California Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton today unveiled his plan to abolish the California Department of Motor Vehicles and cut annual vehicle registration to a flat $73.
California spends $1.46 billion a year on a stand-alone department with 170 field offices. Hilton said it is a monopoly that treats taxpayers with contempt, while the basic $73 registration fee is buried under a value-based vehicle tax, transportation add-ons and local surcharges. Drivers can spend hundreds to more than $1,000, while registration in most other states is under $100.
“California does not need a better DMV line. It needs no DMV line,” Hilton said. “This is the miserable symbol of this bloated nanny-state bureaucracy, bossing people around while charging a fortune for the privilege.”
Hilton’s plan would eliminate the department as a stand-alone agency after a three-month audit and a No More DMV Act. The state would keep a lean records and safety operation for licenses, fraud prevention and REAL ID. Routine title, registration and renewal work would move to county offices and certified local service centers. No field office would close until people nearby have an equal or better in-person option.
“If you can afford it, you buy your way out of the line. Everyone else takes time off work and hopes the person behind the counter can solve it that day,” Hilton said. “That is not public service. That is a monopoly that expects the public to work around the government.”
