People who don’t have the time or the patient for the hours-long line at the California DMV have opted to pay for services, like Oakland-based startup YoGov, where someone else will stand in line for you. But Assembly Man Tyler Diep, R-Long Beach, is looking to ban those services with Assembly Bill 317.
A new bill introduced this week would make selling appointments at the Department of Motor Vehicles illegal.
People who don't have the time or the patience for hours-long lines at California DMV have opted to pay for services, like Oakland-based startup YoGov, where someone else will stand in line for you. But Assembly Man Tyler Diep, R-Long Beach, is looking to ban those services with Assembly Bill 317.
"Government is supposed to treat everyone equally, regardless of how much they can afford to pay," Diep said about his very first legislation.
The bill would not only apply to businesses like YoGov but to individuals who will face a $2,500 fine, which would be deposited into the state's transportation fund.
The DMV has looked into YoGov's operation and found that the company charges customers a fee to find an appointment, something that is free for everyone though phone and internet, DMV spokesperson Artemio Armenta said Friday.
"The DMV continues to look into matters involving third parties such as YoGov, and so far no legal violations have been found but the investigation continues," Armenta said. He would not comment on the pending legislation.
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YoGov CEO and founder Ryder Pearce told NBC Bay Area that he created the service because of government inefficiency.
"The proposed bill would not affect our operations, since we provide a on-demand personal assistant service for people who need help accessing government services. We're incredibly proud to have helped from all socio-economic backgrounds," Pearce said in a statement Friday.
He argued that YoGov helps people who would need to take unpaid day off work just to go to the DMV. He also previously noted that many people who get paid to wait in line are Uber and Lyft drivers and people who are looking for extra income.
