SACRAMENTO, Calif. (NEWS 8 / AP) — California lawmakers are seeking answers from the Department of Motor Vehicles about hourslong wait times that have prompted public outcry.
When Assemblyman Phil Ting visited a San Francisco DMV office in his district last month, he said the line snaking around the block looked more like a queue for rock concert tickets than for people trying to renew their licenses.
"I was shocked," the Democrat said. "What we've been hearing are horrific wait times of six or seven hours. That's unacceptable."
Ting lead a hearing on Tuesday to question DMV officials about what they are doing to reduce wait times.
Lawmakers have given the department millions of dollars in additional funding to accommodate higher demand as Californians update their licenses to comply with federally mandated security upgrades known as Real ID. The federal law was enacted in 2005 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and requires new ID cards to carry special markings.
After Oct. 1, 2020, airport security checkpoints won't accept non-compliant cards. Californians must apply for new cards in person at DMV offices.
The agency expects to spend almost $70 million and hire more workers in the next two years to process the millions of people who need upgrades.
At the Tuesday hearing, Ting asked DMV officials whether the money allotted to the system is enough and whether the DMV is making technical improvements to ensure the Real ID transition runs smoothly.
Assemblyman Phillip Chen is requesting an audit of the department and how it is handling the Real ID changes. The top complaint he's heard from his constituents recently is about the long wait times at DMV offices.
"We want to make sure we're not putting money into a broken system," the Diamond Bar Republican said.
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee will weigh Chen's audit request Wednesday.
"The DMV is bringing employees from various state agencies and departments to strengthen our hiring surge and help triage the longer lines at our offices," DMV Director Jean Shiomoto said. "This year we have already hired 500 new employees, added Saturday service at 60 offices and opened offices an hour earlier in the most impacted areas. We expect the additional surge of employees will help further combat these wait times."
To ease the long wait times, the DMV is staffing 60 offices on Saturdays and extending morning hours at 14 offices.
The redirected employees are triaging the lines to ensure customers have the required documents to complete their transaction and get a service number faster. They are also assisting customers with filling out the Electronic Driver License and ID Card Application.
The department is using a variety of additional options to reduce wait times. Some of the timesaving solutions include:
- Piloting a text notification option. If customers provide their cell phone number when they check in, they can receive a text message shortly before their service number is called.
- This provides flexibility so they do not have to wait inside a field office. The DMV is piloting the text notification option in several field offices across the state and working to launch this statewide within the next two weeks.
- Piloting self-check-in kiosks. Customers with appointments can bypass the "Start Here" window and use a kiosk to instantly receive their service number.
- This option is being piloted in the South Sacramento field office and the San Jose Driver License Processing Center.
- Expanding DMV Now Self-Service Terminals: This month, the DMV will add the self-service vehicle registration renewal kiosks to 10 additional field offices.
- Later this year, the department will expand to 50 additional grocery store locations, bringing the statewide total of DMV Now Self-Service Terminals to 160.
- Saturday service expansion: The DMV expanded Saturday service to 60 field offices on August 4.
- Offices are open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find a location on the Saturday Service webpage.
- Early office hours: The DMV began offering extended hours at 14 field offices on July 16.
- The offices open at 7 a.m. four days a week. They continue to open at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and close at 5 p.m. daily. For the list of office locations, visit the extended hours webpage.
On Wednesday, the DMV director issued a statement on legislative action to address wait times and boost staffing. Read the full statement below: