Is the DMV charging extra fees to do business online? | Call Kurtis

ANTELOPE – The California DMV expanded its digital services so you can take care of business without going into a branch office.

The agency said it has made more than 90% of transactions available on a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. That includes renewing registration and driver’s licenses, requesting copies of registration and driving records, and replacing lost or stolen licenses.

“We don’t want our customers to have to wait for service, and they don’t have to,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a news release. “The DMV is becoming a mobile-first operation, and simple renewals are easy self-help transactions that don’t require an office visit. Just go online. It will save you time, and it will save time for the Californians in our offices who need to be there. We have also shortened the time it takes to receive vehicle stickers and driver’s licenses. In most cases, you’ll have your item in less than two weeks.”

A viewer named Charles in Antelope was very surprised when he tried to conduct business online this month and was hit with fees.

He wrote to us, “I recently tried to register my vehicle online and there were over $70.00 (Seventy dollars) in MANDATORY service charges above the registration fees.”

That included a service fee, a credit card fee and a mailing fee.

CBS13 investigated and realized Charles googled the DMV and clicked on a sponsored link for a third-party site that can handle your DMV business for a fee. It’s a common mistake other viewers have contacted us about. The only official site to conduct DMV business is dmv.ca.gov.

Kurtis Ming

Eleven-time Emmy Award-winner Kurtis Ming is CBS13’s consumer investigative reporter and anchors the CBS13 News weekdays at 4 and 5:30pm.