California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Field Office Support Unit Phone Number

916-657-8035
Calls Field Office Support Unit·See main phone number & contact info
Q:How do I talk to a human at this number?
A: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.
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 #3 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
916-657-6560 - Customer Communications
Press 1 then 1 then 0 then 3 · Please hold for the next available team member.
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: 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.
Here is how our research team describes the way the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone system greets you: How can I help you?

What are the hours and when should I call?

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) operates the call center for this 916-657-8035 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

Calling this number for assistance can seem ineffective at first, but the representatives at the California DMV helped fix that and make this a pleasant experience. When I dialed, I was connected to the automated system, known as Miles. Miles introduced itself as an automated assistant and asked me to speak the problem I was calling about.

Thinking this was going to be an information system, I mentioned I was calling for information about California's title and registration process and wanted to inquire about costs. However, Miles said the people who could help with that question were unavailable, and I could only request a call-back when it was my turn. There were no other options available, such as waiting on hold for the next available representative or getting information from the automated menu elsewhere. I could only either go back to a previous menu or request a call back.

I went ahead and hit the button for a call-back, and Miles said that because there were too many calls ahead of me, my call would be returned on the next business day. At that point, the system hung up. As this call was on a Friday, I didn't expect to get a call back at any point.

However, 90 minutes after I hung up, I received a call from a different number and was told a representative from the California DMV would be on the phone with me momentarily. She quickly came on the phone, asked how she could assist me and I told her I was moving to California soon and wanted to know how much titling and registering my vehicle would cost.

The agent said that titling the car costs $21, and registration would cost another $60. She said there were a few other fees that could be added based on the weight and age of the vehicle, but couldn't tell me those because they were different for each car and I'd need to ask when I got the car registered.

Next, she added that in order to get my car registered, I'd need to provide documented evidence of three things. They were a California smog emissions test, an application for a duplicate title and insurance in accordance with California's requirements. I had no other questions at that point, and thanked her for her time and assistance. She thanked me for calling and wished me a good evening.

Overall, I was very impressed with the representative's willingness to call back after hours on her end. She didn't have to stick around to call me back, especially on a Friday. But she did, and she made sure that I was taken care of with all of the information I needed. I got all my questions clearly answered and was done within five minutes.

I'm not a fan of Miles' lack of options, but the California DMV workers were absolutely worth the wait. I would use this number again if I needed assistance without hesitation.

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. Field Office Support Unit