Colorado’s mobile DMV rolls to the hard to reach

Radio in hand, Steven Rustemeyer ushers the next person aboard the bus. “Head on up, buddy,” 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 – a DMV on wheels. It sits parked with an office inside – complete with computer, printer, fingerprint reader, and vision test chart. 

“It’s easier that way,” 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 – and where he’s helping out today. The stop is one of several across the state.

Next in line for a new license is Amber Taylor, with a purple ponytail. Also unhoused, she appreciates the convenience, too. Regular DMVs “give me panic attacks, because there’s so many people,” she says. So the smaller scale “is perfect.”

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’s important to “meet people where they’re at,” Ms. Trostel says, “regardless of circumstance or location.”

Mobile staff members report more enjoyment on the job, too. Customers on the road are “a lot happier to come and see us,” 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. 

“In my mind, this just didn’t have to be that way,” 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’s licenses or ID cards, including out-of-state transfers. The clinic doesn’t offer knowledge tests or print the physical card on-site (those will arrive later by mail), but it does offer temporary ones. 

The program, which was commended by a national DMV trade group this year, also drew inspiration from the Sunshine State. 

The Florida Licensing on Wheels program, or FLOW, has operated since 1988, says David Brown, a FLOW program manager. Beyond making regular stops, it’s 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.

“In order for you to start the process of rebuilding after a disaster, you need those solid credentials,” he says.

Next stop: The county jail

Rebuilding can also mean navigating society after incarceration. That’s why DMV2GO’s 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. 

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.

“I had it in my backpack, and then somebody stole my backpack,” Alex says of his ID.  “You don’t realize how much you need it until you don’t have it.”

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 “right into the workforce,” he says.

“This little, small step right here,” he says, is like a “blessing.”

Proper identification is considered an important – though understudied – 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. 

Though the DMV2GO model sounds “fantastic,” says Dr. Spohn, and “something that other states might want to look at,” he notes that IDs alone aren’t 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’re out. A driver’s 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. 

Convenience aside, mobile DMVs also aren’t 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’s gathering data on DMV2GO’s impact and hopes to expand. 

That demand is clear at a recent stop at a public library in rural Westcliffe when a dozen people arrive ahead of the clinic’s opening at 10 a.m. Though a couple of locals note the wait, those in line still appreciate the service.

“This is awesome,” says John Van Doren, a retiree here for a license renewal. “Very convenient.” 

Soon he’ll sit behind a small white screen and meet Bianca McCarl, the technician of the day. She readies a customer for the camera. 

In a patient voice, she says, “You can smile your natural smile for the picture, OK?”