Thousands of California motorists are being ordered back to the DMV after state officials said suspected cheating on written driver’s license exams prompted a broad investigation that could ultimately result in criminal charges.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles earlier this month informed more than 11,000 licensed drivers that they must take the written knowledge test again within 30 days or face the possible suspension of their licenses.
Following weeks of scrutiny over the unusually large retesting order, DMV Director Steve Gordon told State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Dave Cortese in a letter that investigators believe some of the exams in question “may have been compromised.”
Gordon emphasized that the notices “were not issued randomly or based on a single data point.”
In a later disclosure, the DMV said an internal review uncovered patterns indicating that some applicants may have relied on “various cheating methods” to get around the written test requirement. The statement marked the agency’s first public explanation of the “irregularities” it had previously referenced.
Gordon said the department will not reveal the specific methods investigators used to identify the drivers affected, citing the investigation’s “potential criminal implications.”
He also said several cases have already been sent to prosecutors, and additional referrals are expected as the probe continues.
The DMV has not said which law enforcement agencies are participating in the investigation. A spokesperson for Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday that the California Department of Justice could not confirm whether it had received any referrals from the DMV.
Gordon pointed to a similar DMV fraud case in 2017, when officials discovered 3,600 people had obtained driver’s licenses without passing the required exams.
That investigation ultimately led to 14 people being indicted on various felony charges.
The disclosure did little to ease concerns among state lawmakers who had demanded answers from the agency.
Strickland called the allegations “serious and concerning,” questioned whether written exams were properly monitored, and said Californians “deserve clear answers” about how the suspected cheating happened and what safeguards will be put in place to prevent it from happening again.
Cortese also said Gordon’s response left major questions unresolved, including whether this was the first time since 2017 that the DMV had uncovered similar irregularities and why drivers were being allowed to retake the exam if the agency believed crimes may have been committed.
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