The DMV has committed what many San Franciscans consider a cardinal sin — using “San Fran” to refer to the city, and a San Francisco politician is putting his foot down.
State Sen. Scott Wiener demanded in a Wednesday letter to Director Steve Gordon that the DMV “cease-and-desist any and all uses” of “San Fran” to refer to San Francisco. Wiener said he knows at least six recent driver’s licenses that list the maligned moniker, which he called “upsetting references to the city no self-respecting San Franciscan would ever use.”
Wiener wrote that one lifelong city resident even told their daughter “to burn” their license when they learned the DMV had written “San Fran” on it.
DMV issued driver’s licenses listing “San Fran” as the address.
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) October 30, 2024
On behalf of all self-respecting residents of the City by the Bay, I’m asking DMV to promptly cease & desist this nonsense. My letter: pic.twitter.com/zV5m05UVip
“San Franciscans are gentle people, but the flowers in our hair come out quickly when The City is so egregiously misnamed,” he wrote in the letter.
Wiener asked the DMV how often it has put the unwanted nickname on official state documents, including other forms of identification.
Wiener also gave the DMV some acceptable options to refer to San Francisco in his letter:
- San Francisco (preferred)
- SF
- The City
- City by the Bay
- Best City in the World
- Frisco
The DMV said printing “San Fran” on driver’s licenses was a typo that didn’t affect many people and they’ve already fixed the error. Those with “San Fran” driver’s licenses can go to the DMV for a free replacement.
“We’re aware that a city abbreviation issue occurred recently for a relatively small number of customers during a short timeframe,” the DMV said in an email statement Wednesday. “Whether you prefer to be from The Bay, SF, or The City, a no-nonsense ‘San Francisco’ works best on a driver’s license.”