The California Department of Motor Vehicles has learned of a text message phishing scam related to REAL ID. The message states, "Our records indicate that your contact information must be updated for REAL ID Compliance. Provide an Up-to-date Mailing Address and Phone Number.” When customers click the continue button, the...
DMV Resumes Behind the Wheel Tests for Previously Scheduled Drivers
The California DMV will resume administering behind-the-wheel driving tests on Friday. In-vehicle testing – a requirement for first-time driver license holders and commercial license applicants – has been suspended since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DMV will automatically reschedule all canceled drive test appointments. Several Week Backlog The...
DMV Close to Resuming Driving Tests for 16-Year-Olds
It's anyone's guess how many teens have reached "Sweet 16" since the state DMV stopped behind-the-wheel tests for new drivers in March because of COVID-19. According to kidsdata.org, in 2018 there were more than two million Californians ages 14 to 17. That offers an idea about how many teen driving...
Lawsuit Aims to End California License Plate Language Limits
SACRAMENTO — California may have to end most restrictions on personalized license plate language that some might find offensive, if a lawsuit filed Tuesday prevails. The libertarian Pacific Legal Foundation lawsuit challenges the state Department of Motor Vehicles' current policy on free speech grounds. The department denied more than 30,000...
California DMV Revealed Private Information on 3,200 Drivers
SACRAMENTO — California's Department of Motor Vehicles improperly disclosed private information to seven other government agencies on more than 3,000 people involved in some type of investigation as suspects or witnesses, officials said Tuesday. The department was sending letters Tuesday to the 3,200 people after determining that they are not...
GOP Attorney Sues California for Alleged Voter Violations
SAN FRANCISCO — A Republican lawyer who has waged lawsuits on behalf of the Trump administration sued the state of California and Department of Motor Vehicles Tuesday, saying the agency is failing to verify citizenship for voter registration. A federal lawsuit filed by attorney Harmeet Dhillon comes after a state...
2 DMV Workers Took Bribes, Granted 216 Phony Big-Rig Licenses
One of two former California DMV employees convicted of accepting bribes to grant hundreds of big-rig and bus driver's licenses to people who hadn't passed any tests was sentenced Friday, federal authorities said. The office of U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott said Kari Scattaglia, 40, and Lisa Terraciano, 52, allowed...
Walters: Newsom Now Owns DMV’s Woes
Another day, another plan to make the state Department of Motor Vehicles something other than the agency Californians love to hate. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a report from the “strike force” he created to attack the DMV’s managerial and technological shortcomings that have forced motorists to endure hours-long...
Pay with Credit Card at DMV? It's Coming to Fresno
SACRAMENTO — California's DMV is trying to improve customer service by accepting credit cards, upgrading its website and offering clearer instructions on how to obtain a new federally mandated ID, according to details announced Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Fresno will be one of the test sites in October for...
DMV is Adding Hours Statewide, But Only at 1 Fresno-Clovis Office
As part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles' ambitious effort to improve its reputation for long lines and shoddy customer service, DMV is expanding the hours of 53 field offices. A couple of caveats: It's only one more hour per day of operation, and it's being applied only to...