Los Gatos DMV Office To Close For Renovations in June

Sacramento-The Los Gatos field office of the California Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed next month for an extensive four-month renovation which includes much-needed work on the building's heating, air conditioning and ventilation system.

DMV officials say the 32-year old office will shut down at the end of the business day on Friday, June 18, 2004, and re-open on October 25, 2004. The building has not had any major repair work done on it since it first opened in 1972.

The Los Gatos office is one of several offices slated for maintenance and renovation work for the rest of the year. DMV usually closes about a dozen of its offices each year for varying lengths of time to make infrastructure repairs or for equipment installation. The funds for the Los Gatos renovation project were earmarked in the 1999-2000 budget, with contracts for the work let in May of 2003.

In addition to replacing the ventilation, heating and air conditioning system, the office will get a new ceiling, new interior lighting, new flooring, upgraded public restrooms, new paint (in and out) new cabling for phones and computers, and a redesigned interior space to improve customer flow and efficiency.

The Los Gatos office employs 20 persons, and handles more than 12,000 transactions each month, including about 400 drive tests. During the renovation project, technicians who work in the office will be loaned to nearby DMV offices to help handle customers diverted because of the repair work.

DMV officials say they carefully monitor the workload of surrounding offices on a day-by-day basis and move technicians to where they are most needed when an office is closed because of renovation projects such as this one.

The offices where Los Gatos DMV customers will be steered are:

Santa Clara, 3665 Flora Vista Avenue; 10 miles away

San Jose, 1111 West Alma Avenue; 12 miles away

San Jose (Santa Teresa) 180 Martinvale Lane; 14 miles away

Redwood City, 300 Brewster Avenue; 26 miles away

Capitola, 4200 Capitola Avenue; 24 miles away

Fremont, 4287 Central Avenue; 28 miles away

In a continuing effort to shorten lines and wait times, the DMV wants customers to understand that there are number of options currently available which, if properly utilized, could dramatically reduce the number of transactions actually handled on a face-to-face basis-which in turn would result in shorter lines and wait times. For example, most routine services the DMV provides can be done by mail; instructions for mailing license or registration renewals are included with the notifications sent out by the Department. Customers can use checks or money orders to renew by mail.

The Internet is also useful for handling many transactions, including vehicle registration renewals. All that's needed is insurance information and a credit card. The DMV Internet Website may be accessed at www.dmv.ca.gov. Personalized license plates, boat registration, scheduling for DMV appointments, refund requests, driver license records, and even checking on Driver School licensing may also be handled electronically.

But if a face-to-face transaction is necessary, appointments are always encouraged-either by phone at 800-777-0133 or over the Internet. Both options are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.