California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) policies continue to impact an assignee’s ability to obtain their state driver’s license. Many assignee’s passports are not verifying electronically, and manual verification is no longer an option for these applicants due to the DMV requirement that applications be officially reviewed.
California’s AB 60 statute, which requires the DMV to issue an original driver’s license to applicants who are unable to submit satisfactory proof of legal residence in the United States, has caused a tremendous increase in the number of applications requiring an official review. The backlog of applications in review could take up to several months to clear, according to the DMV, which will cause additional delays for assignees. During this time, the applicant is unable to continue with the application process.
Many assignees are now needing additional assistance beyond the scope of the driver’s license application process, including phone follow-up with the DMV and in-person visits.
Should an assignee’s passport not scan properly at one DMV, rather than submitting the application, some have opted to try again at an alternative location. However, we have recently noted several instances where a passport that could not be scanned properly at one DMV location was then unsuccessful at others as well.
Dwellworks will continue to monitor California DMV policies and communicate with clients regarding either reprioritization of time allocation, or the need for additional service on a per instance basis.
For more information on living in California, read our blog post about the Bay Area. To view our Destination Services page, click here.
Update from the Editors:
As 2017 draws to a close, we have observed fewer instances of electronic passport scanning at DMVs in California being a major issue for assignees. However, it is still a possibility worth noting. In compliance with the Real ID act, any Californian who plans to travel domestically will need to update their current license to become TSA compliant. For transferees, it is best to apply for the Real ID during the first trip to the DMV.
