Steve Hilton proposes abolishing California DMV, capping registration fees at $73

LOS ANGELES - Tired of high DMV fees and long lines? That could soon come to an end under a plan proposed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.

Standing outside the West Hollywood DMV office Tuesday, Hilton announced his plan to abolish the DMV as a stand-alone state agency and cut annual vehicle registration fees to a flat $73.

Making California affordable 

What they're saying:

"We're going to shut down this bloated nanny state bureaucratic agency that treats Californians with complete contempt. We are done with it. Enough is enough with the DMV, enough is enough with sky-high registration rates, we are done," Hilton stated. 

He said the biggest issue for Californians is the cost of living and his plan to cut registration fees is just one step of making life more affordable. 

"As the governor of California, I can affect how much money we take out of Californians' pockets. And so that is the simplest, quickest way to help people with the cost of living, is for the government to take less money out of their pockets. And so that's why top of my list for changes in California is what I call a working-class tax cut. Your first $150-grand tax free. And over the course of the next few weeks we'll be laying out the plans that we have, Operation Zero Waste, to cut the bloat and the waste in our government so that we can put that money back in your pocket," he explained during the protest. 

"But it's not just about the state income tax, it's about these other hidden taxes, fees, charges that the state of California uses to gouge every single California. Starting with this place, the DMV, in most other states, getting your vehicle registered every year, sometimes it's once every two years, by the way, is less than a hundred dollars. In California, I ask people at every single event that we do, ‘how much do you pay for vehicle registration?’ Five hundred, six hundred, seven, eight, over a thousand for some people. It is completely outrageous. It is a rip-off."

Dig deeper:

Under the proposal, the DMV would undergo a three-month audit before being eliminated as a stand-alone department. A smaller state operation would remain responsible for driver's licenses, fraud prevention, REAL ID and other records and safety functions, according to Hilton's campaign.

Routine vehicle title, registration and renewal services would be shifted to county offices and certified local service centers. Hilton's campaign said no DMV field office would close until an equivalent or better in-person service option is available nearby.

Hilton said DMV properties no longer needed under his proposal would first be offered to community colleges and apprenticeship programs for use as job-training centers and could otherwise be sold.

The proposal would require legislative action, including what Hilton's campaign described as a "No More DMV Act."

Race for California governor 

What's next:

Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are both in the running to become California's next governor. 

They face off in a televised debate on Sept. 30. 

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