California DMV is reopening dozens of offices — including 1 in SLO County
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is reopening dozens of offices Thursday, including its San Luis Obispo location.
The San Luis Obispo field office was one of 170 sites that shut two months ago because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Now, California drivers will be able to schedule appointments at 71 of the previously closed offices. The offices allowed to reopen across the state were selected by location, size, service capacity and other factors.
The Paso Robles and Santa Maria field offices remain closed at this time.
The department shifted much of its work online to a “virtual field office,” enabling drivers to carry out transactions that previously required an office visit.
It reopened 25 sites earlier in May.
The DMV is reopening offices in phases to limit in-person transactions and promote physical distancing, according to a news release.
What to expect at your Califfornia DMV visit
As DMV locations reopen, workers will have access to protective gear and physical distancing will be a must, the department said in a news release.
Instead of waiting in cramped, long lines, customers can sit outside and receive text messages when they are ready to enter. Wait times could be longer than usual, too, according to the release.
The San Luis Obispo office will be open for appointments and for certain transactions that can only be done in person — such as reinstating suspended driver licenses or applying for a no-fee identification card.
The DMV, however, is not offering behind-the-wheel driving tests. Those exams remain suspended.
“Californians who do not have an urgent need to go to a DMV field office should delay their visit,” the department said in the release.
The DMV has taken steps to limit the need for in-person trips to its offices since the COVID-19 pandemic began, such as waiving certain late fees and extending driver license permits that are set to expire soon.
The rest of the DMV’s field offices will open in phases in the coming weeks, the release said.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 9:44 AM.
