George Valverde
Director

Department of Motor Vehicles
For more information about DMV and its programs, go to www.dmv.ca.gov.

Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

Using technology to reduce driver licensing costs and times:

• Reduced field office wait times from nearly one hour to 21 minutes since 2004 by emphasizing Web-based transactions.
• Registered more than 4 million vehicles and re-licensed more than 800,000 drivers on its Web site.
• Eliminated $4 fee charged to customers for Internet and telephone transactions since 2004 - tripling the number of monthly online transactions in two years' time.
• Reduced phone service busy signals since 2004 by 95 percent.
• Implemented on-site, real-time pilot program testing of Self Service Terminals for registration renewals.
• Reduced timeframe for intrastate commercial vehicle owners to complete application for motor carrier permits from three weeks to three days by using secure Internet Web site.

Securing the identities and records of California drivers:

• Issued secure driver licenses/identification cards utilizing state-of-the-art technology that discourages counterfeiting; planned biometric technology for "next generation" driver licenses in 2008.
• Implemented strict identity source document and Social Security verification measures.
• Planned for full implementation of the federal REAL-ID Act in May of 2008.

Providing driver safety education:

• Created Web site addressing the unique challenges faced by teen and senior drivers; appointed a "senior ombudsman" for the elder-driver community.
• Reduced timeframes for Driver Safety Branch hearings of high-risk drivers from 70 days to 30 days.
• Partnered with state public safety operations to reduce holiday season deaths from traffic accidents in FY 2004-05 by 26 percent.