Department of motor vehicles


In the United States, a department of motor vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada under different names. The name "DMV" is not used in every state or area, nor are the traditional DMV functions handled by a single agency in every state, but the generic term is widely understood, particularly in the context of driver's license issuance and renewal.

Terminology and organization

Driver licensing and vehicle registration in the United States are handled by the state government in all states but Hawaii, where local governments perform DMV functions. In Canada, driver licensing and vehicle registration are handled at the provincial government level.

United States

The Uniform Vehicle Code prefers the name "Department of Motor Vehicles". The acronym "DMV" is most commonly used to describe the agency ; however, diverse titles are used in different jurisdictions. Unless otherwise indicated below, one agency or division regulates driver licensing, vehicle registration, and vehicle titles.
State/TerritoryAgency responsible for driver licensing and vehicle title and registrationParent agency
Supplementary notes
AlabamaDriver License Division and Motor Vehicle Division The Driver License Division is a division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, whereas the Motor Vehicle Division is a division of the Alabama Department of Revenue.
AlaskaDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Alaska Department of Administration; previously under the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the Alaska Department of Revenue
ArizonaMotor Vehicle DivisionDivision of the Arizona Department of Transportation
ArkansasOffice of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The Arkansas State Police is responsible for all driver testing.
CaliforniaDepartment of Motor VehiclesDepartment of the cabinet-level California State Transportation Agency
ColoradoDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Colorado Department of Revenue
ConnecticutDepartment of Motor Vehicles
DelawareDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Delaware Department of Transportation
District of ColumbiaDepartment of Motor Vehicles
FloridaDepartment of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
GeorgiaDepartment of Driver Services and Motor Vehicle Division The Georgia Department of Driver Services handles driver licensing, while the Motor Vehicle Division is a division of the Georgia Department of Revenue.
HawaiiNo statewide DMV exists. See notes.Hawaii is the only U.S. state where no part of the state government performs DMV functions; it has completely delegated vehicle registration and driver licensing to local governments, i.e. the City and County of Honolulu; Hawai'i, Maui, and Kaua'i counties.
IdahoDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Idaho Transportation Department
IllinoisVehicle Services Department and Driver Services Department Departments of the Illinois Secretary of State
IndianaBureau of Motor Vehicles
IowaMotor Vehicle DivisionDivision of the Iowa Motor Vehicle Division and the Iowa Department of Transportation
KansasDivision of VehiclesDivision of the Kansas Department of Revenue
KentuckyDivision of Driver Licensing and Motor Vehicle Licensing System Divisions of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The state's Circuit Court Clerks offices are responsible for the registration and issuance of drivers licenses while the County Clerks are responsible for vehicle registrations and titles. The Transportation Cabinet is responsible for establishing the policies and designs for licenses and vehicle registration. The Kentucky State Police Driver Testing Branch is responsible for driver testing.
LouisianaOffice of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections
MaineBureau of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Maine Secretary of State
MarylandMotor Vehicle AdministrationDivision of the Maryland Department of Transportation
MassachusettsRegistry of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; transferred from the Executive Office of Transportation effective November 1, 2009
MichiganMichigan Department of State
MinnesotaDivision of Driver and Vehicle ServicesDivision of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety
MississippiDepartment of Public Safety and Motor Vehicle Licensing Division Driver licensing is handled by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, while the Motor Vehicle Licensing Division is a division of the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
MissouriMissouri Department of Revenue
MontanaMotor Vehicle DivisionDivision of the Montana Department of Justice
NebraskaDepartment of Motor Vehicles-
NevadaDepartment of Motor VehiclesFormerly the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety
New HampshireDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the New Hampshire Department of Safety
New JerseyMotor Vehicle CommissionNew Jersey has differing titles for the high office holders in this part of the state government: the head of the New Jersey Department of Transportation is referred to as the "Commissioner," while the head of the MVC is referred to as the "Chief Administrator."
New MexicoMotor Vehicle DivisionDivision of the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department.
New YorkDepartment of Motor Vehicles
North CarolinaDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the North Carolina Department of Transportation
North DakotaMotor Vehicle Division and Driver License Division Divisions of the North Dakota Department of Transportation
OhioBureau of Motor Vehicles handles testing, licensing, and registering of vehicles. Titles are issued at the county level by the Clerk of Courts.Division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety
OklahomaDepartment of Public Safety and Tax Commission Driver licensing is handled by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, while the Oklahoma Tax Commission handles vehicle registrations and titles.
OregonDriver and Motor Vehicle ServicesDivision of the Oregon Department of Transportation
PennsylvaniaDriver and Vehicle ServicesDivision of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Rhode IslandDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Rhode Island Department of Revenue
South CarolinaDepartment of Motor Vehicles
South DakotaDepartment of Public Safety and Department of Revenue
TennesseeVehicle Services Division and Driver License Services The Vehicle Services Division is a division of the Tennessee Department of Revenue; the Driver License Services division is a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The state's county clerks are responsible for the registration and issuance of drivers licenses, vehicle registrations, and titles, while the Department of Revenue and Department of Safety are responsible for establishing the policies and designs for vehicle registration and licenses, respectively.
TexasDepartment of Motor Vehicles and Driver License Division Vehicle titles and registration were formerly provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, however these services were transferred to the new Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, effective November 1, 2009. The Driver License Division is a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
UtahDriver License Services and Division of Motor Vehicles The Driver License Services division is a division of the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Division of Motor Vehicles is a division of the Utah State Tax Commission
VermontDepartment of Motor VehiclesSubunit of the Vermont Agency of Transportation
VirginiaDepartment of Motor Vehicles
WashingtonDepartment of LicensingAlso handles Boat, Business, and Professional licenses
West VirginiaDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the West Virginia Department of Transportation
WisconsinDivision of Motor VehiclesDivision of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
WyomingDriver Services ProgramDivision of the Wyoming Department of Transportation
American SamoaDepartment of Public Safety
GuamMotor Vehicle Division and Department of Revenue and Taxation Guam Department of Revenue and Taxation
Northern Mariana IslandsDriver's License Section and Bureau of Motor Vehicles The Driver's License Section division is a division of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which is a division of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety and vehicle registration and title is handled by the Department of Public Safety.
Puerto RicoDriver Services DirectorateThe Driver Services Directorate is part of the Department of Transportation and Public Works. Prior to 1975, it was known as the "Motor Vehicles Area" of the Department.
United States Virgin IslandsMotor Vehicle BureauThe Motor Vehicle Bureau is a division of the United States Virgin Islands Police Department

Canada

Province/TerritoryAgency namesNotes
AlbertaService Alberta
British ColumbiaInsurance Corporation of British Columbia
ManitobaManitoba Public Insurance Corporation
New BrunswickDepartment of Public Safety's Motor Vehicle Branch
NewfoundlandMotor Registration Division
Nova ScotiaRegistry of Motor Vehicles
OntarioMinistry of Transportation Front-line services provided at ServiceOntario or DriveTest offices.
QuébecSociété de l'assurance automobile du Québec Also performs inspections and seizures of maritime vehicles throughout the province on waterways such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Ottawa River.
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island Department of Transportation and Public Works' Highway Safety Division
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan Government Insurance
Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest Territories Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division
NunavutDivision of Motor Vehicles
YukonYukon Territory Community and Transportation Services' Motor Vehicle Department

Mexico

Federal entityAgency namesNotes
JaliscoSecretaría de Movilidad y Transporte
Mexico CitySecretaría de Movilidad de la CDMX

Europe

Organization within state government

The location of a department or division of motor vehicles within the structure of a state's government tends to vary widely.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state where no part of the state government performs DMV functions; it has completely delegated vehicle registration and driver licensing to county governments.
In Kentucky, the Transportation Cabinet sets the policies and designs for licenses and vehicle registration; but the actual registration and licensing are handled by county clerks' and Circuit Court clerks' offices. Likewise, in Tennessee, the Department of Revenue and the Driver License Services Division of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security establishes policies and designs for licenses and vehicle registration, but the actual registration and licensing are handled by county clerks.
In the District of Columbia, which is not part of any state, the DMV is part of the city government.
In Virginia, the Department of Motor Vehicles handles both driver licensing and vehicle registration, while the Virginia State Police and the Department of Environmental Quality administer safety inspection and emission inspection, respectively. The program is simply administered by the state; actual inspections are performed by specific authorized employees of privately owned gas stations and garages licensed by the state.
In some states, the DMV is not a separate cabinet-level department, but instead is a division or bureau within a larger department. Departments that perform DMV functions include the Department of Justice, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Transportation. In New Hampshire and Tennessee, the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Driver License Services Division, respectively, is a division of each state's Department of Safety. In Vermont, the Department of Motor Vehicles is a subunit of the state Agency of Transportation.
Some states do not separate DMV functions into distinct organizational entities at all, but simply bundle them into responsibilities assigned to an existing government agency. For example, in the state of Washington, the Department of Licensing is responsible for driver's licenses and vehicle and boat registrations in addition to most other business and occupational licensing. In Maine, Michigan, and Illinois, the Secretary of State's offices perform responsibilities that would be handled by the DMV in other states.

Jurisdiction and exceptions

Almost all long-term residents of a state who wish to operate motor vehicles must possess a driver's license issued by their state DMV, and their vehicles must show license plates issued by that agency.
Armed Forces active duty service members are an exception to this general rule; by federal law, servicemembers do not change legal residence when relocating to a new duty station unless they take voluntary action to do so. These individuals have the option of retaining the license and vehicle registration of their legal residence or obtaining a new license and registration locally. Some states also let out-of-state college students maintain their existing license and/or registration.
Vehicles owned by the federal government register with the General Services Administration, rather than a state. Drivers of these vehicles must still be licensed with their home state, however.
The Office of Foreign Missions at the U.S. Department of State has a Diplomatic Motor Vehicles program that issues driver's licenses to foreign diplomats and their dependents, registers their vehicles, and issues special diplomatic license plates.

Areas of responsibility

Driver's licenses and identification

In countries with no national identification card, driver's licenses have often become the de facto identification card for many purposes, and DMV agencies have effectively become the agency responsible for verifying identity in their respective states, even the identity of non-drivers. The REAL ID Act of 2005 is an attempt to provide a national standard for identification cards in the United States as identification cards are commonly used in everyday life.

Driver certification

In some states, besides conducting the written and hands-on driving tests that are a prerequisite to earning a driver's license, DMVs also regulate private driving schools and their instructors. All DMVs issue their state's Driver's manual, which all drivers are expected to know and abide by. Knowledge of the driver's manual is tested prior to issuing a permit or license.

Vehicle registration

DMVs are responsible for providing an identification number for vehicles, either with a permanent vehicle registration plate or temporary tag. See also Vehicle registration plates of the United States. A vehicle registration program tracks detailed vehicle information, such as odometer history, to prevent automobile-related crimes such as odometer fraud.
Many DMVs allow third parties to issue registration materials. These may include companies that specialize in processing registration application paperwork or car dealers. Tag agents are given direct access to DMV systems. Dealers often use their state DMV's electronic vehicle registration program.

Vehicle ownership

The certification of ownership of automotive vehicles is handled by each state's DMV normally by issuing a vehicle title. The types of vehicles certified by a DMV varies by state. While almost all DMVs title vehicles that are driven on roadways, the responsibility to title boats, mobile homes, and off-road vehicles can be the responsibility of other agencies such as a Department of Natural Resources.
As the issuer of vehicle titles, DMVs are also usually responsible for recording liens made with an automobile as collateral on a secured loan. Several DMVs provide an Electronic Lien and Title program for lienholders.

Law enforcement

Duties of the DMV include enforcement of state and federal laws regarding motor vehicles. Many departments have sworn law enforcement officers who enforce DMV regulations that are codified in state law. In North Carolina, for example, the DMV contains an element known as "License and Theft." Stolen motor vehicles are tracked down by "Inspectors," sworn law enforcement officers of the state employed by the DMV, and suspected cases of fraudulent registrations, license plates, and/or theft of those elements are investigated. Inspectors also investigate independent inspection stations licensed by the DMV. At times, some of these stations violate DMV regulations codified by law. The most common of these violations is passing inspection for a vehicle with windows tinted below the legal limits. The penalty for such a violation is a $1000 fine and, for first time offenders, a revocation of the inspection permit for 30 days. Inspection stations face permanent permit revocation for subsequent offenses. In New York, the Division of Field Investigations is the criminal investigations arm of the DMV. It employs investigators to combat auto theft, identity theft, and fraudulent document-related crimes that take place in New York. These investigators are armed New York State peace officers with statewide authority to enforce laws and handle investigations. In Texas, the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority educates Texans on how to protect themselves from motor vehicle theft and awards financial grants to curtail auto theft and burglary. The division is also involved in a program that helps to prevent stolen motor vehicles from entering Mexico.
Compared to standard law enforcement officers, DMV law enforcement agents operate with greater flexibility when it comes to their specific police powers. If a person under investigation by the DMV refuses to answer questions or meet with DMV law enforcement agents, their registration and tags may be canceled. Although a citizen has a constitutional right not to speak or meet with sworn law enforcement officers while under investigation, no constitutional right protects a person's motor vehicle registration with a state agency. Another example of this flexibility of police powers is found in the policies of many states regarding suspected DUI offenders. If a person is stopped by police under suspicion of driving while impaired, and refuses a breath test to determine blood alcohol content, the DMV automatically revokes that person's license for one year. Even if evidence of that person's impairment is found insufficient at trial, the individual loses their driving privileges simply for having refused the sobriety test.

General identification

In most states, a separate identification card indicating residency is optionally provided in the case that one does not have a driver's license.

Liquor ID

A liquor identification is also provided in some jurisdictions for residents to affirm their age of majority to sellers of liquor, although a state-issued ID that proves the individual is over the legal drinking age often suffices. This is another measure to prevent minors from purchasing alcohol.

Equivalent agencies in other countries

Australia

Europe

Latin America

Other