The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced today plans to reopen 46 offices this week, including the Eureka and Garberville locations. [Note: the Eureka DMV is still located inside the Bayshore Mall for the time being.]

Starting on Thursday, May 29, the offices will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exception of opening at 9:00 a.m on Wednesdays.

Employees will take extra COVID-19 safety precautions, and special accommodations will be made to allow for proper social distancing, such as offering text message notifications, so that customers can wait outside until they can be served.

And — as if you need extra encouragement to put off going to the DMV — the agency asks that you do not come in unless your need is very urgent.

More information from a DMV press release:

To safeguard the health of employees and customers, the DMV temporarily closed all offices to the public March 27. Following cleaning of the offices, expansion of virtual services and development of new protocols, the DMV is reopening offices in stages. The DMV is selecting offices to reopen based on location, size, service capacity and the ability to offer enhanced service to commercial driver license customers. Behind-the-wheel drive tests continue to be suspended.

Employees will maintain physical distancing while serving customers with existing appointments and Californians in need of selected transactions that can only be completed in a DMV field office, including:

  • Paying registration for a vehicle impounded because of registration-related issues

  • Reinstating a suspended or revoked driver license

  • Applying for a reduced-fee or no-fee identification card

  • Processing commercial driver license transactions

  • Applying for a disabled person parking placards (this can also be done by mail using the REG 195 form)

  • Adding an ambulance certificate or firefighter endorsement to a driver license

  • Verifying a transit training document to drive a transit bus.

  • Processing DMV Express customers for REAL ID transactions, if time and space allow

In order to focus field office services to these select transactions, DMV staff may direct customers to online services and other available options to complete their transactions.

Employees in the remainder of DMV’s 170 public offices will provide services through the Virtual Field Office. The DMV plans to continue reopening these offices to the public in phases during the coming weeks. More information on office openings will be provided on the DMV website.

In addition to physical distancing, employees have access to disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, facial shields, gloves and soap and water. The DMV also is providing hand-washing stations for customer use in select locations. Customers are required to wear a face covering and remain 6 feet apart in line. Customers will also be offered a text message that will allow them to wait outside the building until notified they are ready to be served. Entry into the building will be metered, and customers may experience extended wait times.

Californians who do not have an urgent need to go to a DMV field office should delay their visit.

The DMV continues to provide essential services via mail, online, kiosks, call centers, available business partners and virtually to process critical transactions, including eligible driver license and vehicle registration renewals, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers can use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks.

The DMV has taken a number of actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

  • Extending driver licenses that expire between March 1 and July 31, 2020. Drivers 70 years and older are receiving a 120-day temporary paper extension in the mail, and drivers 69 and younger can request a free temporary paper extension online.

  • Keeping expiring commercial licenses, learner’s permits, endorsements and certificates valid through June 30, 2020.

  • Extending identification cards expiring on or after March 4, 2020, to be valid through June 21, 2020.

  • Waiving late fees and penalties for vehicle registration renewals due between March 16 and May 31, 2020, and paid within 60 days of the original expiration date, as well as delaying other requirements.

  • Temporarily waiving required in-person renewals for eligible driver license and identification cardholders with expirations between March and May 2020. Individuals who meet the criteria are able to renew online or by mail.

  • Launching the DMV Virtual Field Office to create new digital options for transactions that previously required an in-person office visit.

  • Extending driver license permits expiring between March and August 2020.

  • Canceling all behind-the-wheel drive tests to honor social distancing guidelines. 

  • Suspending extended office hours and Saturday service.

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