This week, Investigators with the California DMV along with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control conducted an enforcement operation in Sacramento County aimed at combating unlicensed vehicle dismantlers.
DMV investigators targeted 22 locations in Rancho Cordova and Rio Linda and issued nine misdemeanor citations for offenses such as operating as an unlicensed dismantler or auto repair facility, or selling an unregistered vehicle.
The interagency Vehicle Dismantler Industry Strike Team is seeking the public’s help to crack down on unlicensed vehicle dismantlers. Operating in urban, industrial, and rural areas alike, these scavengers threaten public health and the environment as they strip possibly dangerous and defective parts from motor vehicles for sale or reuse and dump hazardous wastes into the environment.
Poised to act throughout the state, the Strike Team is investigating suspected unlicensed dismantling operations, assessing the health risks and environmental damage they pose, and cracking down on tax dodgers who seek to benefit from their illicit activities. As authorized by Assembly Bill 1858 (Santiago, Statutes of 2017) and signed by Governor Brown, seven state agencies are pooling resources and expertise to combat unlicensed vehicle dismantling. They include:
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- California Environmental Protection Agency
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control
- State Water Resources Control Board
- Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
- California Air Resources Board
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
How to Report Dismantler Activity
Anyone who suspects a person or business may be dismantling motor vehicles without a license can report their concerns using the California Department of Motor Vehicles online complaint form.
