DMV director warns of aging IT, staffing pressures and Real ID deadline; asks legislature for modernization funding
April 30, 2025 | 2025 Legislative Meetings, South Carolina
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The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles needs a major technology overhaul and additional support to retain staff, the agency's executive director told the House Education and Public Works Committee.
"Only 60% of the state has a Real ID right now," Colonel Kevin Shwedo, executive director of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, said as he described the agency's workload and readiness challenges. Shwedo told the committee the DMV currently runs on an aging system (referred to in testimony as "Phoenix," written in COBOL), has high turnover and faces growing demand as the state's population increases.
Shwedo said the DMV's workforce composition and pay pressures create recruiting and retention challenges. He said the agency's annual turnover rate is about 33%, and described a prior pay adjustment that raised a cohort of lower-paid workers to roughly $33,000, where inflation has since reduced buying power. The director said DMV employees handle hundreds of kinds of legally required transactions and that training and consistency across the state's 66 DMV locations are essential.
Why it matters: Shwedo said the DMV is a linchpin for identity, titling and registration services, and that a system failure would interrupt many other state functions. He told lawmakers modernization would cost roughly $100 million and warned that other states that attempted large IT replacements have suffered costly failures if done incorrectly.
The director discussed the Real ID federal compliance deadline and described local impacts: without Real ID, travelers may be restricted from boarding aircraft or entering federal facilities. He urged constituents to obtain Real ID documents early to avoid long lines when the DMV increases processing as deadlines approach.
Shwedo also addressed public safety topics and enforcement: he gave an estimate of roughly 25,000 DUI arrests annually in the state and urged attention to recidivism and the consequences of lenient penalties. He said the DMV must modernize to reduce fraud and better secure identity services, and outlined plans for centralized issuance of secure cards and a move toward mobile/electronic credentials when modernization is complete.
The committee asked questions about Real ID privacy concerns and whether DMV should absorb other titling functions such as boats; Shwedo said he would discuss cost and implementation considerations but urged a careful approach because of workload and security responsibilities.
No formal votes took place during the hearing; Shwedo provided contact information and asked members to help secure funding for modernization.
"Only 60% of the state has a Real ID right now," Colonel Kevin Shwedo, executive director of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, said as he described the agency's workload and readiness challenges. Shwedo told the committee the DMV currently runs on an aging system (referred to in testimony as "Phoenix," written in COBOL), has high turnover and faces growing demand as the state's population increases.
Shwedo said the DMV's workforce composition and pay pressures create recruiting and retention challenges. He said the agency's annual turnover rate is about 33%, and described a prior pay adjustment that raised a cohort of lower-paid workers to roughly $33,000, where inflation has since reduced buying power. The director said DMV employees handle hundreds of kinds of legally required transactions and that training and consistency across the state's 66 DMV locations are essential.
Why it matters: Shwedo said the DMV is a linchpin for identity, titling and registration services, and that a system failure would interrupt many other state functions. He told lawmakers modernization would cost roughly $100 million and warned that other states that attempted large IT replacements have suffered costly failures if done incorrectly.
The director discussed the Real ID federal compliance deadline and described local impacts: without Real ID, travelers may be restricted from boarding aircraft or entering federal facilities. He urged constituents to obtain Real ID documents early to avoid long lines when the DMV increases processing as deadlines approach.
Shwedo also addressed public safety topics and enforcement: he gave an estimate of roughly 25,000 DUI arrests annually in the state and urged attention to recidivism and the consequences of lenient penalties. He said the DMV must modernize to reduce fraud and better secure identity services, and outlined plans for centralized issuance of secure cards and a move toward mobile/electronic credentials when modernization is complete.
The committee asked questions about Real ID privacy concerns and whether DMV should absorb other titling functions such as boats; Shwedo said he would discuss cost and implementation considerations but urged a careful approach because of workload and security responsibilities.
No formal votes took place during the hearing; Shwedo provided contact information and asked members to help secure funding for modernization.
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