Laguna Hills DMV Office to Close Permanently in October

Department of Motor Vehicles News Release

Sacramento – The California Department of Motor Vehicles is permanently closing the Laguna Hills office at 23535 Moulton Parkway at 5 p.m. October 11.

The Laguna Hills office, which opened in 1987, does not meet the current needs of the DMV. The DMV previously identified a new location in Mission Viejo, but the City of Mission Viejo denied the conditional use permit and the DMV is no longer pursuing another site. Office staff will transfer to other nearby DMV offices once the Laguna Hills location closes.

Customers accustomed to completing DMV tasks at an office need not fret: The DMV has spent the last few years digitizing services, improving efficiencies and making more than 90% of transactions conveniently available on a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. Most DMV business can be completed online or by mail, at DMV kiosks located throughout the state, over the phone or through DMV business partners, making it easier than ever to skip the trip to an office.

As part of its customer-focused digital transformation, the DMV is processing the following transactions through alternative, out-of-office options only:

• Simple vehicle registration renewals that are not past the due date or require an address change. 
• Driver’s license renewals that do not require an in-person visit.
• Requests for copies of vehicle registration records, which show a vehicle’s ownership history.
• Requests for copies of driver’s license records, which show a driver’s history.
• Replacing a lost or stolen driver’s license card.

The DMV continues to improve its website at dmv.ca.gov to make it easier for Californians to take care of business and has more than doubled the number of online services from 20 in 2019 to 50 today.

Customers can also use the Service Advisor on the website to learn their options to complete DMV tasks. To sign up for paperless vehicle registration and driver’s license renewal notices, customers must sign in or create a secure online account at dmv.ca.gov and then opt in.

There are some transactions that require an in-office visit, like finalizing a REAL ID application. The DMV encourages customers to start their application online to limit the amount of time it takes to complete the process in an office. Customers in the Laguna Hills area can visit one of the following locations (mileage is calculated from the Laguna Hills office):

• Santa Ana: 1330 East 1^st St. (13 miles).
• Costa Mesa: 650 West 19^th St. (15 miles).
• San Clemente: 2727 Via Cascadita (18 miles).