Q: Steve Benoff of Beaumont said every year he receives a vehicle registration renewal notice with a Renewal Identification Number. “Yet on the DMV website, there seems to be no way to use it. What good is it and why do they keep sending it to me?” he asked.
A: The Renewal Identification Number is used when a driver is renewing a vehicle registration using either one of the DMV’s self-service kiosks or the automated phone renewal system, 800-777-0133, said DMV spokesperson Ronald Ongtoaboc. The Renewal Identification Number provides people with the ability to renew their vehicle registration without having to input their vehicle’s license plate and partial Vehicle Identification Number, Ongtoaboc said. The Renewal Identification Number is not used when renewing on the DMV’s website.
The DMV encourages drivers to use its online services to complete transactions such as eligible driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. People can also use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to learn options to complete DMV tasks. To sign up for paperless vehicle registration and driver’s license renewal notices, you’ll need to sign in or create a secure online account at www.dmv.ca.gov, and then opt in. Using online services will help you avoid a time-consuming trip to a DMV field office.
More reader questions on potholes
Robert Rosenquist asked who is responsible for repairing potholes on Outer Highway 10 South: the city of Redlands or San Bernardino County. “The condition is really poor, and has been exacerbated by the recent rains,” Rosenquist said. Another reader, Don Leiffer Jr. of Highland, pointed out also that the jurisdiction where some potholes are located is unclear in parts of San Bernardino County. His concern is the same as Rosenquist’s: that drivers wanting to report a pothole sometimes can’t tell who to report the pothole to because the jurisdiction is unclear. If they report the pothole to the wrong city or agency, it won’t get fixed.
“There are sections on some streets where one side (say the north side) is the SB city and the other (south side) is Highland or unincorporated,” Leiffer said. “Contact the wrong agency and your call for help gets into the ‘neverland’ basket.’”
To cover all bases, a driver may have to report a pothole to more than one jurisdiction.
Rosenquist wasn’t specific as to where the potholes he saw are located exactly, but much of Outer Highway 10 South is outside Redlands city limits. They could be in Yucaipa or unincorporated San Bernardino County. Rosenquist could report these potholes to Caltrans’ online customer service request link at https://csr.dot.ca.gov/index.php/Msrsubmit as well as the San Bernardino County Public Works Department at https://specialdistricts.sbcounty.gov/roads/road-repair-request/, or call 909-386-8800. If he thinks the potholes are in Redlands, he can report them to the city of Redlands at https://www.cityofredlands.org/pod/report-civic-problem or on the Redlands 311 app. The same answer applies to Leiffer Jr.’s concern. If drivers are unsure of the jurisdiction (city, county or state property) where a pothole is located, we think they should take the extra few minutes to go online and report the pothole to the multiple jurisdictions where the pothole could be located.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call us at our new phone number, 951-368-9995.
