Miami-Dade cracks down on DMV scalpers — now let's fix the entire system

Miami Herald

02-04-2025

Anyone who has tried to book an appointment for a driver's license or other service at one of Miami-Dade's nine DMV offices knows the struggle. The experience is about as pleasant as a trip to the dentist but just as necessary.
Last month, newly elected Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez exposed an appointment scalping operation that had been making service at the soon-to-be abolished Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles offices across the county even worse, he said.
Appointment slots were vanishing from the online portal quickly, hoarded by scalpers — driving schools — Fernandez said, whose employees were then reselling them to people who needed a quick spot in line. Most people need an appointment to be served. Walk-ins are allowed but that generally requires a predawn showing to make it inside the building.
People reportedly paid anywhere from $25 to $250 to get a same day appointment in line. According to Fernandez, this scheme was 'collapsing' the system, making it even harder for everyday residents to secure a spot.
That shady practice is now illegal. On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Commission unanimously passed a law making it a misdemeanor to sell DMV or other government service appointments. Sponsored by Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, the law carries a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail for violators.
This is a win for residents who just want a fair shot at getting their driver's licenses without additional unnecessary hurdles — or worse, being forced to pay. The commission rightfully stepped in to level the playing field.
As Cabrera said, 'No one should have to pay a third party just to access basic government service.' He's right.
But Fernandez should keep the momentum of reform for our DMV offices. It's perfect timing; the local DMV offices, run by the state for years, will now be run by Fernandez's new, expanded tax collector office. Completing basic services like renewing your license or getting a new one shouldn't turn into an all-day ordeal, with or without an appointment.
Banning scalping by driving schools is just one piece of the puzzle. The fact that this happened in the first place proves the DMV system is already broken.
It's rare to see a DMV office without a huge line in front. Now, with the Real ID requirement on your driver's license set to start in May, more people likely will be coming in to update their licenses.
Fernandez, a former tech entrepreneur, has promised to modernize a system that has long been the punch line for jokes about bad service.
So far, he has added an extra location in downtown Miami where people can get or renew their driver's licenses. He's already implemented technology that blocks multiple bookings from the same phone number. But he's not stopping there — he's pushing for more DMV services to be available online and working to make appointment scheduling faster and easier. He wants to give the DMV the overhaul it needs.
Those are steps in the right direction. The fact that scalping even became a business in the first place shows how badly the system has been failing residents for years.
We're glad to see Fernandez, Cabrera and the county commission swiftly tackle this issue head-on.
The changes, of course, will cost money. In an opinion article that appeared in the Miami Herald last month, Fernandez warned the 'initial improvements' of changing the county's nine state-run driver's license offices to be run by the county is roughly $40 million. As a constitutional officer, the tax collector sets his own budget, not the county mayor.
The new county law is a start. It sends a clear message that it's a new day at the DMV, by reinforcing a basic rule: government services should be accessible to everyone — not just those who can afford to buy their way to the front of the line.
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