CA DMV offices closed statewide Wednesday for half-day to train employees

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The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Wednesday will close its offices statewide for a half-day to train employees on how to better process transactions and strengthen customer service. 

The training called “Operation Excellence” will provide more than 5,000 employees with tools to effectively process REAL ID licenses and identifications. 

Applications for the federal compliant REAL ID must be done in person at a DMV location and cannot be processed by mail or online. The department says it has received an unprecedented demand for applications. 

There was some confusion over the first batch of REAL IDs that were sent out after the Department of Homeland Security informed the California DMV that its new ID cards didn't meet federal standards, the SFGate reported. 

Nearly 3 million Californians were told their new IDs weren't considered valid, and they needed to provide a second proof of residency. 

The department sent out letters to REAL ID holders on how to fix the error. 

“As a result of Operation Excellence, Californians will see more consistent customer service statewide,” said Kathleen Webb, acting director at DMV. “This unprecedented training effort will provide employees with the tools they need to handle an increasingly high volume of REAL ID applications, which are more complex and take more time to process.” 

All DMV offices will open on Wednesday at 1 p.m.