Colorado鈥檚 mobile DMV rolls to the hard to reach
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Sarah Matusek Staff writer
| Englewood, Colo.
Radio in hand, Steven Rustemeyer ushers the next person aboard the bus. 鈥淗ead on up, buddy,鈥� says the helper, stationed in a sunlit parking lot in Englewood, Colorado.
But this bus has no rows of seats, no driver or destination. This is a project of the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles 鈥� a DMV on wheels. It sits parked with an office inside 鈥� complete with computer, printer, fingerprint reader, and vision test chart.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 easier that way,鈥� says Mr. Rustemeyer, who got a new ID from the mobile clinic earlier this year. Homeless for eight years since he aged out of foster care, he says he appreciates not having to pay bus fare to head to the brick-and-mortar office. The bus shows up once a month at a nonprofit whose job readiness program he attends 鈥� and where he鈥檚 helping out today. The stop is one of several across the state.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onNot everyone can get to a DMV for the all-important driver鈥檚 license or ID. Colorado makes it easier with its mobile service, pulling up at incarceration sites, homeless shelters, and rural community centers.
Next in line for a new license is Amber Taylor, with a purple ponytail. Also unhoused, she appreciates the convenience, too. Regular DMVs 鈥済ive me panic attacks, because there鈥檚 so many people,鈥� she says. So the smaller scale 鈥渋s perfect.鈥�
As it issues IDs and licenses to hard-to-reach Coloradans, the DMV2GO program blunts bureaucracy by saving time and travel to traditional sites. Officially launched last year, the mobile program has issued around 11,000 documents as of September, stopping by incarceration sites, homeless shelters, universities, and rural community hubs. Given how IDs are key to securing housing, work, and other basics, the goal is to ensure equitable access to identity services for all, says Desiree Trostel, the program manager.
It鈥檚 important to 鈥渕eet people where they鈥檙e at,鈥� Ms. Trostel says, 鈥渞egardless of circumstance or location.鈥�
Mobile staff members report more enjoyment on the job, too. Customers on the road are 鈥渁 lot happier to come and see us,鈥� says Liz Kuhlman, an upbeat licensing technician on the bus.
Help for older people
In mountainous Archuleta County, where there is no state DMV, Warren Brown says he and his wife saw the problem up close. At their former insurance business, part of the job meant helping older customers navigate license services online.聽
鈥淚n my mind, this just didn鈥檛 have to be that way,鈥� says the county commissioner, who contacted the state for help. His constituents were first in line to benefit from the formal rollout of DMV2GO in 2022.
The clinics operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and residents can request visits to their community. Customers can apply for or renew driver鈥檚 licenses or ID cards, including out-of-state transfers. The clinic doesn鈥檛 offer knowledge tests or print the physical card on-site (those will arrive later by mail), but it does offer temporary ones.聽
The program, which was this year, also drew inspiration from the Sunshine State.聽
The Florida Licensing on Wheels program, or FLOW, has operated since 1988, says David Brown, a FLOW program manager. Beyond making regular stops, it鈥檚 also grown to respond to manmade and natural disasters, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. The mobile program served thousands of displaced Puerto Ricans at airports ahead of starting a new chapter in Florida, which no local DMV could have easily accommodated, says Mr. Brown.
鈥淚n order for you to start the process of rebuilding after a disaster, you need those solid credentials,鈥� he says.
Next stop: The county jail
Rebuilding can also mean navigating society after incarceration. That鈥檚 why DMV2GO鈥檚 list of stops includes sites like the Jefferson County jail.
Small groups of men and women await their turn in a gray-walled room, at a table laid with capless pens. A state statute allows them to receive IDs for free at this jail just west of Denver.聽
Some people interviewed say they lost their former cards while experiencing homelessness. That includes Alex, a man in pretrial detention, who like others preferred not to publish his last name for privacy.
鈥淚 had it in my backpack, and then somebody stole my backpack,鈥� Alex says of his ID.聽 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 realize how much you need it until you don鈥檛 have it.鈥�
Another man, David, says he struggled with reentry when he last left prison after 26 years. Exiting with an ID this time will hopefully let him get 鈥渞ight into the workforce,鈥� he says.
鈥淭his little, small step right here,鈥� he says, is like a 鈥渂lessing.鈥�
Proper identification is considered an important 鈥� though understudied 鈥� factor in reentry, often necessary for securing jobs, housing, and health care, says Ryan Spohn, director of the Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska Omaha.聽
Though the DMV2GO model sounds 鈥渇antastic,鈥� says Dr. Spohn, and 鈥渟omething that other states might want to look at,鈥� he notes that IDs alone aren鈥檛 sufficient for successful reentry.
Many inmates need help obtaining the right documents even to apply for an ID and have to deal with other logistical barriers such as transportation once they鈥檙e out. A driver鈥檚 license can help make critical appointments like parole and mandated counseling, for instance, but not everyone is eligible for one due to their criminal or driving record.聽
Convenience aside, mobile DMVs also aren鈥檛 without challenges. Spotty internet access in rural areas, for one, can complicate service. And in Colorado, demand is high for the program that currently involves four licensing technicians and three vehicles. The state says it鈥檚 gathering data on DMV2GO鈥檚 impact and hopes to expand.聽
That demand is clear at a recent stop at a public library in rural Westcliffe when a dozen people arrive ahead of the clinic鈥檚 opening at 10 a.m. Though a couple of locals note the wait, those in line still appreciate the service.
鈥淭his is awesome,鈥� says John Van Doren, a retiree here for a license renewal. 鈥淰ery convenient.鈥澛�
Soon he鈥檒l sit behind a small white screen and meet Bianca McCarl, the technician of the day. She readies a customer for the camera.聽
In a patient voice, she says, 鈥淵ou can smile your natural smile for the picture, OK?鈥�
