Sacramento – California lawmakers approved on Wednesday a $16.6 million cash infusion to the Department of Motor Vehicles so the DMV can hire 230 additional employees and reduce wait times at DMV offices statewide.
DMV Director Jean Shiomoto issued the following statement:
“I appreciate the swift action of the Legislature to help the Department tackle these long waits with a new wave of employees. Today’s wait times are unacceptable and we are continuing to take action to improve service for all Californians.”
On July 27, the Department of Finance, in partnership with the DMV, requested from the Legislature expedited approval for $16.6 million to hire 230 employees at field offices across California.
Wednesday’s action will build on multiple steps the DMV has taken to try to reduce wait times and ease the burden on customers:
* Redirected 289 DMV headquarters employees and staff from other state agencies and departments including the California Highway Patrol, to deploy to the busiest field offices.
* Added Saturday office hours at 60 field offices in the most impacted communities.
* Opened 14 field offices one hour earlier, at 7 a.m., four days a week.
* Expanded the DMV Now Self-Service Terminals into six additional field offices, with four more on the way.
* Hired 500 new employees.
* Rescinded any prohibition of food and beverages within DMV facilities.
* Added triage employees to aid customers waiting in lines outside DMV offices to help expedite transactions, answer questions, and help in other ways.
In additions to the steps already taken and today’s announcement, the DMV is preparing additional improvements:
* Mailing driver license or ID card renewal notices earlier to give people more time.
* Continuing to increase the amount of front-line employees.
* Allowing customers to leave the DMV line and return later when they receive a text message before their service number is called.
* Supplying customers who do not have access to a cellphone or computer with handheld devices they can use to fill out electronic driver license applications while they wait in line.
* Expanding DMV Now Self-Service Terminals – that allow Californians to renew their vehicle registration without going to a field office – into 50 more grocery stores, bringing the statewide total to 160.
The DMV reminds customers that many transactions can be completed without visiting a field office, including vehicle registration and driver license renewals, and people can save time by booking an appointment and filling out the driver license application online before they visit a field office.
For more information on all online services visit https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/onlinesvcs.
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18 Comments
Carlos Chang
I just read the Democrats in Sacramento blocked an audit of the DMV about the wait times…… Instead just give them money.
Democrats ??????
You’re not even real, stfu!
I was waiting here allllll day the other day and at one point we were all clapping when a number was called.
How about Sacramento give Santa Clarita a bigger DMV building that could accommodate the size of our city and not one that was suited for the 70s. Half of the old Kmart building would be great! Plenty of parking, centrally located and then they can hire more staff.
That area is already bad enough for traffic
I worked there for 24 yrs trust me nothing will ever change the state owns the property, we tried for years to get a new office?
…but wastes $90 Billion on bullet train to nowhere. ?
Republican Governor behind this one
I got it! Maybe when they open up in the morning. They can have fill staff that actually work with people and not sit in desks doing nothing. Last Tim I was in one. There was a quarter of the staff working with people and 3/4s in the back laughing drinking coffee having a good time. Let’s try having all of them work with people. Just a suggestion.
MONEY PIT
And fire some of the current staff, please!!
I think they should go back to the old system if you have an appointment your name is called you don’t wait in line for an hour at your appointment time to then sit and wait another hour. If your appointment time is at 12 o’clock your name gets called at 12 o’clock and you get seen at 12 o’clock!! Go figure! Isn’t that what an appointment is all about??
I love how Married with children hit the nail on the head in one of their episodes back in the 90’s when Al thought he was being smart by making an appointment at the DMV LOL Pretty sad how almost 30 years later the DMV still hasn’t gotten their act together
Intelligence is a lost art
The real problem isn’t the staff, it’s the ever growing web of requirement laws they are forced to negotiate. We moved here from Illinois last fall. My wife still can’t get her CA license despite 4 trips to the DMV. They want a 20 year old divorce decree that doesn’t exist except on microfiche in the Illinois capital. Multiple visits = more people to serve. More people to serve = longer wait times. It is just ridiculous. The system is broken.