This 2020 DPS change could be everything when it comes to getting your driver license
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety is aiming to have Texas drivers spend less time in line at the driver license office in the new year.
It's no secret that going to the driver license office often means waiting in a long line, but next year you'll be able to make an appointment.
The Texas Department of Public Safety currently has an online system which allows you to make a same-day appointment, but problems persist.
Now, the state is setting up what it calls a "true appointment system." It will allow you to book an appointment as much as 6 months in advance. If you don't have an appointment, you can still wait for an opening on stand-by.
So, what are the wait times in the Houston area? ABC13 looked at the DPS data and found some of the worst wait times during 2019 at the Houston Gessner Center. For example, in March the wait averaged two hours and 42 minutes.
On the lighter side, the Spring Mega Center averaged just 37 minutes in the month of October.
In October, all area centers had wait times under an hour. Wait times are often the worst during summer months.
The DPS plans for the appointment system to be piloted in early 2020, with the hope of launching across the state in late spring or early summer 2020.
