California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Customer Communications Phone Number

Q:How do I talk to a human at this number?
A:Press 1 then 1 then 0 then 3
Q:Is this phone number operational 24 / 7?
A:Not at this number; hours here are Mon-Tue 8am-5pm, Wed 9am-5pm, Thu-Fri 8am-5pm PST. The least busy day is Wednesday, and the most busy day is Friday. See below for more and to learn where this data comes from.
Q:How long will I have to wait on hold?
A:The average hold time is 6 minutes. The longest hold times are on Thursday, and the shortest are on Monday.
This is the #2 most popular California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone number out of 4. Click below to go back to the main customer service number and other contact information:
California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV)'s main customer service phone number

More California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Customer Phone Numbers

800-777-0133 - Customer Service
Main phone number · Toll-free · Press 1 then 1 then 0 · To renew or replace a license/ID, press 1. To renew a vehicle registration, press 3. To pay an insurance suspension fee, press 3. To book a field office appointment, press 4. To find a DMV location, press 5. For additional information, press 9 or stay on the line.
More details
916-657-8035 - Field Office Support Unit
This number is for Registrations only. No automated response. Press 2 to the Sacramento DMV, which is the headquarters for all the DMVs in CA. Press 1 then 1 then 0 then 3. · How can I help you?
More details
916-657-6525 - Mandatory Actions Unit
Press 4 · Driving under the influence-related suspensions, press 1. Child support issues, press 2. Any other issues related to mandatory actions, press 3.
More details

How do I get through the phone menu to a real live person?

GetHuman researchers routinely call this California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone number to document the phone system.
Here is our latest tip for weaving through the phone menu to get to a real person the fastest: Press 1 then 1 then 0 then 3
Here is how our research team describes the way the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone system greets you: Please hold for the next available team member.

What are the hours and when should I call?

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) operates the call center for this 916-657-6560 phone number Mon-Tue 8am-5pm, Wed 9am-5pm, Thu-Fri 8am-5pm PT. The short answer is that you should call on a Wednesday. This observation and the following section are based on analysis of a sample set of 13,837 calls made in the last 90 days using our free, web-based phone (see above).
An important note: busy times vs hold times vs best time to call
When we refer to busy or less busy times, we are talking about the volume of calls. The busiest times are when the most people are calling this California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone number (least busy times have fewer people calling). This high call volume does not necessarily mean that you will have a long hold time when you call. Companies like California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) staff their call centers differently based on the time of day and day of the week, so you may experience a shorter wait on hold at the busiest of times. When we refer to the best time to call, we are referring to the optimal combination of lower call volume and shorter wait times.
The least busy time to call
The least busy day to call California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) is Wednesday. The most busy day to call is Friday. Again, this is based on a sample of 13,837 calls made with our AI-powered, web-based phone in the last 90 days.
The shortest wait on hold
We measured the shortest hold times to be on Monday. The longest wait in the queue on average occurs on Thursday.
The best time to call
In summation, the best day to call California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) is Wednesday. This is not the day with the shortest wait on hold in the phone system, but we still recommend it for its ideal combination of low call volume and short hold times. Plus we believe that California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) staffs the call center well on Wednesday.

My Experience Calling California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) at this Number

Oct 3, 2023

This number seems like an unintentional hack around lengthy wait times at the California DMV, as I unwittingly used it to get information as a personal customer when it's meant to be used for businesses. When I dialed the number, I was asked to choose English or Spanish and then told to hold for the next available representative.

Shockingly, I was almost instantly connected with a representative (the system told me within two minutes that I would be connected with a representative.) When she answered, I told her that I would soon be moving to California and wanted to know how long I had after moving to get my new license.

She told me the recommended time was 30 days, and then asked if I had ever carried a California driver's license before. I told her I had never before lived in California, and she advised that I'd need to provide either my birth certificate or passport, plus at least one proof of my new residency in California. She then added that if I wanted the Real ID compliant license, I'd need to bring two proofs of my California residency.

I asked what the cost was for my new license, and she said it would be $41. I asked if that was a flat fee for every license, and she told me it was. Finally, I inquired if there was anything else that I needed to know about getting my new license, and she said that if I was bringing a valid out-of-state license, I would have the behind the wheel portion of the driver's license test waived. However, I'd still need to complete the knowledge test in order to get my new license. I thanked her for her time and assistance, and she wished me a nice day.

Overall, I thought this was a surprisingly pleasant experience, given how quickly I was able to get all my questions answered. I wasn't expecting to get help anywhere near as promptly as I did, given how large California is and how many customers it potentially has. After double-checking the number, however, I discovered that this is actually intended to be the phone number for business accounts, not personal customers.

As such, even though I received exemplary customer service and quality information from my call, I can't recommend using this number too highly, given that it's not supposed to be used in this way. If you're having trouble getting through to the California DMV using the main lines, this number can be used to get quick information, but it doesn't seem to be meant for most people to use.

Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.
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  1. California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Customer Service Phone & Contact Info › 
  2. Customer Communications