Stockton’s DMV Driver Safety Office to close in October

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will close its Stockton Driver Safety Office in less than two weeks.

The office will close permanently at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 at 710 North American St. The DMV stated the closure is meant "to improve efficiency and to better serve the evolving needs of customers as part of its digital transformation," according to a news release.

Stockton Driver Safety Office employees will be reassigned to nearby locations, DMV officials stated.

Driver safety offices are for drivers requesting administrative hearings about potential DMV actions to suspend or restrict their driving privilege due to negligence, alcohol-related incidents or health issues. These offices also serve customers who are scheduled for driving re-examinations due to safety or health concerns.

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"These offices do not provide services offered in regular field offices such as driver’s license application/renewal or vehicle registration," DMV officials stated in the news release.

A new case management system was recently implemented by the DMV, which provides similar services found at driver safety offices, according to the DMV.

"The modern digital system provides drivers, as well as their attorneys, with a more convenient way to check the status of a case or requirements to reinstate a suspended driver’s license," the news release states. "The updated system also eliminates the need to call or visit an office to request or conduct a hearing, as most hearings are now conducted virtually."

The Stockton office is one of 17 locations that will be closed or consolidated throughout the state due to "no longer being efficient or cost effective for the DMV," the news release states.

The nearest driver safety office to Stockton is at 4700 Broadway, 2nd Floor in Sacramento.

For more information visit dmv.ca.gov .

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers business and community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ AngelaydetRocha . To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow .

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton’s DMV Driver Safety Office to close in October