Today, June 11, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will reopen field offices that were temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I continue to encourage Californians to use our online services, the Virtual Field Office, DMV Now kiosks and business partners whenever possible,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said. “Nearly all DMV tasks can be accomplished without an office visit”
Employees will continue serving customers with existing appointments and Californians in need of selected transactions that can only be completed in a DMV field office, including:
• Paying registration for a vehicle impounded
because of registration-related issues
• Reinstating a suspended or revoked driver
license
• Applying for a reduced-fee or no-fee
identification card
• Processing commercial driver license
transactions
• Applying for a disabled person parking
placards (this can also be done by mail using
the REG 195 form)
• Adding an ambulance certificate or firefighter
endorsement to a driver license
• Verifying a transit training document to drive
a transit bus
• Processing DMV Express customers for REAL
ID transactions, if time and space allow
• Vehicle verifications
Offices will also offer additional services for commercial drivers, including vehicle inspections and basic control tests. The commercial offices will begin contacting previously scheduled applicants to reschedule the vehicle inspection and basic skills components. The DMV also will resume offering motorcycle drive tests.
The DMV has already begun rescheduling appointments canceled during the temporary closure and notifying customers of their new dates. Once the DMV has accommodated those customers, the DMV will begin offering a limited number of new appointments.
DMV employees are to wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing and will have access to disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, facial shields, gloves and soap and water. The DMV also is providing hand-washing stations for customer use in select locations. Customers are required to wear a face covering and remain 6 feet apart in line. Customers are offered a text message that will allow them to wait outside the building until notified they are ready to be served. Entry into the building is metered, and customers may experience extended wait times.
The DMV has expanded credit card and digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) payment options to all offices statewide. The department has also expanded its “DMV Express” option to all field offices, allowing customers to fill out the online application for REAL ID. The REAL ID enforcement date is Oct. 1, 2021.
