California governor announces changes at troubled DMV

California's Department of Motor Vehicles is trying to improve customer service by accepting credit cards, upgrading its website and offering clearer instructions on how to obtain a new federally mandated ID, but Gov. Gavin Newsom cautioned the agency's long wait times and other troubles aren't over.

Newsom spoke as he released a report detailing efforts the DMV is making to improve services after wait times averaged two hours last summer, prompting outrage from lawmakers and customers. The state hired the high-powered firm McKinsey & Company to recommend improvements, with the funding coming out of roughly $240 million in new money the DMV got in this year's state budget.

Newsom also announced he's appointed Steve Gordon as the agency's director. Gordon is a longtime employee of the private sector, working for Cisco Systems and most recently for zTransforms, a consulting company focused on business-wide process improvement. He isn’t registered in a political party and will make $186,000. The state Senate must approve his appointment.