REAL ID glitch hits 325,000 California drivers, DMV says no impact on voting

CALIFORNIA – The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced on December 31 that it identified 325,000 REAL ID records that require updates to ensure continued compliance with federal REAL ID regulations.

The department said only customers who receive a notice — approximately 1.5% of those holding California-issued REAL IDs, need to take action in the coming weeks and months.

All other REAL ID holders do not need to take any action.

“We proactively reviewed our records, identified a legacy system issue from 2006, and are notifying impacted customers with clear guidance on how to maintain a valid California-issued credential,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

The DMV will notify affected individuals of the steps they must take in the coming weeks and months to be reissued a REAL ID or, if eligible, a non-REAL ID driver’s license. The department will expedite the process and waive all associated fees.

The DMV will not call, text, or email to request personal information or payment. To verify any DMV action, call 1-800-777-0133.

DMV says this issue is unrelated to voting

Under federal rules enforced during the Trump administration, immigrants with lawful U.S. presence—including permanent residents, green card holders, and visa holders, may be issued REAL IDs.

While the DMV verified legal presence at issuance, legacy 2006 coding sometimes applied the standard renewal interval instead of a REAL ID holder’s authorized stay.

The DMV says REAL IDs were never issued to undocumented individuals. In addition, all individuals received REAL IDs only after the federal system verified their lawful presence.

The issue was limited solely to how expiration dates were calculated for some of California’s noncitizen residents with legal presence.

Independent federal safeguards against ineligible voter registration remained in place, in line with the Motor Voter Act.

“Unless you are a citizen, it’s illegal to register to vote in California,” the DMV said.

Expiration dates for immigrant trucker CDL

The Asian Law Caucus filed a lawsuit on behalf of about 20,000 Sikh and other immigrant truck drivers against the California DMV challenging the agency’s handling of expiration dates on commercial driver’s licenses.

The lawsuit alleges wrongful cancellations and failure to update licenses.

Thousands of immigrant drivers were affected, raising concerns about discrimination and due process.

California has postponed the cancellation of commercial driver’s licenses until March 6, 2026.