DMV Asking For An Extra $240 Million To Make Improvements

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — DMV officials were in the hot seat at the state capitol Tuesday as lawmakers held an oversight hearing after an audit revealed problems plaguing the department. 

These lawmakers did not hold back about their frustrations, saying they're fed up, but are still willing to hear how the DMV plans to transform the department and do better for the people of California.

At a follow-up oversight hearing, DMV officials were grilled about concrete plans for concrete solutions following last summer's massive wait times as folks applied for REAL IDs.

A recent audit claimed, "The REAL ID IT project was not recognized as a priority until 2017, although it was passed in Congress in 2005.

READ ALSO: Audit: Poor Planning Led To California DMV's Hours-Long Wait Time Issues

The audit also revealed staffing issues with 30% of windows closed many field offices, a lack of communication between managers and clerks, who have no access to the internet or DMV emails, and a below-par appointment system and IT infrastructure.

DMV officials said changes have already been made with wait times cut down by about 90 minutes on average. But they acknowledged there are still many kinks to work out.

The department is now asking for an additional $240 million on top of its already $1 billion budget, to continue making improvements.