You need an appointment to go to a DMV in the Hudson Valley. Appointments are booked for about five weeks.

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I wish I knew this before driving to the DMV. My license expires next month. I thought I was being proactive about going in on May 11 to make sure I get my new license with plenty of time to spare.

Boy was I wrong! Before heading to the closest open DMV to my home, in the City of Newburgh, I went to the New York State DMV's website to make sure I have all the documents needed.

By 2023, all New Yorkers will need an "enhanced ID" to board a domestic flight. Passports will also work.

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To make things easier when I fly, I've decided to get an "enhanced ID" now. In order to get one, you need a lot of documents. Like a passport, social security card, license, credit card statement, or similar documents.

Multiple times I checked the New York State DMV's website to confirm I had the correct documents because I didn't want to have to go back to the DMV. Well the jokes on me, because I will have to go back. In a month!

Turns out, the few DMVs across the Hudson Valley that have reopened during the COVID-19 pandemic are by appointment only. The security guard informed me that there is about a "five-week waiting list" for an appointment.

I went online and the first appointment I could get in Orange County was in the second week of June. I called a DMV office in Dutchess County and the first available appointment there was even later than the one I made in Orange County.

I'll be honest, I probably should have remembered this, because a coworker wrote about it in June 2020. But that was nearly a year ago, so I forgot. Hopefully, this article reminds you to make an appointment before you head to the DMV.

If you do need to go to the DMV, CLICK HERE to find out how to make an appointment at the closest open DMV to your home.

In fairness, making an appointment at the DMV sounds like a great idea, if it cuts down on the wait time inside the DMV. I just wish I knew before going!

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