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The New Tax Collector’s Office Is Another Reason Why It’s Good To Live Here
Anyone who has had to renew their driver’s license in Little Havana – previously the closest location to do so from the Gables – understands what a nightmare it can be. Even with an appointment, a long line forms in the early morning, with some arriving before sunrise to queue up. A police presence is necessary to maintain order.
Since August of last year, however, Gables residents need merely drive (or walk) to the new Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s office at 224 Minorca Ave., just off Ponce. In a ceremony attended by city and Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce officials, along with Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez, the ribbon was cut for the seventh such office in the county. In what Fernandez called a “great moment for residents of Coral Gables,” he noted that, for the first time, locals no longer need to leave the city to renew their licenses in person. He also thanked Mayor Vince Lago and the city for providing the office’s bright and airy space, which is part of the Public Safety Building complex.
While many services can be accomplished online – a first renewal or updating an address, for example – other changes do require an office visit. These include updating your photo, becoming REAL ID compliant, changing your name after marriage, or updating your license if you used the online service in your last renewal.
I stopped in to renew my photo on a late Tuesday morning. I hadn’t made an appointment ahead of time (which is recommended), so I took my chances on a walk-in. The staff could not have been more accommodating. I was told I would be seen within 20 minutes, enough time to walk down the street and get a coffee at Café Demetrio. It turned out to be more like 15 minutes, and I was called to a window (first in Spanish, then in English) where the clerk had me sit for the photo, which then appeared on a small screen for my approval. “You should smile some more,” she rather correctly recommended. The second shot was “much better,” she said with a chuckle. I also agreed to become an organ donor – “It won’t matter to me at that point,” I said, to which she agreed.
The fee for the new driver’s license, with a photo that looked a little more like my present self, was $31.25. Within moments, it was printed out. And while we would not recommend going in without an appointment, the entire process for me still took just a little over 20 minutes.
The Tax Collector’s office on Minorca, a first in the history of the city, also provides other services, such as first-time vehicle registration. You can also pay property and business taxes at the office, or get a fishing or hunting license, but these are easily accomplished online – unless you want to stretch your legs in the City Beautiful.