Assemblyman Obernolte Responds to DMV’s Lack of Transparency in Using Flawed REAL ID Process

SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) waiting one month to notify Californians that the federal government has rejected the state’s REAL ID residency verification process and has still continued to issue cards that are not compliant:

“To date, 2.3 million Californians have already obtained REAL IDs. In November, Homeland Security notified DMV that our REAL ID cards are not compliant with federal law, which clearly states that we are required to have two forms of residency verification. Currently, California has only required one document. DMV sat on this information for a month while continuing to issue hundreds of thousands of REAL ID cards that they knew were not compliant. This is outrageous.

“The Department has continued to fail Californians, providing extremely poor service and completely mishandling this issue. Let’s hope we can work with the federal government to minimize the negative impact on all of those Californians who have already spent countless hours in line to obtain their REAL ID.”

Assemblyman Jay Obernolte represents the 33rd Assembly District, which includes the San Bernardino County communities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Baker, Barstow, Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake, Big River, Crestline, Fort Irwin, Hesperia, Johnson Valley, Lake Arrowhead, Lenwood, Lucerne Valley, Needles, Oak Hills, Phelan, Running Springs, Silver Lakes, Trona, Twentynine Palms Base, Twin Peaks and Victorville.