The DMV in the COVID Era

A lot of people are wondering what’s happening at DMV offices during this phase of the COVID era. The best answer to that is that “the situation is fluid.”  On Thursday, June 11th, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reopened its remaining field offices that were temporarily closed. Changes in access and service availability are evolving often, but here is a rundown of some key points and some links to DMV information that may help you.


DMV Offices
All DMV offices are supposed to be open now to assist customers with existing appointments and with transactions that require an in-person visit. In the Bay Area, an exception to that is the Pleasanton Office which is temporarily located in Stoneridge Mall during renovation. But with recent mandates that closed indoor malls, it is inaccessible.

• The DMV is not accepting new appointments at this time as it is cycling through rescheduled appointments that were cancelled during the early stages of the pandemic. They don’t anticipate being able to take new appointments for another few weeks.
• That means no new appointments for Driving Tests or Commercial License Driving Tests. Also, rescheduled tests will have the examiners and participants wear masks and take other precautions.
• In-person visits to DMV offices will require that you use masks, safely self-distance and follow COVID protocols posted in all offices. That means in many cases you will have to wait outside the office as only a limited number of persons will be allowed in the building at one time. Per the California DMV: 

Customers will notice numerous changes to safeguard the health of employees and customers. Employees are wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing and have access to disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, facial shields, gloves and soap and water. The DMV also is providing hand-washing stations for customer use in select locations. Customers are required to wear a face covering and remain 6 feet apart in line. Customers are offered a text message that will allow them to wait outside the building until notified they are ready to be served. Entry into the building is metered, and customers may experience extended wait times.

• The California DMV advises to use alternate access, such as Online Services as much as possible.

To find out which DMV office is closest to you, click here.

Kiosk Business Partners
The DMV has also set up kiosk services at some business locations throughout the area so you may be able to access services that previously were only available in person at the DMV. For example, if you want to renew a vehicle registration, you can do that at Valencia Smog or Tribeca Insurance in the Castro District. Click here to see what businesses close to you offer the services you are looking for.

DMV Online Services
Since DMV offices are only able to serve a limited number of customers, the Online Services option may really be your best bet. You can renew vehicle registration, request a temporary driver license extension and do much more online. Some online DMV services are self-serve, which means you can complete them on your own. [As of August 4, Commercial Driver's License renewals are available online.] Others are “assisted”, which means you will receive help from a DMV representative during the process. The DMV is continually working on adding new online services, so if you are in need of dealing with the DMV, it’s a good idea to check the website first to see if they now have an online method to meet your needs. One place you can start is with the DMV Service Advisor to find out if you really need to come in to a field office or if you can handle the service you need online.

REAL ID
The DMV has expanded its “DMV Express” option to all field offices, allowing customers to fill out the online application for REAL ID, upload documents at home and receive an expedited experience at a local DMV office. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government extended the REAL ID enforcement date to October 1, 2021, a year later than previously announced, to give people more time to apply.

Driver’s License Renewal Extensions
Due to inaccessibility caused by the COVID crisis, the DMV announced on July 13th that it will extend deadlines for Driver’s License renewals as shown in this image below:

Other COVID Actions
The DMV has taken other actions during the COVID crisis, such as:

• Temporarily closing field offices, followed by deep cleaning, expansion of virtual services and development of new protocols.
• Extending identification cards expiring on or after March 4, 2020.
• Temporarily waiving required in-person renewals for eligible driver license and identification cardholders. Individuals who meet certain criteria are able to renew online or by mail.
• Launching the DMV Virtual Field Office to create new digital options for transactions that previously required an in-person office visit. 

For the latest CA DMV Covid news, click here or go to: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/covid-19-relief-information/