Kevin Shwedo, executive director of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, told the House Education and Public Works Committee the DMV requires a modernized computer system and additional resources to handle population growth, identity services and compliance with federal Real ID requirements.

Shwedo said South Carolina’s population served by the DMV grew from about 4 million to 5.3 million while the agency’s staffing and budgets remained largely unchanged. He described workforce pressures: the DMV has roughly 1,500 employees, a reported annual turnover of about 33 percent (roughly 500 employees) and historical pay compression that reduced staff buying power. “When I go ahead and fight for people… they’ll go in droves,” he said, explaining hiring competition from the private sector.

The director urged funding for a modernization of the department’s legacy system, which he described as a COBOL‑based platform called Phoenix that he said is fragile and costly to maintain. He estimated modernization would cost approximately $100 million and stressed the operational risk if the system fails: “When that system goes down… nothing. Today, when that system goes down… nobody can get anything done,” he said.

Shwedo reviewed identity issues and the Real ID rollout: he said about 60 percent of eligible residents have Real ID credentials and warned that after the federal enforcement date, non‑Real ID holders will face travel and federal‑facility access restrictions. He urged constituents to obtain Real ID documentation now and described the department’s plans for centralized card issuance in September and a future mobile license option.

Shwedo also raised enforcement and safety concerns, citing an annual average of about 25,000 DUIs and broader highway safety issues he described as policy priorities. He said the DMV performs more than 400 distinct transaction types tied to statutes and urged lawmakers to fund personnel and modernization to reduce delays and fraud.

Committee members asked about consolidation of services, potential new titling responsibilities and centralized issuance. Shwedo said he would discuss legislative options and implementation details with members who requested follow‑up and reiterated his willingness to take calls about constituent DMV issues.