Officials with the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office have uncovered a widespread scheme in which appointment scalpers are profiting from selling Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) slots, leaving many residents struggling to secure their own.
An investigation found that driving schools are booking large blocks of appointments and reselling them for hundreds of dollars each. According to a source, one school recently secured 70 appointments, charging drivers $200 or more for each.
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez warned residents against paying for DMV slots.
“Never buy an appointment. Appointments are completely free. We are here to serve the residents of Miami-Dade County, and I am not going to allow these companies to continue doing this,” Fernandez said.
While the practice is currently legal, Fernandez said his office is working with county officials to introduce penalties and put an end to it.
Lawmakers address growing DMV crisis
The issue comes amid persistent problems at DMV offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where long wait times and appointment shortages have frustrated residents for months. In response, Florida lawmakers are moving forward with a plan to allocate millions of dollars to ease the burden on the overwhelmed system.
Driver’s license offices in South Florida have been dealing with crowded lines, frequent cancellations, and backlogged services, prompting state leaders to intervene.
“We’re aware of the problem and committed to addressing it,” said Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson. “Our goal is to improve the system and make it more efficient, which is why we are looking at investing several million dollars to upgrade infrastructure and enhance services.”
As part of a broader reform, tax collectors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are set to take over driver’s licensing responsibilities from the state next year. However, these improvements may not come in time for residents facing the May 7 deadline to obtain a REAL ID-compliant license, which will be required for domestic air travel.
With scalping practices making DMV appointments even harder to secure, officials say urgent action is needed to protect residents from exploitation and restore order to the system.
