Deputy Secretary for Driver & Vehicle Services

Kara Templeton

Kara N. Templeton has served as Deputy Secretary for Driver & Vehicle Services for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) since May of 2023, and has been with the Department for over 23 years. In this position, Kara has responsibilities for more than 1,400 Driver and Vehicle Services employees who are focused on providing a positive customer experience, while keeping the safety and security of the Commonwealth's 10.1 million licensed drivers and Identification card holders and 12.1 million registered vehicle owners at the center of the Deputate's and PennDOT's commitment to safety.

Kara oversees key highway safety improvements relating to driver behavior, a customer-conscious business approach, implementation of motorist-related legislation, and integration of new initiatives that improve customer services, streamline processes, and upgrade the quality of products and services using new and emerging technologies. Kara also is responsible for the oversight of 102 facilities across the Commonwealth that issue driver's licenses and identification cards as well as 5,700 car dealers and title and tag agents, over 15,000 vehicle safety inspection stations, and more than 7,800 emissions inspections stations.

Prior to becoming Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services, she served as the Director of the Bureau of Driver Licensing for 9 years, and also served in various roles including the Director of PennDOT's Information and Fiscal Services Office, the Manager of the PennDOT Customer Call Center Program, and the Manager of PennDOT's Photo License Program.

In addition to these responsibilities, Kara has previously served on the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) Region 1 Board of Directors and AAMVA's Driver Standing Committee. Kara has also served on AAMVA's Autonomous Vehicles Best Practices Working Group.