Reviewed and updated October 12, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read from the California DMV's own pages that day, and the DMV page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
The Santa Barbara field office of the California DMV: its hours for every day, the services it handles, what it takes for payment, the wait times the DMV posts, the nearest offices and kiosk, and what to do before you go.
In this guide: Address, Hours, Services at this office, Payment accepted, Wait times, Nearest offices and kiosk, Before you go, Questions about the Santa Barbara DMV
Address
Santa Barbara DMV Field Office
535 Castillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
DMV customer service, statewide: 1-800-777-0133
Official page: dmv.ca.gov/portal/field-office/santa-barbara
Hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
The office opens an hour later on Wednesdays. It is closed on the DMV's 2026 holidays: January 1, January 19, February 16, March 31, May 25, September 7, November 11, November 26 and 27, December 25, and January 1, 2027. The DMV says it does not give knowledge tests within 30 minutes of closing.
Services at this office
The DMV lists these service groups for Santa Barbara: licensing services; testing; title transfers; registration; plates, permits and placards; replacing lost, stolen or damaged documents; records; and requests for miscellaneous original documents. Driving tests are by appointment only.
The DMV's office page opens with the services it says most people can complete online: renewing vehicle registration, renewing a driver's license or ID card, the driver's license and ID card application, a change of address, the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, a replacement driver's license, special interest or personalized plates, and a driver record request. They start at the DMV's online services portal; SearchSystems explains each on the California DMV guide.
Payment accepted
Cash, check, credit card, debit card, digital wallet and money order, per the DMV's office page. A credit or debit card paid in an office carries a 2.1 percent service fee; Apple Pay and Google Pay in an office carry the same 2.1 percent. The full table is on the fees page.
Wait times
The DMV publishes a live wait time for this office for customers with an appointment and without one, and a Get in Line option on its office page. When SearchSystems read the page on October 12, 2026, the wait was 17 minutes with an appointment and 36 minutes without; the nearby offices showed Goleta 31 minutes, Ventura 37 minutes, Oxnard 27 minutes and Santa Paula 38 minutes. Those numbers change through the day; the current ones are on the DMV's Santa Barbara office page.
Nearest offices and kiosk
Goleta DMV Field Office, 7127 Hollister Avenue, Suite 24/26, Goleta, CA 93117. Hours Monday and Tuesday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Wednesday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Thursday and Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed Saturday and Sunday.
DMV kiosk at Albertsons in Goleta, 7127 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117, open 6:00 am to 11:00 pm every day. The DMV describes kiosks as self-serve stations for certain registration services and driver or vehicle record requests, with services varying by kiosk.
The DMV's Santa Barbara page also lists Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Paula among nearby offices.
Before you go
Book driving tests and most license services on the DMV's appointment page. Bring the identity, residency and Social Security documents the application calls for (the list is on the driver's license page), proof of insurance for a driving test, and a payment method from the list above. A license or ID renewal with no changes can be done online instead, within 90 days of expiration, as explained on the renewal page.
Questions about the Santa Barbara DMV
Does the Santa Barbara DMV take walk-ins?
Yes. The DMV's office page posts separate wait times for customers with and without an appointment, and a Get in Line option. When SearchSystems read the page on October 12, 2026, the wait was 17 minutes with an appointment and 36 minutes without.
What are the Santa Barbara DMV hours?
8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Wednesday, closed Saturday and Sunday, and closed on DMV holidays.
Is there a DMV kiosk near Santa Barbara?
Yes, at the Albertsons at 7127 Hollister Avenue in Goleta, open 6:00 am to 11:00 pm every day according to the DMV. Kiosks are self-serve stations for certain registration services and driver or vehicle record requests, and they take cash.
Which other office does the DMV list for Santa Barbara?
The first nearby location on the DMV's Santa Barbara page is the Goleta field office at 7127 Hollister Avenue, Suite 24/26, Goleta, CA 93117, with the same weekly hours. The page also shows wait times for Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Paula.
What is the phone number?
The office page does not list a direct line. The DMV's customer service number is 1-800-777-0133.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the California DMV's Santa Barbara field office page, read on October 12, 2026. The hours, services, payment types and nearby locations are the DMV's; the wait times are the ones shown at that reading.