California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has pledged to abolish the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if elected. The Republican candidate stated his intention to shutter the department and introduce a flat annual car registration fee of $73.
During a campaign event on Tuesday, Hilton described the state's DMV as a “bloated bureaucracy” and suggested converting its offices into after-school clubs. He proposed transferring some DMV functions online and moving routine car title and plate transactions to local county offices.
The California legislature, where Democrats hold a supermajority in both the state assembly and senate, would need to pass any legislation to abolish the DMV. A spokesperson for the California DMV declined to comment on Hilton’s remarks.
Hilton is trailing his Democratic rival, Xavier Becerra, in recent polls. Becerra's campaign has suggested Hilton's proposal could risk driver safety, with spokesperson Jonathan Underland stating, “Nothing says ‘safer roads’ like outsourcing driver safety checks to the lowest bidder.”