CA Department of Motor Vehicles- Modesto DMV Field Office Set to Open March 8, 2004 After Extensive Renovations

Sacramento-After an extensive three-month renovation project to install a new heating and air conditioning system, as well as make other repairs, the Modesto DMV office is set to reopen for business Monday morning, March 8, 2004.

The 25-year old office, located at 124 Burney Street, was completely gutted and rebuilt to better serve customer needs during the closure and to address public health and safety concerns. Worn-out furniture, countertops, lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, and flooring were also replaced as part of the project.

During the closure, Modesto-area customers were referred to nearby DMV field offices in Turlock, Manteca, Tracy, Stockton, and Merced. All of the technicians who normally worked at the Modesto office were dispatched to those offices as well to handle the extra customers.

The building had never undergone any extensive repairs during the past quarter century, and was one of six DMV field offices slated for maintenance and renovation work during the 2003-2004 fiscal year. The Department usually closes several offices each fiscal year for varying lengths of time to make infrastructure repairs or for equipment installation.

"It's really great news for the people of metropolitan Modesto," said DMV Director Chon Gutierrez. "We know how important our offices are to the well-being of a community, and we understand the inconvenience involved when we have to close one of them down. But we simply couldn't have waited any longer to get in and get this office fixed. We're busting our tails to address customer concerns, and getting this facility up and running again will make a big difference to thousands of people. We're glad to back in business."

DMV officials urge prospective customers to take advantage of other alternatives to visiting a field office in person. For instance, most routine driver license renewals can be handled by mail, as can most vehicle registration transactions-and many vehicle registrations can be accomplished electronically on the DMV Website at www.dmv.ca.gov. The Website can also be used to make appointments, as well as provide information about average wait-times in 90 of the state's largest offices. A recent addition to the Web site is an on-line chart which gives customers a timeframe for receiving their car tax refunds.