California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Mandatory Actions Unit Phone Number

Q:How do I talk to a human at this number?
A:Press 4
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 #4 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.
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916-657-6560 - Customer Communications
Press 1 then 1 then 0 then 3 · Please hold for the next available team member.
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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

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 4
Here is how our research team describes the way the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) phone system greets you: Driving under the influence-related suspensions, press 1. Child support issues, press 2. Any other issues related to mandatory actions, press 3.

What are the hours and when should I call?

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) operates the call center for this 916-657-6525 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 from the California Department of Motor Vehicles is only recommended in specific situations. This is the number for the Mandatory Actions Unit of the California DMV, which deals with licenses that have been suspended for DUIs and other violations.

When calling this number, I was first directed to choose between English and Spanish. I was then left to choose whether my license was suspended because of a hearing or a DUI conviction. You aren't given any other choices at this stage, making it impossible to continue for assistance if you don't actually have a suspended license in California.

Just to check the menu, I went ahead and pressed the button for a DUI conviction and was told I should expect a longer wait-time than normal, and that there were 40 callers ahead of me at that time. I was told my call would be answered in the order received, and I could ask for a call-back number or choose to wait. Not having a legitimate DUI issue, I chose to hang up at that point, as I could not pose any legitimate question and didn't wish to have personal information attached to this kind of call.

Overall, I think it's smart for the state to have a line dedicated only to suspended licenses and their reinstatement. These tend to be complex, messy problems that lead to several steps for the driver in question to regain their privileges, and they often require personalized assistance. Given how complicated these issues can be, they can eat up large amounts of time, which can make it difficult for other customers to conduct the business they need to handle.

I also appreciated that the system told me exactly how many callers were ahead of me so I could decide to wait or request a call-back number. Often, the decision to wait or get a call back depends on how long it's going to take and whether the agent can make sure that they're going to be around when a call back comes. By offering this information up front, California makes it as easy as possible for customers to make sure they can get the help they need from a live representative.

It's impossible for me to say how effective the assistance from a representative is from this number, as I can only go off the automated system. But based on that experience, I would use this number if I legitimately had such an issue in California.

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. Mandatory Actions Unit