CALIFORNIA, USA — A half-day closure for DMV field offices across the state is set for July, due to employee training on customer service and REAL ID transactions.
The half-day closure is set for July 24 and will take place 183 DMV field offices with more than 5,000 employees getting trained. The offices will then reopen for business at 1 p.m.
“Our employees are at the heart of every transaction we perform,” said Kathleen Webb, DMV acting director. “With this commitment to training, we can ensure they have the proper tools, knowledge, and experience to provide excellent customer service to the people of California.”
The training, named Operation Excellence, is an initiative stemming from the DMV Reinvention Strike Team, made by Governor Gavin Newsom in January as an effort to modernize and reinvent the DMV. It was made to address long wait times which were exacerbated by REAL ID requirements.
“The unprecedented complexity of the REAL ID requirements is what led to the idea that we needed to take the extraordinary step of closing DMV offices for a short time to make sure all employees have consistent information in order to complete the transactions successfully,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Marybel Batjer, who is leading the DMV Strike Team. “It is a complicated transaction and we want customers to be well prepared in order to receive their REAL ID efficiently.”
During the half-day closure you'll still be able to visit the following places for certain DMV services:
- DMV Call Centers at 1-800-777-0133
- Online transactions at dmv.ca.gov
- Use the DMV Now self-service kiosks at grocery stores and certain libraries
- Visit AAA offices for specific transactions like vehicle registration renewal (AAA members only)
- Visit a California DMV Business Partner
The DMV is already seeing what they called an "unprecedented demand" for service due to the volume of REAL ID applications and the normal summer surge of new drivers looking for licenses.
In anticipation of a doubling in customer volume, the DMV will open an additional 53 field offices early to handle to the summer workload. This means the total offices open at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays will be brought up to 69.
WATCH MORE: California Real ID requirements explained