The Palm Springs DMV at 950 N. Farrell Drive is a full-service field office for driver’s licenses, ID cards, REAL ID, knowledge tests, behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests, titles, registration and VIN verifications. It’s the westernmost of the Coachella Valley’s three DMV offices and the nearest for Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, as well as Garnet, North Palm Springs and Whitewater. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays), and the office has no self-service kiosk.
Palm Springs DMV Hours, Address and Contact Details
| Detail | Palm Springs DMV |
|---|---|
| Address | 950 N. Farrell Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 (get directions) |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed weekends |
| Live wait times | On the DMV page for this office, alongside Palm Desert, Indio, Hemet and Redlands |
| Appointments | Optional for most visits; required for behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests |
| Walk-ins | Scan the QR code at the entrance or check in at the information desk |
| Self-service kiosk | None here; see the options below |
| Phone | No direct line; DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (TTY 1-800-368-4327) |
Is Palm Springs the Closest DMV to You?
Straight-line distances from City Hall or the center of each community:
- Palm Springs is closest for Palm Springs itself (about 1 mile from City Hall), Cathedral City (about 5 from City Hall, with Palm Desert at 6), Garnet and North Palm Springs (about 6 each), Desert Hot Springs (about 8.5 from City Hall), Whitewater (about 12) and Idyllwild (about 13.5, with Hemet at 14).
- Another office is closer for Rancho Mirage and Thousand Palms (Palm Desert, about 5 and 3 miles, with Palm Springs at 6.5 and 7.5) and for Banning (Hemet, about 14.5 miles, with Palm Springs at 21).
What Palm Springs Handles and What Goes Elsewhere
- Licenses and tests: driver’s license, ID card and REAL ID applications, knowledge tests until 4:30 p.m., and behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests by appointment.
- Vehicles: title transfers, new and out-of-state registrations, VIN verifications, plates and placards. A private-party purchase owes use tax at the rate for the address where you register it: as of October 2026, 9.25% in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, 8.75% in Desert Hot Springs and 7.75% in unincorporated areas such as Garnet, North Palm Springs and Whitewater. Our guide to registering a car in California lists the documents and fees.
- Elsewhere: mobile driver’s license help at Temecula, about 43 miles west-southwest and the closest office on the DMV’s list of offices that help in person; commercial skills tests at the Fontana commercial drive test center, about 56 miles west-northwest; and smog checks at licensed smog check stations.
No Kiosk at Palm Springs: Where to Renew Instead
DMV counters don’t handle registration renewals or driver and vehicle records, so with no kiosk here, use DMV online services, the kiosk inside the Palm Desert office, about 10 miles east-southeast, or the grocery store kiosk in the Ralphs at 425 S. Sunrise Way (6:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m. daily).
DMV business partners also handle some registration work for their own fee. The DMV lists DB Vehicle Registration Services, 4633 E. Ramon Road, as open on Saturdays (9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) and Sundays (8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.), and partners in Cathedral City such as Lowest Competitive Insurance, 68945 Vista Chino, Suite B, are open 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Monday–Saturday.
Before You Go
Start any license or REAL ID application online and bring the original documents; the DMV’s REAL ID checklist lists what’s accepted, and our California DMV appointment guide covers booking, drive tests and what to bring. The office takes cash, checks, money orders, cards and digital wallets (with a 2.1% fee on cards and wallets) and closes on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26–27), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2027).
Other DMV Offices Near Palm Springs
- Palm Desert, 74-740 Technology Drive, about 10 miles east-southeast: full service, with a kiosk
- Indio, 44480 Jackson St., about 19 miles east-southeast: full service, with a kiosk
- Hemet, 1200 S. State St., about 27 miles west-southwest: full service, with a kiosk
- Twentynine Palms, 3668 Adobe Road, about 37 miles northeast: full service on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, with no kiosk
Our California DMV offices list covers the rest of Riverside County and the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neither city has its own DMV office. The Palm Springs DMV is the closest for both, about 5 miles from Cathedral City City Hall and 8.5 from Desert Hot Springs’, with Palm Desert next for Cathedral City at about 6. Cathedral City has several DMV business partners that handle some registration work.
The DMV doesn’t list a direct number for the office. Call DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the TTY line is 1-800-368-4327.
Conclusion
Palm Springs is the full-service DMV for the west end of the Coachella Valley, from Palm Springs and Cathedral City to Desert Hot Springs, but it has no kiosk. Check its live wait against Palm Desert’s before you go, book ahead for a drive test, renew online, at a kiosk or through a business partner, and go to Temecula for mobile license help and Fontana for a commercial skills test.
Add Comment