Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said in an X post that he would abolish California’s Department of Motor Vehicles and cap annual vehicle registration at $73 if elected. According to the post, some drivers pay more than $1,000 a year in fees while facing long DMV lines. The announcement, made as he campaigned in California, drew thousands of replies as users shared their own registration costs and debated whether the plan could be carried out.
The footage shows Hilton speaking at an outdoor podium marked “Abolish the DMV” and “$73 Vehicle Registration,” with campaign signs and news microphones around him. In the clip, he says, “We are gonna cut vehicle registration per vehicle,” then pledges to shut “down this bloated” agency that “treats Californians with” contempt, citing the “highest vehicle registration” costs and roads ranked “out of 50.” On-screen text later reads “Enough is enough.”
The video cuts between the remarks, a State of California DMV sign, and a graphic over a pothole that says California has the “50th ranked roads in the U.S.”
Hilton’s post said some Californians pay more than $1,000 a year to register a car and spend hours in DMV lines. The video doesn’t show anyone paying those fees, and it doesn’t prove the road ranking. Local reports say he made the remarks outside the West Hollywood DMV.
Responses to the California DMV Proposal
Some users backed the plan, writing “Finally some common sense!” and “You have my vote!”
Others focused on what they said they already pay, including one commenter who wrote, “My yearly registration is $800. Guess how much it is in Washington state? $120!” and another who said, “I pay 373 for a 25-year-old car… Our roads and highways are a mess.”
A few questioned whether the change could happen, with one reply calling it “Desperate campaigning” and another arguing Hilton would “never deliver with a Democrat-controlled House and Senate.”
Separate comments challenged part of the post, saying the fees are high but “nobody has to ‘stand in line’ to renew their registration.”
Hilton’s $73 registration cap and plan to eliminate the DMV as a standalone agency remain campaign proposals, and carrying them out would still require action in Sacramento. The clip now sits alongside the broader California governor’s race over living costs, fees, and how state services should be run.
