CA driver license delayed due to legal presence check pending

This thread has been very helpful for the 3 times in 4 years that I had to go through this process, so I wanted to post something that seems to have helped me - emailing CPDCCSSM@dmv.ca.gov, explaining the situation (how long you've been waiting etc) and giving them your name and DL number. They forwarded the email on to the relevant people and I got a response from those people very promptly. The documents didn't even need to be resubmitted which was interesting because the phone query seems to consistently require faxing the same documents again, then calling back to check they've received them.

Maybe I've been trying at the wrong time of day but the phone system has hung up on me due to call volume the last 50 times I've tried it.
 
Excellent post HyperPiggle. I had the email from another post in this thread and would have repeated it in my post above, but your post is backed up by experience, which is what people really need to hear.

I think calling, snail mailing or emailing will work with the Legal Presence Unit so everyone has three different ways to contact these people. This thread is by far the best information on this problem anywhere on the net which I have found.
 
Update:
Hi! Thank you. I have been very busy so I didn't post my update. I was finally able to get my phone call answered by a representative, I did try several times during the day to succeed. The representative was very kind and mentioned they had some doubts with my documents and some dates so requested me to fax everything, the doubts they had were resolved and a week later I received my license . Thank you for answering, definitely if you are in my situation keep on calling, don't give up, once you are able to talk to a representative not the computer, things go easier. Good luck!
 
CPDCCSSM@dmv.ca.gov would not help me.
Here is what i got from them:
We are unable to assist you via email. For assistance with your driver license issue, please contact the Legal Presence Unit at (916) 657-7445.
 
I received the same reply as dahoo1 on emailing CPDCCSSM@dmv.ca.gov. However, they seem to have gotten better at picking up phone calls. Calling them and requesting a call back is what worked for me. Another thing to note is your experience can really depend on who speaks to you. The first person I spoke to advised me to wait until my temporary license expired before calling back, and quite rudely at that. For some reason, I called them again and this time the person who spoke to me was very helpful, she verified the documents then and there, and told me my license is on it's way.. So it might be worth calling them more than once. Never seen an organization quite like DMV - it's not just third world - it's the treatment third world govts gives to its poorest citizens.
 
Never seen an organization quite like DMV - it's not just third world - it's the treatment third world govts gives to its poorest citizens.

Lol. It’s about 100 times better than the experiences I used to have at its equivalent in my home country, which was definitely not the poorest third world country out there.
 
Lol. It’s about 100 times better than the experiences I used to have at its equivalent in my home country, which was definitely not the poorest third world country out there.

I speak only from my experience, I'm from India, and in almost all states I that I know of, getting a drivers license is relatively hassle free and doesn't take nearly as much cumulative time - waiting in long lines for written test, long wait for driving test, etc.
 
Another observation : Among my friends, this residency issue has typically been for those that travelled outside the US between their written test and behind the wheel test (for everyone else, license arrived within 2 weeks of behind the wheel).
 
I came to the US from Canada on a J1 Visa and wanted a California ID for personal reasons. I followed some of the advice in this forum (thank god I found it) and got my ID within 2 weeks of finding this forum. Total wait time has been 1 month and 2 weeks (way better than others). Just like the earlier posts, CPDCCSSM@dmv.ca.gov wouldn't help me either and told me to call in. What I DID learn from the forum is that you have to call the legal presence department several times to get through to a wait list. Call as many times as necessary. I called over 40 times before I got through and then selected the callback option and got a call back the next morning. Be very nice and courteous with them so that everything goes smoothly. All I had to do was resend passport, I-94, and my J-1 document (they didn't ask for the J-1 at the DMV) with the name of the person who helped you, ID/License number given in the DMV receipt, and your number. I called in the next day and found that they had gotten all documents and sent it out already. Got in on a Friday, got the ID a little over 1 week on a Monday. The number to call is 916-657-7445 which is the number they give you. I think all of the numbers that this forum show lead to the same line. Don't forget to be persistent.

Pro tip: do the calls early after 8 or 9 so that you only have to wait about 30 mins for a callback.
 
Waiting for my DL sixth month. I tried to make a phone call to the main dmv office, a woman answered. She sent me to the department of legal location. They are talking extremely disrespectfully and rudely.

I called 3 days by phone:
DMV General Office
+19166577445

Then I was redirected to:
Departament of Legal Presence
+19166577790

I tried to contact them but without success.
I'll be try again write to email and address. I have to apply for AB-60, because I can't find job.
 
Top