DMV director urges $100M modernization, warns of Real ID deadline and workforce strain
May 01, 2025 | 2025 Legislative Meetings, South Carolina
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Kevin Shweto, executive director of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, told the House Education and Public Works Committee the DMV needs a full technology modernization and greater workforce support to keep pace with a growing population and new federal requirements.
Shweto said the state population rose from about 4 million to 5.3 million during his tenure and that the DMV has not seen corresponding personnel increases. He said turnover at the agency runs about 33% annually (roughly 500 of 1,500 employees) and described the skill demands at branch offices, noting staff must process hundreds of law- and revenue-based transaction types and cope with fraud and identity issues.
"When that system goes down, and you come into the DMV because we screwed up a single kind of load, not a single person in that 5,300,000 can get anything done," Shweto said, urging lawmakers to fund an IT modernization he estimated would cost roughly $100 million. He said South Carolina's current system ("Phoenix") uses legacy COBOL code and is fragile, and warned states that attempted similar replacements without experienced vendors suffered major failures.
Shweto also pressed the importance of Real ID compliance for air travel and access to federal facilities; he said about 60% of residents currently have Real ID-compliant credentials and warned members that, after federal deadlines, non-compliant customers will face travel and access restrictions. He described plans to centralize card issuance in September and to shift to mobile credentials when modernization allows.
Shweto highlighted related public-safety concerns, including DUI recidivism levels and vehicle-safety issues tied to nonstandard vehicle registrations and manufacturer restrictions. He emphasized that DMV modernization would improve identity protection, reduce fraud and better support law enforcement visibility.
The director asked legislators to press for staffing and modernization resources and said he and his staff are available to help members and constituents resolve DMV issues.
Shweto said the state population rose from about 4 million to 5.3 million during his tenure and that the DMV has not seen corresponding personnel increases. He said turnover at the agency runs about 33% annually (roughly 500 of 1,500 employees) and described the skill demands at branch offices, noting staff must process hundreds of law- and revenue-based transaction types and cope with fraud and identity issues.
"When that system goes down, and you come into the DMV because we screwed up a single kind of load, not a single person in that 5,300,000 can get anything done," Shweto said, urging lawmakers to fund an IT modernization he estimated would cost roughly $100 million. He said South Carolina's current system ("Phoenix") uses legacy COBOL code and is fragile, and warned states that attempted similar replacements without experienced vendors suffered major failures.
Shweto also pressed the importance of Real ID compliance for air travel and access to federal facilities; he said about 60% of residents currently have Real ID-compliant credentials and warned members that, after federal deadlines, non-compliant customers will face travel and access restrictions. He described plans to centralize card issuance in September and to shift to mobile credentials when modernization allows.
Shweto highlighted related public-safety concerns, including DUI recidivism levels and vehicle-safety issues tied to nonstandard vehicle registrations and manufacturer restrictions. He emphasized that DMV modernization would improve identity protection, reduce fraud and better support law enforcement visibility.
The director asked legislators to press for staffing and modernization resources and said he and his staff are available to help members and constituents resolve DMV issues.
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