The department is the successor to and is hereby vested with all of the powers, duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction now or hereafter vested by law in the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Motor Vehicle Department, the Motor Vehicle Department of California, the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Finance, the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Public Works, and all other state agencies of similar designation, or in the several heads, members, officers, and employees of each thereof.

The department has possession and control of all records, books, papers, offices, equipment, moneys, funds, appropriations, and all other property, real or personal, now or hereafter held for the benefit or use of any state agency mentioned in Section 1501.

Except as in this division otherwise provided, the provisions of Chapter 2 (commencing at Section 11150) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall govern and apply to the conduct of the department in every respect the same as if the provisions were set forth in this code, and wherever in that chapter the term “head of the department” or similar designation occurs, for the purposes of this division, it shall mean the director.

The department is under the control of a civil executive officer known as the Director of Motor Vehicles. The director shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Governor.

The director, with the approval of the Governor and the Secretary of Transportation, shall organize the department in a manner that he or she may deem necessary to conduct the work of the department.

The director may appoint and, in accordance with law fix the salaries of: