California DMV Now Charging Service Fee For All Debit And Credit Card Transactions

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The California Department of Motor Vehicles now charges a service fee to all customers paying with a debit or credit card.

Starting Sunday, September 29, 2019, customers paying with a card online, at a DMV kiosk, and through the automated telephone service are charged 2.1 percent. If you use a debit or credit card at a field office you will be charged a 2.3 percent service fee. Customers paying with cash, a check, or money order will not owe a service fee.

Only the Davis field office accepts credit card payments as of now. The pilot program began on September 30 and is expected to expand to Roseville, Fresno, and Victorville in the coming weeks. All remaining field offices will accept credit card payments in early 2020.

Earlier this year Governor Newsom called out the DMV for not accepting credit cards at field offices. He created a task force to address a number of issues at the DMV, including how it accepts payments, in order to streamline processes and cut down wait times.

As a result of the Governor's insistence that the DMV start accepting plastic, Assembly Bill 867 was introduced requiring the DMV to allow credit card payments. The bill was put on hold after the DMV opted to make the change on its own.