The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday announced the Legislature’s decision to approve funding for 230 new employees and other actions to reduce DMV wait times. 

The request for $16.6 million to hire the 230 new employees at field offices statewide was proposed on July 27 by the Department of Finance in partnership with the DMV. 

According to the DMV, Wednesday’s approved funding will build on other steps the DMV has taken to try and reduce wait times, including: 

  • 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  • Rescinded any prohibition of food and beverages within DMV facilities.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.

The DMV says they also plan to make more improvements, including: 

  • 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.

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