Modernizing the MyDMV Platform for 27M+ Drivers
Most Californians use the DMV for renewals, registrations, and address changes, but the legacy site buried those tasks in menus. I led design efforts to create a personalized dashboard that surfaces urgent actions, reduces friction, and helps people finish DMV tasks faster.
California's DMV services were scattered across 15+ disconnected web applications, each with different interfaces, login requirements, and interaction patterns. Users struggled to complete even basic tasks like checking a license renewal status. This meant navigating one system, while registering a vehicle required an entirely different application.
Working with UXR we identified:
Fragmentation frustration: Users couldn't remember which website to use for which task
Redundant data entry: The same information (name, address, vehicle info) was re-entered across multiple systems
Low digital adoption: Only 23% of renewals happened online; most customers still came to DMV offices
Mobile inadequacy: Legacy systems were desktop-only, while 68% of users preferred mobile
The business impact: High call center volume, long office wait times, and missed revenue from customers who didn't complete online transactions.
The Challenge: A Fragmented Digital Experience
Project Details
My Role: Lead Product Designer
Team: UX Researcher, Product Manager, Engineering Team (Front end, Backend), DMV Stakeholders
Scope: Product strategy & prioritization, user journey mapping, interaction design, design systems integration, visual design & prototyping, cross-functional collaboration
Timeline: 18 months (Phase I: 12 months design + development, Phase II: ongoing)
Scale: 26M+ California drivers & vehicle owners, 40+ user stories, 15+ legacy systems consolidated
Prioritizing 40+ User Stories
In partnership with research and product leads, I aligned design priorities with user frequency, business impact, and technical feasibility. This cross-disciplinary process shaped the initial feature set and guided design phases across future releases.
Before MyDMV
A typical user journey to renew a license and register a vehicle would take around 25–40 minutes across multiple disconnected systems, with no way to track status.
❌ 3 different websites
❌ 2 separate logins
❌ Same information entered 4 times
❌ No order status visibility
❌ 25-40 minutes total
The Solution: Surfacing Key Tasks
The dashboard brings driver’s license details, vehicles, and notices into a single view. Status indicators and one-tap actions surface what needs attention, so users can act without digging through menus. By combining renewals and payments into a single flow, the design cut repeat steps and helped users complete high-priority tasks faster.
Design Decision:
How many tasks should the dashboard show at once?
Users had 3-7 active tasks on average, but showing all at once would overwhelm. The new system prioritizes by urgency and relevance, and progressive disclosure keeps the dashboard actionable without being overwhelming.
Personalized Status Updates
License and ID cards now communicate urgency through clear states (active, expiring soon, expired). Each state pairs visual cues with the most relevant action, such as renewal, so users can resolve issues quickly.
Adapting flows for frequent actions
Vehicle cards consolidate renewals, transfers, and updates into a single component. Alerts highlight pending or upcoming deadlines, while contextual messaging reassures users with clear processing times.
Design Decision:
Why cards vs. a list view?
Cards could flex to show varying content (license renewals have different data than vehicle registrations) while maintaining visual consistency. This scalability was critical as we planned Phase II/III features.
Adding & Removing Vehicles
Previously, managing vehicles was scattered across multiple forms, often requiring in-person visits for straightforward changes. Users struggled to know which form applied to their situation.
I led the redesign of the vehicle management flow, partnering with a UX designer and working closely with engineers and stakeholders.
Consolidate entry points into a single, clear flow for adding, transferring, or removing vehicles.
Build error-prevention into the design, so fewer submissions are delayed or rejected.
Ensure mobile-first usability, so users can handle updates wherever they are.
This collaboration made it easier for drivers to keep records current and reduced backlog for DMV staff who previously had to resolve incomplete submissions.
Change of Address Flow
The change of address flow was redesigned for mobile, where most users complete this task. Each step highlights progress clearly and limits the number of screens required, reducing friction in one of the DMV’s most common processes. The streamlined path made it easier for users to finish the update in minutes instead of starting and abandoning the task mid-flow.
Alerts & Reminders
Alerts are context-aware, showing only the notices that apply to each user. Truncation logic keeps the view clear when multiple alerts appear, while prioritization rules ensure the most urgent items rise to the top. Together these decisions reduced noise, improved task completion, and gave users more confidence that they would not miss critical updates.
Beautiful Utility
From the dashboard to alerts and vehicle management, we focused on clarity and predictability, removing friction in an environment where stress is the norm. Every flow was designed to be scannable, understandable, and actionable. Whether you're updating an address or checking your license status, the experience feels fast, personal, and surprisingly calm.
Intuitive Design for Everyday Tasks
Even the most frustrating scenarios, like mismatched registration info or expired cards, were reimagined with thoughtful messaging, progressive disclosure, and accessible defaults. By turning complex services into simple steps, we helped California residents feel more in control of their DMV experience.
With 27 million Californians relying on this platform, the project reinforced how design decisions ripple at scale. Building rules for alerts, prioritization, and truncation taught me the value of reducing noise while keeping users informed. The experience strengthened my belief that thoughtful systems design can both simplify government services and improve public trust.
Reflection
+42%
Digital adoption increased from 23% to 42% in the first 6 months for license/vehicle renewals
-30%
Support call volume decreased by over 30% for order status inquiries ("Where's my license/registration?"
27M+
The platform now serves 27M+ eligible California drivers with a unified experience