California Department of Motor Vehicles [CA DMV]
Reviews and Complaints

My son had a drivers test sch today (5/1/19) He was told there was a " medical hold" per Drivers safety office who stated they had no clearance on file. He was "cleared" months ago & received his driving permit "from DMV". Where did the medical clearance go? He's waited 3-4 mo to test today. How was he cleared & given a DMV permit if he wasn't cleared? DMV could not answer our question. This is unacceptable.

I have visited local office three times attempting to have the address for my vehicle registration changed. Each time they have given me a different reason why it cannot be done. The last time, they told me I couldn't do it because I didn't bring enough money to renew the registration. I still need the address changed, and I would think having accurate information is important to the DMV. A supervisor personally assured me he would have my address updated, but this seems to have been inaccurate.

Why can't I update my information, and why is everyone giving me the runaround?

I am trying to register my out of state boat here. I have the bill of sale and my previous registration from GA showing proof of ownership. Your website states that a title OR bill of sale can show ownership, yet when I go to the DMV, they are asking for a title. GA does not require a title for boat registration. When contacting the GA county office, they provided me with a owner of record statement which the DMV here is not accepting. I would like to know what can I do next to get my boat registered.

I first complained to Todd Higgins of TruckMovers.Com, (1-816-878-6367) Independence Mo, in January 2019 as this had been going on for some time. I explained that I am a 63 y/o disabled vet and his 'contract driver' has been parking on the sidewalk, obstructing the pedestrian walkway thereby creating a safety issue. Mr Higgins has been ineffective in correcting this unlawful behavior so I tried public shaming by making a couple of reviews and posting the images below. He says he can't believe that I am being "so vengeful". It is a matter of principal. I asked how he would feel if it was a SEMI on HIS street - he said he would be upset about it also. So, it seems, from our conversation this morning, that Mr Higgins is more upset that this situation has not gotten more public attention and has caused him some grief. I warned Mr Higgins in January that if this continued, I will "make noise" and cause him grief which in response to the grief and pain and inconvenience of the obstruction. The driver brought all of this on herself and TruckMovers by being jerks.

I tried to renew my license. I was given one that said "federal limits apply". I then
Took down my birth certificate, certified copy which the oroville, ca office would not accept. I took down my pge bill and my social security card which they would not accept. I was born in san francisco, ca in 1942.
If I am an illigle imigrant, what benefits should I and my children have received. I was born in the us of us parents, worked in san francisco, ca and paid taxes for over 50 years - do I get a refund, free medical etc.
The people insisted I had to use my mother's maiden name as my last name because even tho my father was listed as my father on my birth certificate - he didn't sign itl..,.. no he didn't - as I told them he was fighting our country in ww2
They are wrong in what they did, please advise.
Sharon warnock woodworth

Vehicle registration
Phone Agent Name:Leigh would not provide last name.
time : 3.32pm February 1 2019
Please find this person and take him off of your phones. He does a terrible diservice to DMV and to everybody working for DMV.
First he is not helpful
He laughed at me and hungup phone.
I waited almost two hours for a call back.
our conversation lasted no more than five minutes. Terribly character lack of professionalism
Please i work very hard everyday and cannot make a 2 3 hour run to an office and needed simple assistance. Leigh is not suited for the job he has been given.

I have tried to call CA DMV on the phone to find out where is my renewed driver's license. It's been about 6 weeks since I paid online, and I still have not received the new driver's license.

I have been calling for 6 days, I tried waiting on hold, I tried the call-back. I was on hold for 2.5 hours once, and the other times I tried the call-back, which I received missed call notifications without my phone even ringing. I knew the phone did not ring, because I was holding my phone when I received those notifications.

I finally got a real person to talk to, and the agent told me it's been an known issue that online renewals are not recorded properly on the system, and told me to forward the email confirmation to cpdfcc@dmv. ca.gov. He than hang up on me immediately...

I purchased a Subaru Outback on Sept 29, 2018 from Omar and Richard at Downtown Subaru of Oakland on Broadway in Oakland, CA. After nearly 3 hours with my small children at Downtown Subaru of Oakland, we went into the Finance office with Richard. Richard spent another 20minutes looking up Costco "rebates" for me on upgrades and services. He even had me txt my mother for her Costco number... I listened to his details but said we don't need any of these things. He continued that they were significant deals and I would have 60days to review and cancel if we didn't want them.

Well, it was $6500 worth of extras like Cilajet and Premiere Services. I cancelled within a few days reaching out directly to Richard.

I tried calling and texting Richard— his name and cell were on the envelope with all my paperwork and he had said: "call me for anything you need".
No answer. Then, "I'm out of the office for a family emergency" then a week later, "I'll be back on Friday", then nothing. I continued to text and then schedule another Saturday to come into the dealer.

On a Saturday, October 27, I returned to the dealer and we signed cancellation paperwork to remove the extras and Richard said, "you should see this come off your account by the next billing cycle". Seemed pretty simple, but that did not happen. Nor the following month, nor the third month.

I continued to text and call in early January with no follow-up from them. I called the manager, Omar, who was apologetic and confirmed Richard would have this cleared up "by the end of the day". This did not happen, nor did I hear from Richard. Nor did I hear back from Omar.
I called again after another week and Omar said "Richard will call you within the hour". Nothing.
I texted Richard again and he gets back to me saying "I'm sick with the flu but you can call the office" or "I'm not in the office today" and then finally "Hi I'm sorry everything is turn in just wait to get refund check so we can send back if u check with me tomorrow I'll be able to get you more information". I checked back several times, but have not gotten a response.

Still no refund. My texts this week are still unanswered.

I am requesting a swift resolution to this outstanding credit I am owed and secure this credit to reduce my principal balance.

Hello, I am a U.S. citizen. I had lost my prior DL/California and went into the Torrance DMV to request a replacement DL. I was issued an AB 60 DL. This was discriminatory!

"Under AB 60, the DMV can issue an original driver license to an applicant who lacks proof of legal presence in the United States and meets all other requirements to obtain a driver license, including proof of identity and California residency and meeting all other licensing requirements including written and drive tests."

THIS IS NOT MY FIRST DL. I've been driving in the U.S.A. since I was 16, 1977. I am filing a complaint against DMV for issuing me an AB 60 DL.

on 11-15-18, I went to the Winnetka office of the DMV to renew my drivers license. While I was there, I needed to urinate and went in to the restroom marked men. I could not believe what I found in there. There is no urinal and there is only one stall and one toilet. The entire place was filthy and the floors were so dirty, it looked as if they had not been mopped for years. There are no paper towels, only an electric air blower. There was no soap for washing hands. I went in to the stall and it was dirtier than the floor and there was no toilet paper. At any one time, there are hundreds of people in this office. Old, young, children, disabled, etc. These restrooms are completely inadequate for this office and you should go look for yourselves and perhaps send in the Health Department to cite this place. I have never seen a men's room without a urinal. Please contact whoever it takes to get these restrooms remodeled to fit the needs of the public.

Just got notice on October 2018 while turning in my cdl medical exam report (due 11/9/2018) to a local DMV office that he was told I do not have a current cdl and medical on file since October 2017 and that I was to contact DSO office of Redding, CA.! I have here in my hand current cdl which expires 11/27/2018 (temp. Since I didn't have time to finish written tests) and my current medical expires on 11/9/2018 which I already had done when I was in Oregon...! Got back to my yard company ran my license in the morning and it was valid then ran it again a few hours later and it was pulled by the DMV that day NOT 1 year ago which they said they sent me notice for which I never received they also said my company received notice in 2017 which they also did not or I would not of been driving!... meanwhile I was sent home for 2 weeks to figure this out with the DSO office in Redding, CA. Finally had a phone interview on 10/31/18 and was told they had a concern about my diabetes for which I was diagnosed on my last physical Oct 2017 I was given a 3 month certificate to have it checked. I went to Dr. Put me on metformin went back to medical examiner with my new A1c of 7.4 down from a 8.7 so it was considered under control and issued a 1 year med. cert. Nov 9, 2017 to Nov 9, 2018 paperwork again was hand delivered by me to the red bluff DMV office and according to to DMV Sacramento it was never received I have it but they don't care I have been out of work now for 2 weeks no pay because the DMV did not do there job so who is going to pay my lost wages and pain and suffering for both my wife and myself. My blood pressure is high can't sleep for the past 2 weeks same as my poor wife who is going through all this too. I guess I have no choice but to file a claim to the DMV and contact an Attorney. I should not have to go through this bullcrap? I am an for driver I'm on the road 6 or more weeks at a time and work the 48! I am so sick of the DMV incompetence! How can you send out a letter as the DMV stated they did by mail NOT CERTIFIED REGERSTERED MAIL! You are dealing with my livelihood here, I should send that stuff out registered and I should sign for the letter that way there is no doubt real simple you would think! l anyway I'm not a happy camper right now. Now I have to wait for a letter from the DSO interview guy with his decision his decision of what!? This so sucks! I have been a truck driver for over 20 years! NO ACCIDENTS PERFECT CSA anyway see you in small claims!

On Thursday, September 20, 2018, after a four month wait, for an 8:00 a.m. online appointment, for a Real ID, only to find out that the DMV system was down and they did not know when it would be up again. Staff recommended that I reschedule my appointment in three weeks, due to the fact that I had recently received a letter from the DMV extending my current license, if I would fill out the application and return with a $ 35.00 check, which I did. I arrived for that appointment yesterday, Tuesday, October 9, 2018, at 8:00 a.m.. When my number was called, I proceeded to the counter and produced my paperwork, only to find out that I did not have the correct paperwork. I was informed by your staff that my birth certificate had to be the original one with the blue border around it, which I had in my safe, at home. I had brought a copy of my birth certificate. I showed him the full page advertisement that the DMV had placed in the Sacramento Bee and no where in the advertisement did it indicate that the birth certificate had to be an original one with the blue border. It only said it had to be your birth certificate. Your staff read the advertisement and agreed with me that it was misleading. I then asked him if he could check on my application for my new driver's license that I had mailed in four weeks ago, for renewal. He checked and informed me it had not been processed yet. So he rescheduled me to come in this morning, for the third time, Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., to complete my Real ID application. I showed up at the DMV office at 9:45 a.m. and my number was called at 10:45 a.m.. As I approached the counter, I overheard another employee say that the system was down again. I asked the staff assisting me if this was true, and she said yes. I cannot believe this. I've been in there three times to complete one task and have not be able to complete it. And now I've have to go back for a fourth time. These numerous, incompetence, have completely messed up my daily schedules.

I purchase a car and went to office El Cajon and was directed to have my car inspected, by DMV, I did, was also told to get a weightmaster Cert., I did. I couldnt
wait because I am a Disabled Korean war vet and I need my medicaion. Put paperwork in exprss basket on8/13/2018. Paperwork sent to Sacremento. Two visits to DMV EL Cajon. After two months and paying all fees. No Title or license.
Peter Karambelas Vech. Vin3gccw80hxhs903563 1987 El Camino, Tempoary
permit no. LAA3288163 will expire 10/11/2018. lic. plate no.670582x

All I need is a replacement CA ID card. I cannot do this transaction online. I cannot reach anyone by phone due a minimum 2 hr. wait to speak to anyone. I have limited cell mins. so that is not an option.
I tried to make a local office appointment and the online system tells me there is not a single appointment available for 50 DAYS...What? Today is Sept 24th. No appointments until Nov.15. ?
So, I cant call. I cant make an appointment, and I cant do it online.
I waited 4 hrs. last time.
This system is broken. It is unfair to all of us. We have lives of our own.
Something needs to be done.

I went today to take my picture for my real ID. The photographer behind the camera was very complementary. Kept emphasizing how beautiful my smile was. I was polite and said thank you but I was offended when he wrote his phone number on a sticky note and asked me to text him later that evening. His name was Bryan. Now I'm concerned because my personal information is accessible.

The fees for vehicle registration is astronomical, and what exactly am I getting out of it, except going in to debt? 388 dollars to renew a registration on a nissan altima seems like highway robbery. It is not a bently or a ferrari, it's a car normal working class people use to get to work and back. Plus there isn't even ways to help with us poor people just trying to make a living, such as payment arrangements or anything.

I applied for my REAL ID driver's license on August 11.'18 and submitted my legal documents: Resident card, passport, Etc. Received my temporary license that will expire in early October and was told to expect my new ID in 2 to 3 weeks. Today, 9/20/18, I spoke to DMV representative Janice. She told me it would take about 4 to 6 months to review my legal documents but could not tell me why it would take so long. Instead she told me it was 'just the procedure'. She did sound tired and a bit impatient. I imagine she is dealing with the same question every day. But I am looking for an explanation, a reason why the process takes so long, and why DMV clerks, and phone representative are not provided with the information to advise the customers of the long waiting period. It will take 3 to 6 hours waiting at the local DMV to get an extension for my temporary license. If it takes 4 to 6 months I will have to go through it several times. I suggest, given the long document review period, the DMV should send out renewal letters 6 months before license expires and advise of long waiting period.