04 Jun Certain DMV Services Now Only Available Online

Starting June 3, 2024, The California Department of Motor Vehicles is expanding its digital services by processing certain transactions online that do not require an in-person visit. (Alise Maripuu / Bay City News)

By Alise Maripuu
Bay City News

New digital innovation at the California Department of Motor Vehicles may allow people to skip long lines.

On Monday, DMV moved certain services to only online that otherwise required Californians to make an in-person trip to a DMV office.

To enhance convenience for customers, some simple transactions will now be available for completion online. According to www.dmv.ca.gov, these services include replacing lost or stolen driver’s license/identification cards, driver’s license renewals that do not need an in-person visit, vehicle registration renewals that are not past-due, requests for copies of driver’s license records and requests for copies of vehicle registration records.

“We don’t want our customers to have to wait for service, and they don’t have to,” a spokesperson for DMV said. “Customers accustomed to completing these tasks in person need not fret because the DMV has spent the last few years digitizing services, improving efficiency, and making more than 90% of transactions available on a phone, tablet, laptop, or computer.”

The changes are part of the DMV’s goals to maximize efficiency just in time for their busiest time of the year. DMV offices tend to see the most in-person visits during the summer since people have more time off of work and school, the department said.

Services such as finalizing a REAL ID application require an in-person visit. By May 7, 2025, REAL IDs will be required to board domestic flights and enter secure federal facilities such as federal courthouses and military bases.

In compliance with digitizing many services, several DMV offices will adjust their opening hours to the public beginning July 1, 2024. However, these modified hours are mostly limited to offices in remote regions of California and will not affect those in the Bay Area.

During the days that offices are closed to the public, the DMV will use the time for processing transactions virtually, they said.

“Going online will save time, and it will save time for the Californians in our offices who need to be there,” said the spokesperson.

Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.