Despite public outcry and recent protests in South Orange County, the Department of Motor Vehicles is moving forward with closing its Laguna Hills location next week.
The department said the facility that opened in 1987 “does not meet the current needs of the DMV.” In an email, DMV spokesperson Chris Orrock said the location needs renovations to comply with current operational standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It would be expensive to negotiate its lease and make the necessary repairs to that location, Orrock added.
The Laguna Hills location will close its doors on Friday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m., a week after its original closure date because of administrative work that’s still needed.
When it closes, the nearest DMV will be the San Clemente location, about 18 miles away.
With about a week of operation left, legislators and the DMV’s landlord said they are still left with major concerns.
A group of local legislators recently asked the department to consider remaining open for an additional six months or year to have more time to find another spot in South Orange County for a new DMV.
Sens. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, and Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, as well as Assemblymembers Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita; Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, and Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, met with DMV Director Steve Gordon Sept. 30 in hopes to find a temporary solution.
But their requests, Dixon said, “fell on deaf ears.”
Dixon believes it is necessary to have another location in South Orange County to prevent the community’s older residents from driving out farther than they should.
“The DMV has had discussions with local legislators to discuss the issue,” Orrock, the DMV spokesperson, said. “The DMV has provided information and materials to the local legislators to help communicate to their constituents.”
Since 2019, the state agency said it has doubled the amount of online services it offers. People can turn to the DMV website to update addresses, request driving records and renew driver’s licenses, among other things. Most business, DMV officials said, can be completed online or by mail, over the phone or at kiosks located across the state.
But people still need to visit a physical DMV office for vision exams and driving tests and to share documents like an insurance card.
The DMV no longer requires people aged 70 and older with clean driving records to take a knowledge test, but they must take an eye exam in person to renew their driver’s license. Applications for California’s REAL ID must also be completed at a DMV before the May 7, 2025 deadline.
Last year, the Laguna Hills DMV served about 500,000 people.
“Hundreds of cars are coming into the (Laguna Hills) site,” said Dixon. “It’s like a Walmart, people are coming in all the time.”
A group of 20 Laguna Woods Village residents protested on Thursday, Sept. 26 against the closure, expressing concerns over potentially longer wait times at other locations. They argued that the DMV needs to remain open, not only for the retirement community but for all the locals.
Out of Laguna Hill’s population of 31,374, 19.8% are aged 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In nearby Laguna Woods, out of 17,644 people, 82.6% fall under the same age demographic.
The department announced in August that the Laguna Hills DMV would be closing. It tried to pursue a new location in Mission Viejo, but the proposed location was rejected by the city’s councilmembers due to traffic concerns.
Dennis Vacarro, the senior managing director of ValueRock Realty and landlord of the Laguna Hills DMV, said that after Mission Viejo rejected the plan, he offered 50 other location options in South Orange County for the department to review as alternatives. He also said that he has complied with the DMV’s requests for renovation to ensure that the building is in compliance with ADA standards as possible.
“I think we, as the landlords, are very frustrated with the situation,” Vacarro said. “We have asked the DMV to engage us in any conversations related to extending the operations at the Laguna Hills site, and they have not done so.”
Employees of the Laguna Hills location will not be laid off and will be moved to work at other sites once the facility closes for good.
Nearby locations recommended by the DMV include 1330 East 1st St., Santa Ana; 650 West 19th St., Costa Mesa; and 2727 Via Cascadita, San Clemente.
Dixon, who represents the 72nd Assembly district, said that there is still a concern for how other DMVs will perform with the extra customers. The Laguna Hills location is larger and includes more parking than the San Clemente one, Dixon said.
“It is possible for the San Clemente site to be overwhelmed,” she said. “I asked if there was a plan B, but there didn’t seem to be one.”
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