daughter ended up waiting until she bought a car here, and then went to the rapid DMV on Alameda by Sunflower Market. Took her all of 15 minutes to get her new license.

[Mike Horrell]

We used one of the commercial companies whose offices are all over the place
when we first mioved here. PANAMANIAN registration and PANAMANIAN licenses..
No problem and probably about $40 more than going directly through the DMV.
We did have to go back 3 days later to pick up the final registration (Patriot
Act ownership checks..) but we got full temporary documents at the first visit.

That worked so well that I went through them again for the motorcycle endorsement
on my driver's license. Again, no problem, about 30 minutes total and about $20
extra for the convenience which I considered money well spent.

If someone "can't get a license" here, there's probably a reason........

[Chaparral]

Originally Posted by Mike Horrell

If someone "can't get a license" here, there's probably a reason........

This.

After we moved back from Oregon a few years back, it took a grand total of 45 minutes to get a new NM driver's license and register our vehicle at the Cottonwood MVD office. (We were still making payments on the vehicle at the time.)

Chap

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by Mike Horrell

If someone "can't get a license" here, there's probably a reason........

Lets see we went in with what we were told to take. Nope, need this piece of paper.
So go back, no cannot accept photo copy of your pay stub...must be real one. Paperless workplace, don't have one. Got to have one.

Cellphone bill not acceptable utility bill.
The girl lives with us. The only bill she had at the time was her cellphone and her paychecks are direct deposit. DMV did not seem to understand that.

They would not accept anything of mine as proof for her. Yet they told us to go to a notary public for a piece of paper to say she is our kid. A notary isn't going to know if she is or not..DUH.

My husband had a helluva time with them because he has a CDL. Went in with all the paperwork.

His birth certificate was too old...well hello he IS old! (no brainer). So have to send to CT to get a new one, that took two weeks.

He goes back, needs a dr's note. No problem, we have. Nope, not acceptable. Not a NM doctor. WTF
Now have to find him a doctor asap to get a damn physical because they won't accept one he had before we moved out. Geez louise, this is getting older by the minute.
So he goes and gets a physical. Well, DMV neglects to tell you they need a certain LONG FORM that you must get from said doctor.
Hubby goes back and they say, this form is not acceptable, you must have long one.
So this has been going on for like 4 months. Get the long form and takes it to motor vehicle. Hooray! Success!!
So we now wait and watch the mail for his license. Three months go by and no license. So I go in to chck on it for him and they won't tell me anything.
This means he must loose time (yet again) from work to go in and ask about it. Well, Santa Fe lost the long form from the doctor's office. Here we go again........
RR luckily has a copy and can fax it to them again. Had them call to confirm that SF got it, and they did.
So back to waiting again. No license after a month more of waiting. So back to DMV.
They mailed it, but they put the wrong zip code on it. Off to the post office and they can't check as its probably in a dead letter file somewhere.
FINALLY, he gets his license.

So you tell me why it took so long to get the licenses, when we went in with all the info the website tells you to take! The reason is the DMV stinks.

[Mike Horrell]

Your tales of woe are exactly why we went through a commercial outfit....

Unfortunately, you probably have to go through the state offices for a CDL..