CA Department of Motor Vehicles News Releases
Latest Releases
Five Madera Residents Arrested for Running Fake License /ID Mill (February 9, 2012)
Five Madera residents were arrested late last night in connection with operating a fake driver license and identification card mill, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced today.
DMV Wants Your Feedback (January 24, 2012)
In a continuing effort to improve customer service and satisfaction, customers now have the opportunity to rate their DMV experience by sharing valuable feed back on a new “How are we doing?” web survey page.
Timesaving Self Service Terminals Installed at more DMV Offices (December 9, 2011)
Customers can now enjoy the convenience offered by timesaving Self Service Terminals (SST) at five new Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations, bringing the total number of the popular blue and gold kiosks to 33 statewide.
DMV Announces Settlement With Chrysler Corp. (November 18, 2011)
Chrysler Corp. has agreed to pay $955,000 to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to settle allegations of unlawfully operating a car dealership within the 10-mile market area of independently-owned franchises, the DMV announced today.
DMV Launches New Web Page To Honor Veterans And Active Military (November 10, 2011)
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is proud to honor the courageous men and women of the armed forces with a new "Area of Interest" web page, exclusively designed to offer a centralized clearinghouse of valuable resources accessible from anywhere in the world.
DMV Improves Advance Appointment Services For Customers (October 19, 2011)
Making an appointment with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has never been easier.
100 Million Amercians Have Registered as Organ & Tissue Donors (October 11, 2011)
The California Department of Motor Vehicles, together with Donate Life California, are commemorating Donate Life America's announcement today that 100 million people nationwide have signed up with their respective state organ and tissue donor registries, an achievement buoyed by California's nation-leading 8.6 million registrants.
DMV To Close Escondido Commercial Driver License Office (October 7, 2011)
Time is running out for drivers who plan to obtain a commercial driver license at the Escondido Commercial Driver License (CDL) office. The facility, at 2869 Progress Place, no longer meets newly implemented federal guidelines for commercial testing, so the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is permanently closing it at 5 p.m. on October 26, 2011.
Swapmeet Vendors Charged in Counterfeit Document Scheme (October 7, 2011)
Investigators with the Calif. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) arrested eight individuals on Sept. 29, 2011, accused of manufacturing and selling counterfeit California Driver Licenses, Social Security Cards and Immigration and Naturalization Services Resident Alien Cards.
New Law Automates Vehicle Registration to Benefit Consumers (September 30, 2011)
Under AB 1215 (Blumenfield), signed Monday by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., all used vehicles offered for sale by a dealer in California will be checked against the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to disclose past vehicle damage such as flooding or severe collisions. New vehicle dealers will also be electronically transmitting information to the DMV, ensuring faster delivery of registration documents and license plates to customers. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2012.
Owner of Local Auto Sales and Repair Shop Arrested (September 19, 2011)
Investigators from the California Department of Motor Vehicles arrested Jose Argueta, owner of Argueta's Auto Sales and Repair, last Wednesday, Sept. 14, on several felony counts of theft by false pretenses stemming from several complaints received from consumers who allegedly paid Argueta for vehicles that were never received, and for repairs that were never completed.
DMV Targets Unlicensed Car Dealers Posing As Private Sellers (September 17, 2011)
Investigators Launch Statewide "Curbstoner" Enforcement Sweep.
DMV Opens New Field Office in El Monte (September 14, 2011)
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today dedicated its new El Monte Office during Grand Opening ceremonies at 4000 Arden Drive in El Monte.
DMV Announces Multiple Arrest in Two Enforcement Actions (August 31, 2011)
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today dedicated its new El Monte Office during Grand Opening ceremonies at 4000 Arden Drive in El Monte.
Septic Tank Failure Forces Lake Isabella DMV Office To Close (August 4, 2011)
DMV officials said the over-flow was caused by a valve failure in the septic tank system that happened at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 29, 2011. The sewage flowed out of the bathroom, seeped through the wall, which soaked the carpet and damaged furniture.
DMV And Donate Life California Celebrate Five-Year Anniversary (July 26, 2011)
This month the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Donate Life California (DLC) are celebrating a five-year partnership, which has resulted in more than eight and a half million Californians registering as organ and tissue donors through the state’s Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry.
DMV Offers Customers New User-Friendly Website! (July 18, 2011)
A brand new online experience awaits customers the next time they visit the Department of Motor Vehicles' newly redesigned website. The slick, uncluttered layout offers ease of use and better features that allow users to quickly and easily find needed information with a few clicks of the mouse!
Time-Saving Tools to Improve Your DMV Experience!
The DMV recognizes that your time is valuable, and is therefore committed to making your experience with us better than ever. In recent months, the department has launched several new services designed to make your visit with the DMV more seamless than ever.
DMV Announces Changes for Driver License/ID Card Application
Customers will notice changes to the original DMV application when applying for a California driver license or identification card. As a result of the first change the applications will include two check boxes specific to organ donation to further clarify the applicant's intent: (A) Yes, add my name to the donor registry, or (B), I do not wish to register at this time. The second change includes a question giving customers with prior military service the option of having their contact information provided to the California Department of Veterans Affairs in order to receive information on possible benefits.
Customers Urged to Wait for July Bill Before Renewing Vehicle Registration
If your vehicle registration is due during the month of July, wait until you receive a billing notice in the mail to pay it, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced today.
DMV Unveils New Call-Back Option
Customers calling into the Calif. Department of Motor Vehicles will now be offered the option of receiving a call back rather than wait for the next available customer agent, the department announced today.
Negligent Drivers Face Traffic School Roadblock
Chronic traffic offenders face a tougher road ahead, now that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will track safety convictions in a whole new way.
DMV Issues 207 Citations During Statewide Crackdown On Disabled Placard Scofflaws (May 27, 2011)
Investigators issued 207 citations during a sweeping, statewide crackdown Thursday of disabled license plate and placard scofflaws, the Calif. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced today.
DMV Reaches Out To Senior Drivers (May 23, 2011)
To see the "Graying of California," just look at the driver sitting in the car next to you. Senior citizens are one of the fastest-growing age groups cruising down California roads and highways. In fact, within the next 10 years, the number of drivers, 65 and older, is expected to nearly double to six million! In 20 years, 20 percent of all drivers in the state will be seniors.
2 Charged After DMV, ICE Probe Reveals Elaborate Scheme To Obtain Valid California Driver Licenses For Illegal Aliens (May 19, 2011)
Two individuals will be arraigned in state court here Thursday following their arrest in Los Angeles Wednesday on criminal charges stemming from their role in an elaborate scheme involving illegal aliens from Asia who traveled to Kern County and used altered Canadian passports and legitimate Social Security numbers to obtain valid California driver's licenses and state identification cards.
DMV Now Offers Veterans Plate Online (May 17, 2011)
The California Veteran special interest license plates can now be easily ordered through the DMV’s online services with a click of a mouse. Proceeds of these popular specialty plates go to the Veterans Service Office Fund and are used to expand important veteran services statewide.
DMV Wins Prestigious Best of California Awards (May 10, 2011)
A web-based tool for customers to retrieve their driving record and Android and iPhone apps earned the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) two of the Center for Digital Government's Best of California Awards during the annual Government Technology Conference yesterday at the Sacramento Convention Center.
“Yellow” Hybrid Car Pool Sticker Program Ends July 1 (April 29, 2011)
California's carpool lanes will soon be "off limits" to solo drivers of hybrid vehicles displaying "yellow" clean air stickers. They expire July 1, 2011!
Never Miss Your DMV Appointment Again! DMV Launches New Notification Application (April 27, 2011)
The next time your phone rings, it could be the California Department of Motor Vehicles on the line. The DMV is reaching out to its customers with a new, innovative Telephone Appointment Notification application.
Fast and Easy: New Self Service Terminals Available in Southern California (April 25, 2011)
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced today new Self Service Terminals designed to get vehicle registration stickers and cards into customers hands in a few minutes or less. The terminals are now available in field offices throughout the greater Los Angeles/Orange County area.
DMV Field Office Wait Times Decrease (April 25, 2011)
Wait times in DMV field offices are decreasing.
DMV Announces Participation in Motor Carrier Insurance Database (April 13, 2011)
The Calif. Department of Motor Vehicles recently enrolled with the National Online Registries (NOR) to electronically receive insurance information for trucking companies that use subscribing insurance companies - a move that will substantially reduce paperwork for the department.
DMV Announces Hayward and Glendale Field Offices to Reopen April 25 (March 23, 2011)
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced today the re-opening of the Hayward Field Office located at 150 Jackson Street and the Glendale Field office at 1335 W. Glenoaks Blvd will open to the public on April 25, 2011. Both offices had been closed since August 2010 for renovations and remained closed in the past months due to staffing issues.
DMV Unveils New Android Smartphone Application (March 23, 2011)
Android users will now have Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) information and services at their fingertips with a new DMV Android application called “DMV NOW”.
Eight Million Californians Say 'Yes!' to Organ and Tissue Donation (March 15, 2011)
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Donate Life California (DLC) announced today that more than eight million Californians have now registered as organ and tissue donors through the state's Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry, a 33 percent increase in only 12 months (March 2010 - March 2011). In 2010, an average of one in three DMV customers said 'Yes' to donation, which is up from 2006 when only one in five DMV customers was saying 'Yes' to donation. The surge in registrations on the Donate Life California Registry is due predominately to continuing education about donation and the convenience for Californians to sign up as donors at the same time that they apply for or renew driver licenses or I.D. cards at the DMV.
New Motor Vehicle Board Elects New President (March 7, 2011)
Riverside auto dealer Ramon Alvarez C has been unanimously elected the president of the New Vehicle Motor Board (NMVB). Alvarez C has been a member of the board since 2007, serving in various offices over the past four years. He replaces Robert T. (Tom) Flesh, who has headed the Board since 2009.
Self Service Terminals Unveiled in San Diego Area Offices (February 28, 2011)
New, Self Service Terminals designed to get vehicle registration tags and registration cards into customers' hands in a few minutes or less have been deployed at six area offices within the greater San Diego region, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced today
DMV Extends Temporary Licenses To 90 Days (February 25, 2011)
Effective Monday, Feb. 28, Californians will be able to obtain a 90-day temporary extension on their driver license when submitting a renewal request by Internet, mail or in person, the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced today. The temporary paper licenses were previously valid for 60 days and originally only issued in DMV field offices. This effort is being implemented to better serve DMV customers.
DMV Senior Ombudsman Office Can Answer your Questions About Older Drivers (February 14, 2011)
As 2011 unfolds, the first baby boomers are turning 65, and they will soon comprise the so-called "silver tsunami" of seniors behind the wheel on California roadways. In fact, by 2025, there will be approximately five million drivers age 65 and over. They will comprise the DMV's most rapidly growing demographic.
DMV Online Business Surged 12 Percent During 2010 (January 20, 2011)
Californians conducted online business with the DMV in record numbers during 2010, accounting for more than 10.5 million transactions, a 12 percent increase over the previous year, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced today.
