Kevin Shweto, executive director of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, told the committee that population growth has increased demand for DMV services but that the agency has had only minimal personnel and budget increases. He said the agency operates on a legacy system (called Phoenix) and asked the General Assembly for a modernization investment he estimated would cost about $100 million.

Shweto described workforce pressures: he said the DMV’s staff is 87 percent female, more than half African American, and that many employees are single parents; he said turnover is about 33 percent annually (roughly 500 of 1,500 employees) and that training is time‑intensive because staff must handle dozens of statutory transactions across revenue, titling, identity verification and fraud prevention.

The director stressed the importance of Real ID compliance and warned that federal rules will restrict access to federal facilities and commercial air travel for people without Real IDs. He said about 60 percent of state residents had a Real ID at the time of his remarks and encouraged members to tell constituents to obtain required documentation early to avoid long lines.

Shweto also described operational steps the agency will take if modernized systems are adopted: centralized issuance of more secure cards (planned for September), a transition path for replacement cards mailed after application, and an eventual move toward mobile/digital driver’s licenses with stronger biometric protections. He said Phoenix is COBOL‑based and fragile: when it fails, many services and law‑enforcement checks are affected.

Committee members pressed on DUI statistics, resource officers and other issues; Shweto urged legislators to prioritize modernization funding and offered to meet with members about specific proposals.