Home California DMV Director Issues Statement on Legislative Action to Address Wait Times, Boost Staffing

DMV Director Issues Statement on Legislative Action to Address Wait Times, Boost Staffing

by ECT

Sacramento – California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Director Jean Shiomoto issued the following statement on the Legislature’s decision last week to approve funding for 230 new employees and other actions to reduce DMV wait times:

“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.

Last weeks actions will build on multiple steps that 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  • Rescinded any prohibition of food and beverages within DMV facilities.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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4 comments

Troy Stevens Sr. Aug 13, 2018 - 8:40 am

Great!!! Now there will be one more idiot to stand around!!

Luz Bobino Aug 13, 2018 - 11:19 am

I thought the last round of hires was to justify the upcoming needs for the REALID processing… since, the waiting time had been longer and WORSE for the public. And, I thought the applicants have to take/passed the civil test for these positions? Somehow when I visit DMV, I can’t believe how staff are not properly trained or knowledgeable of their procedures and process… this brings me to bring up my personal complain due to my recent visits (in the past 6 months) My son submitted ALL REQUIRED paperwork for ambulance driver certificate Feb 2018. Now Aug 2018, CERTIFICATE still NOT rec’d. Temp cert exp 8/13/18. Called & visited multiple times spending 3-5+ hours in the branch ofc w/in the last 6 mos to get a status update, seemed the staff are not knowledgeable of procedures… Due to this, my son have been unable to work w/o his physical ambulance cert at hand & lost wages! Called AGAIN this morning, I spoke to Laura and Jennifer, I was provided the following#s9166578545, 6575771, 2293128. Options provided, 1. get an extension on temp cert–reason why we went last Fri and told they couldn’t give him extension (after waiting 5+ hours), 2. wait until cert arrives in the mail which was sent Aug 1 (are you serious–6 months HAVE PASSED!). Are they aware ANY drivers CAN NOT OPERATE a vehicle w/o the physical license at hand!!! EVEN so for the ambulance drivers!!! OMG!!! 3. get a duplicate… which they said you will have to wait 30 days after the certificate was mailed… ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! IT HAS BEEN 6 MONTHS!!! I’M DONE!

Tom Aug 13, 2018 - 12:59 pm

Hiring more people to do nothing makes it only worse. Better fire half of the employees. The remainder will do the whole job in half the time. I have seen that working in the free industry world, so I know it works.

slapstick Aug 13, 2018 - 4:54 pm

The only time you should go into DMV without an appointment is 30 minutes before they close, then you get in door, they close doors at closing time and then process everyone inside, after closing time watch the whole place come to life and actually work gets done in a timely manner, they want to go home so they process as fast as they can, about 300% faster than during normal hours. They need motivation to work, because they dont during normal business hours, need to start firing the useless people, AUDIT PLEASE!!
AUDIT PLEASE!!!!
AUDIT PLEASE!!!!!!!
AUDIT PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

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