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2.5 million customers go green by signing up for email notices
DMV digital transformation saving 330 tons of paper annually
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2023
Sacramento – More than 2.5 million Californians are going green by signing up to receive paperless vehicle registration and driver’s license renewal notices from the Department of Motor Vehicles. An estimated 1 million customers added the email option in 2023, saving the DMV about $1 million in paper and mailing costs this year alone.
“Our customer-focused digital transformation is all about giving Californians more convenient ways to conduct DMV business, including environmentally friendly options like paperless renewal notices,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “Californians who signed up to receive emailed renewal notices this year saved 1 million pieces of paper and another million envelopes – imagine the environmental impact if every customer chose this option.”
Offering email notifications is just one example of the DMV’s digital transformation under the Newsom Administration and Director Gordon’s leadership. The DMV has doubled the number of services available online (from 20 in 2018 to 48 today), cut transaction times by two-thirds, removed obstacles so staff can process transactions more quickly, and empowered customers with the tools they need for a smooth experience if they do visit an office – where wait times are now just a fraction of what they were just a few years ago.
Here are the latest numbers for Californians who have decided to go paperless:
- About 1.8 million licensed drivers or ID cardholders have signed up for paperless driver’s license/identification card renewal notices since the DMV began offering the option in July 2021.
- Nearly 765,000 vehicle owners have opted in for paperless vehicle registration renewal notices since January 2022.
In other paper reduction actions, the DMV accepts electronic signatures (e-signatures) instead of wet signatures on printed forms and also offers driver’s license knowledge tests electronically, with eligible customers even taking some tests at home. The move to digitizing services, providing renewal notices by email, accepting electronic or digital signatures, and making more DMV tasks available online reduces the department’s use of paper by more than 330 tons each year.
Sign up for Paperless Notices: It is easy to sign up for paperless renewal notices. Customers sign into their MyDMV account and select the option to receive renewal notices by email for their driver’s license, identification card, and/or vehicle registration. Customers must make sure their MyDMV account information is current and their email address up to date.
Video: Opt in for paperless notifications from the DMV! – YouTube
Remember, customers can do more online than sign up for paperless notices. Most DMV tasks can be completed without an office visit using DMV Online Services.
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