It’s hard to get a DMV appointment in Miami-Dade. Now it’s illegal to scalp one, too

Legislation the County Commission passed Tuesday makes it a misdemeanor to sell access to an appointment for a driver’s-license office or a time slot at any other government agency. Violators could receive a $500 fine.

Sponsored by Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, the legislation stemmed from allegations by the county’s newly elected tax collector, Dariel Fernandez, who said last month he had uncovered a “network of appointment scalpers” at local DMV offices. He blamed driving schools that used the state’s online booking system to lock up dozens of appointments for customers paying the schools to get their licenses.

“No one should have to pay a third party just to access basic government services,” Cabrera said in a statement after the unanimous approval vote.