The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) plans to shut its doors for a half-day on July 24 for employee training.
The training, nicknamed “Operation Excellence,” will take place at DMV field offices statewide. Employees will reportedly be trained on how to process REAL ID transactions and better customer service.
A March 2019 report by the Department of Finance’s Office of State Audits and Evaluations found training to be lacking at the DMV.
The DMV says Operation Excellence “will result in more consistent customer experiences statewide and equip employees with the tools they need to handle an unprecedented volume of REAL ID applications, which are more complex and take more time to process.”
Starting Oct. 1, 2020, anyone flying within the United States or entering a secure federal facility like a military base will need to present a REAL ID-compliant identification card or a passport.
REAL ID applications must be done in person, and the DMV is expecting customer volume to at least double as the 2020 date approaches.
During the half-day closure, customers will still be able to conduct certain transactions on the DMV website, at AAA offices and at California DMV Business Partners. The DMV Call Center (1-800-777-0133) will also remain operational.
Following the training, the DMV offices will open for business at 1 p.m. on July 24.
