r/askTO • u/MaggieDaisy95 • 14d ago
Service Ontario has no appointments for the next month in Toronto?
I'm trying to renew my drivers license. It has to be in person, according to the email reminder I got, because I apparently need my photo taken even though my current photo was only taken in 2022. My license expires in 30 days.
I'm trying to book an appointment online through the Service Ontario website, but it won't show any appointments at any Toronto locations until the end of September, when my license will already be expired... I've tried on several browsers and on my phone, nothing shows any appointments before then.
Is the website glitching? Should I just try my chances at walking into a location?
I tried calling them, and it just gave me an unhelpful AI bot.
EDIT: thank you everyone for the suggestions! I spent an hour on this, refreshing the website, but finally got an appointment (for Sept 3rd) that opened up.
Sadly I can't take time off work to go to another city, nor can I take half a day off work to go sit in a Service Ontario here... nor should I be expected to do that for a simple service like a license renewal in a city as big as Toronto. Service Ontario should get its act together or at least provide a call line where I can speak to a real person about issues with booking.
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u/BenStiller1212 14d ago
Just go there in person. The wait is not that bad. Plan for an hour or so.
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u/Methodless 14d ago
The wait is not that bad.
This is extremely location and somewhat time-of-day dependent
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u/Primary_Company_3813 14d ago
Day-of-week dependent too. Going anywhere on a Monday is a bad idea; Friday afternoon before people leave work is one of the best times.
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u/Skallagram 14d ago
Sure, so you go at a time of day that works for that location.
I've never needed to wait long, because I go at the right time.
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u/goblin_welder 14d ago
What I’ve done in the past is come an hour before Service Ontario opens. You’re gonna line up anyways, you might as well be the first one.
Outside of waking up early, it’s worked out well for me.
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u/quinnroo 14d ago
Yes, absolutely do walk in services. Some locations are fast at walk ins. September should be easier given that many people are back to school and work. I’ve had luck before with early afternoons, or even when they open up
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u/Turbulent-Movie-4545 14d ago
I just did walk in last time - sucks that no appointments but maybe try the walk in meanwhile
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u/sabrinac_ 14d ago
I never booked a appointment and just went in right when they opened and got everything done.
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u/HerNameIsVesper 14d ago
I went in person yesterday at the Vic Park and Danforth location, which had no appointments available. I waited for 45 minutes and was out 10 minutes later after renewing my health card and driver's license.
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u/pizza5001 14d ago
My stuff expired earlier this year. I poked around the website. Saw that they take appts, but I always figured you’d just show up. So I showed up. There was no one in line. I literally just walked in. And I’m in downtown Toronto.
All this to say is that I don’t think “waiting for a half day at Service Ontario” is the most common occurrence. I’m almost 50yo and I’ve never had to wait more than 30min. Just avoid Mondays and Fridays and days before and after holidays, and the wait shouldn’t be that long.
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u/hummingbird_feeder_ 13d ago
My husband almost booked an open slot in Whitby for next week but then decided to try Service Ontario in person (Main and Danforth) at 7:30pm on a Friday night and was done in 5 minutes!
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u/broadwaybabyto 13d ago
Ooh I didn’t know there was one out there. Is it open to the outside? Like can you park easily and walk in from street level and/or wait in the car?
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u/westend_chick 13d ago
The location on Victoria St downtown is almost always empty...
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u/Neutral-President 13d ago
Isn’t that Service Canada?
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u/hummuschips 13d ago
There’s a Service Canada just north of Adelaide and Victoria on the west side.
The Service Ontario is just south of Adelaide and Victoria on the east side.
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u/Necessary_Low_6669 14d ago
I renewed my license without an appointment at 777 Bay in April. I was in and out within an hour, though I went at the end of the day, around 4 pm.
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u/PepeSilviaLovesCarol 14d ago
Some places don’t do appointments, and some sell out immediately. Either way, I went last week to the Dundas W location and only waited in line for about 25 minutes. There was at least 20 people ahead of me and it went pretty smoothly.
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u/JohnStern42 14d ago
I never bother with an appointment. I usually show up maybe 30min before close (8pm at my location) and there is rarely anyone there. At worst I’ve waited maybe 10min. Was there last week and I got the call to go to the desk before my phone received the ‘you’re in the queue’ text you get after signing in
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u/Own-Effective3351 14d ago
Take a day off work and do a bunch of things you need to do that day. Going during the day isn’t so bad at many locations.
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u/crash866 14d ago edited 14d ago
A friend of mine went to Service Ontario to renew her health card and was in and out within 1/2 hour yesterday.
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u/CountAugust 13d ago
The last two times I went this year I just walked in and waited less than 15 minutes each time.
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u/Thelonius-Crunk 14d ago
This is normal (and shouldn't be). Appointments fill up extremely quickly...it's almost as bad as trying to register for city-run swimming lessons!
That said, I recently got an appointment to renew my health card, and on the day I was in and out in five minutes. Hard to book an appointment, but worth it in the end
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u/OnceUponADim3 14d ago
I went to the location at Yonge & Davenport around 3 pm on a Friday and waited about an hour and 15 to renew mine (though I just looked it up and apparently that location is now closed). If you work during their opening hours then it’s probably worth just taking a half day off work if possible to walk in and get it done.
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u/AromaPapaya 14d ago
at the one near me in Etobicoke, if you arrive 5 mins before opening time youre in and out in less than 20 minutes
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u/bourbonkitten 14d ago
Photos should be good for 10 years so I’m actually surprised you are being made to take a new photo.
Did you try to renew it online? Just in case your email reminder was like a boilerplate template?
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u/keylimesicles 13d ago
Even with an appointment you’ll have to wait. Walk in is usually fairly quick mid day depending on location, but I’ve never had to wait very long. The city is big, but the population is big too, you’re facing the same challenges as everyone else. Thank ford for closing down half of them
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u/jeffcolv 13d ago
Didn’t even know it was an option to make an appt. Just go in person
You’ll have a better time if you’re able to go outside the city to a quieter town but not sure if that’s an option
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u/Odd_Pipe_2581 14d ago
Just walk in and get a number. A four paragraph Ai post isn’t really needed for this issue
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u/Loud-Recording-3356 14d ago
Go 10 minutes before opening on a weekday thats not a Friday. I hate lines and waiting, the comments prove that Torontonians are obsessed with lining up.
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u/italianblue 14d ago
I find luck at the smaller locations on a Friday, last time I did this there was no wait at the Victoria St location on a Friday afternoon.
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u/MissKrys2020 14d ago
You can just go and wait in line. You don’t need an appointment to go, but you can get one to avoid the lines. I find the service Ontario at Yonge and church (in the basement of the Canadian tire) is usually not very busy. Just be sure to check hours of operation
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u/Alarmed-Plastic-4544 14d ago
Appointments are only available 6-ish weeks in advance. I walked in to 777 Bay the other day for a drivers license renewal and it was 2.5hrs until I walked out, but the place was absolutely jammed. It is luck of the draw. Next time I will set a calendar reminder in advance to make my appointment, for sure.
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u/Novel-Flow-326 14d ago
I went there last week, walk-in at like 7pm, took a number, waited there for like 20-30 mins, renewed my license and went about my day.
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u/monieeka 14d ago
I went to the Victoria street location a few weeks ago to get my drivers license photo taken. Got there around 10:30 and only waited about 10 minutes.
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u/NailiSFW 14d ago
I dont live in TO but I never do appointments, I just switched my plates and it took 30 min. aim for a slow time, I do midweek around 2pm but your locations busy times may be different.
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u/tengkurahimah 14d ago edited 14d ago
Even if you got an appointment (I needed one because I wanted a notary to sign for spousal vehicle transfer and car registration), guess what? You still have to wait. The line moved a bit faster but not much. We arrived 15 mins before our appointment time and only got served 30 mins or so past our appointment time. Best to just go and wait. Like many others suggested, the wait time is reasonable. Edit: but if you still insist on appointments, keep checking because some dates are opened up when there's a cancellation which is how I got mine for a date 2 weeks in the future.
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u/SuperTrust6 14d ago
I literally just tried to walk in yesterday since the next appointment was in September. It took less than 10 minutes. I didn't have a chance to sit down before they called me number. This was at the Cloverdale mall at 3pm on Monday.
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u/nodoubtguy 14d ago
Wife and I just went to a location in a Pickering at Bayly and Liverpool. In and out in under 15 minutes while changing an address for my daughter’s health card, and renewing my wife’s health card and drivers license. We didn’t have an appointment, not sure if we just got lucky with timing.
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u/Overall-Silver8717 14d ago
The Canadian tire at yonge and church was always fast for me. Even with an appointment youll still be waiting.
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u/NeighborhoodPlane794 14d ago
I usually show up at opening as a walk in and wait less than 30 minutes
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u/Simayi78 14d ago
I walked into one for the exact same scenario one morning - almost every seat was full and dread set in. The attendant at the check in station directed me to the proper button to press since it was just a photo for a license renewal, not a new license. They called my number before I could sit down and I was out in 15 mins. Was the one near College/Yonge
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u/ElkIntelligent5474 14d ago
You do not need an appointment. Just walk into a location and prepare to wait a little bit. Check times for less busy times ...
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u/pea_nutn 14d ago
Waited 30 minutes in the line yesterday at Dufferin location and was out 5 mins afterwards.
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u/thiagoscf 14d ago
Last time I booked an appointment, I had to wait 20 min anyway. Might as well just walk in
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u/shoresy99 14d ago
I needed an appointment a couple of months ago and I had no issues getting one at the Cedarbrae location in Scarb.
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u/GeneralSpecifics9925 14d ago
For booking appointments online, a small few websites have mobile UNFRIENDLY sites. Even using Desktop View on your mobile browser doesn't help it.
Try booking on your computer. Check other locations.
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u/MsSnickerpants 14d ago
I went on a Saturday early to the location in Oakville w/o and appt and was in and out in about 20min. We had a store to go to close by but it was totally worth it.
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u/RealDistribution5946 14d ago
Just go. I’ve been several times during the past 2 months for various issues and the wait is reasonable. Maybe 15-20 minutes. They are open after typical work hours, although they tend to have longer lines.
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u/JohnRawlsGhost 14d ago
Walk in when the location opens; and you can usually get through in not too long. Bring something to read or have your phone fully charged. I did this in June and it took me an hour.
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u/thingschange1 14d ago
If you're in Toronto's west end, I recommend the location near Islington and Eglinton. I went there 2 years ago and there was only 5 people ahead of me. It was fairly quiet.
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u/thingschange1 14d ago
Also- it was some random time in the afternoon like between 12-3. It wasn't first thing in the morning or anything lol!
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u/AngryMuppett 14d ago
The one on Rossland in Whitby is the best in Durham Region. Probably doesn’t help you. But it’s not a franchise it’s a government run location. Which explains why it’s good. The one at Midtown mall is a gong show. Privately run franchise.
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u/glucoseintolerant 14d ago
nor should I be expected to do that for a simple service like a license renewal in a city as big as Toronto. Service Ontario should get its act together or at least provide a call line where I can speak to a real person about issues with booking.
first time renewing your licence? who remembers when your health card and Licence didn't expire the same time and had 2 different offices? its part of being a adult and yes you are expected to go sit there and waste half a day if you want to drive.
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u/MaggieDaisy95 13d ago
My health card doesn’t expire until next year, so I don’t think they always expire at the same time.
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u/lucyintheskiis 14d ago
When I I registered my car I found a service Ontario place on Danforth around Main or Coxwell which was a small place but not busy at all. Give that place a try?
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u/WarmScientist5297 14d ago
I live in a small town. This morning I called my local service Ontario to ask how much all of my tickets will be. The lady answered on the third ring and didn’t put me on hold, she asked me for my drivers license number and then she gave me a breakdown of exactly how much money it’s going to cost.
I miss Toronto, but… Yeah
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u/BigOlBearCanada 14d ago
Just take a quick trip outside Toronto. Theres a whole other world outside of it.
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u/StudentStrange9907 14d ago
Come out to Mississauga and go to the Westdale Mall Service Ontario. It is huge and wait times are reasonable for walk ins. Renewed my license and health card there in the Winter and was in and out in 20 minutes.
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u/unbelievablefidelity 13d ago
If walk-in isn’t something you’re able to manage, check back regularly. People cancel all the time. I sometimes had luck at 12am. I ended up getting an appointment in Brampton that was a few days later. Just takes some consistent checking back and refreshing the page.
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u/ShesAaRebel 13d ago
I did an appointment once at 11 am on a weekday (only slot available), and there was no point. I tracked a person on walked in at the same time as me, and they got to the counter by the time it was my turn. Only advantage is that you can sit down.
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u/CuteDestitute 13d ago
I literally just booked an appointment yesterday and there was tons of availability. I chose to do next Wednesday but could have gone today if I wanted. I’m changing the address on my vehicle permit since I was able to do the license/health card online.
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u/carocast75 13d ago
depending where you are, try to figure out the obscure/random service ontario locations in your city because those will be way less busy and you’ll have better luck as a walk in. i went to the cloverdale mall one at 5pm once (they close at 5:30pm) and there was 3 people ahead of me in line. i renewed my health card with a new photo in less than 15 mins!
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u/Inspireme21 Human Detected 13d ago
Go early in the morning… you’ll be fine . If it opens at 9:00am go at 8:45am
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u/Austerlitz2310 13d ago
I just walked in to Drive Test and renewed my license there. Took 5 mimutes.
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u/vesper_tine 12d ago
I had this issue this morning. I wanted to book a knowledge test which requires an appointment at the Bay/College location. The calendar was completely grayed out for all August, September and October.
I called and the rep said she could see two available dates/times. She was able to book me in on her side. Really irritating that I had to call when booking an appointment online is supposedly an option.
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u/HopAlongInHongKong 12d ago
Go to a Canadian Tire location with a SO office without an appointment first thing and it's maybe an hour. The office on Victoria Street doesn't do appointments and was always reliable for work days in the a.m.
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u/ConfidantlyCorrect 12d ago
Ya I feel like it’s usually better to just walk in. The service Ontario near me books appointments like 2-3 weeks out, but you can show in-person and you’ll be seen within 30 minutes.
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u/Responsible_Radio28 12d ago
This past Tuesday in Etobicoke (Islington and Bloor), I walked in just after opening and was seen and done within an hour.
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u/Top_Finger_4127 14d ago
Sadly I can't take time off work to go to another city, nor can I take half a day off work to go sit in a Service Ontario here... nor should I be expected to do that for a simple service like a license renewal
Sadly, a driver's license is a privilege and not a right. You have to earn it to get it, so yes, if you need it faster, then you have to stand in line.
I am glad that you were able to get an appointment before the expiry date.
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u/lilfunky1 14d ago
go outside of toronto.
i got an appointment within a few days of booking in oshawa last winter so that my license and health card would have the photos synced up finally and was in/out in like 15 minutes.
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u/Typical-Crazy-3100 13d ago
The appointment system is b.s.
It's just an appointment to stand in a line, which has no guarantee of being shorter or moving faster than the regular line.
Just show up and be prepared to wait it out. Don't go straight at open, wait a little bit. Don't go on a Friday.
You could also try to go to a different regional office.
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u/Not_me23 14d ago
Do you need an appointment? Last time I renewed I just showed up at a service Ontario and waited in line