ShareThisSACRAMENTO, Calif. - For months in Sacramento and elsewhere around the state, it has been next to impossible to score an appointment for a driver's-license test.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles' reservation system has been jammed, leaving thousands of would-be drivers frustrated.
Now, reacting to complaints statewide, DMV officials say they have extended their online and phone-line computer reservation system to allow for bookings up to 45 days in advance, instead of 30.
"It will be easier for drivers to get an appointment," department spokesman Mike Marando said. "The department recognized it was an issue."
Constrained by the state's budget crisis, the department has not increased the number of drive-test examiners, and field offices remain closed at least three Fridays a month for state furloughs, in addition to other days.
As a result, people seeking their license at popular field offices may have to wait up to six weeks to obtain a driving-test date.
DMV officials said they will monitor reservation bookings on a daily basis in the coming weeks, and will consider allowing reservations up to 60 days in advance if the backlog doesn't ease sufficiently.
DMV officials suggest that applicants consider trying for appointments at field offices elsewhere in the region if reservation times are booked at their local office.
The state budget crunch is causing other problems for DMV and its customers. Lines in general at field offices have risen this year.
At the same time, a cash-strapped state is raising consumer costs: The state driver's-license renewal fee increased $3, to $31, this month, and vehicle-registration fees increased last year by $30 to $40 per vehicle.
(tbizjak(at)sacbee.com)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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