Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Driver and Vehicle Services (PennDOT) Customer Service

When you call the customer care number for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), you are greeted by an automated menu, available in both English and Spanish. The menu has six separate options, each of which is explained very clearly. The customer service line is set up to handle issues ranging from driver’s license renewal to motor vehicle registration and driver’s exam scheduling. 

There are several features you can access without needing to speak directly to a customer service representative. For instance, if you need to check on the current status of your driver’s license, you can do so by following a couple of prompts and entering your driver’s license number. Once you’ve entered the number, the system can pull your driver’s license record and inform you whether you’re license is currently valid, whether it’s been suspended or whether it needs to be renewed. 

Unfortunately, accessing a vehicle registration record through the customer care line is not quite as simple. Although the automated menu offers options related to renewing your registration or obtaining a replacement registration or license plate, these tasks cannot be accomplished without filling out and submitting physical forms. To obtain the forms, you either need to download them from the Department of Transportation’s website or have them faxed to the number of your choosing. 

At any time during your call, you can hit “0” and be connected to a live customer service agent. Customer service representatives are available to provide support from Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.

I was able to get connected to a representative relatively quickly, with a waiting time of less than three minutes. The representative I spoke with was very professional and courteous. She made it clear from the outset that she was willing to take whatever time was necessary to answer my questions. Unfortunately, both of the services I inquired about — renewing my vehicle registration and obtaining a title for a newly purchased car — required filling out and returning physical forms. In the case of getting a new title, that form needed to be filled out in the presence of a registered agent (typically available through either a car dealership or a notary service).

Although the phone representative was unable to complete my requests over the phone, she did take the time to clearly explain the processes for both and point me toward additional information available on the PennDOT website. The information she provided was helpful and clear.

An additional feature of PennDOT’s automated customer service menu is that you are always given the option to return to either the main menu or a sub-menu related to your topic of inquiry. While some automated systems will involuntarily end calls after providing information, PennDOT’s system allows you to stay on the call until you decide it’s time to hang up.