26-101 Telephone Interpreter Services for DMV Driver Safety Offices

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, Administrative Services Division, is requesting bids for as-needed telephone interpreter services for Driver Safety Hearings across DMV offices statewide under IFB 26-101, with the final bid deadline of July 25, 2026 (revised to July 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. per the attachment) and written questions due July 14, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The bidder's principal place of business must be located within California, a mandatory geographic restriction.

Interpreters must support remote hearings conducted via telephone, video, or virtual platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, CISCO Webex) and remain available 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays. Service-level requirements include answering incoming requests within seven rings and connecting callers to appropriate interpreters within five minutes. A minimum of 50 percent of services must be performed by interpreters meeting California standards for certified, registered, or provisionally qualified status, unless advance authorization is obtained. All interpreter personnel must reside within the continental United States and pass background checks through authorized Department of Justice Live Scan sites.

The estimated contract value is $339,623.00 over a thirty-three-month term from October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, based on approximately 566,038 minutes of service. Pricing is per-minute for actual services rendered. The incumbent contractor, WorldWide Interpreters, Inc., currently charges $0.60 per minute. The contractor must maintain professional liability insurance of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $3,000,000.00 in the aggregate. Liquidated damages provisions apply: $500.00 for termination due to breach and $30.00 per occurrence for failure to provide interpreters or re-establish dropped calls within five minutes. Bid opening is scheduled for July 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Bids must be submitted via email to DMVBIDS@dmv.ca.gov in non-fillable PDF format, with responses to written questions released by July 20, 2026.