Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles on Washington Street in Boston's Chinatown

In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles (or DMV) is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Several states do not have a DMV and split its traditional functions between other state agencies. State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... Washington Street is a street in Boston, Massachusetts and its extension southwest to the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border. ... The Beach Street gate into Bostons Chinatown. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... An agency is a department of a local or national government responsible for the oversight and administration of a specific function, such as a customs agency or a space agency. ... The Vehicle register in the United Kingdom is a database of motor vehicles. ... First German driving school in 1906, Aschaffenburg Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ...

Terminology and organization

Driver licensing and vehicle registration in the United States is handled by the state government in all states but Hawaii, where counties perform DMV functions. A state government (provincial government in Canada) is the government of a subnational entity in states with federal forms of government, which shares political power with the federal government or national government. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... United States of America, showing states, divided into counties. ...

Names

"Department of Motor Vehicles" is the name preferred by the Uniform Vehicle Code.^[1] The phrase "DMV" is most commonly used to describe the agency (where it exists); however, diverse titles are used in different states: The Uniform Vehicle Code is a privately prepared set of United States traffic laws prepared by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances a private non-profit organization. ...

This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) none (de facto English) Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport[2] Largest metro area Hartford Metro Area[3] Area  Ranked 48th in the US  - Total 5,543[4] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32° 2′ N to 35° 13′ N  - Longitude 78° 32′ W to 83... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Official language(s) None Spoken language(s) English 68. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Largest metro area Minneapolis-St. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Michigan Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... The Secretary of State of Illinois is the keeper of the official records, laws, and Great Seal of the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (also mistakenly known as the Kentucky Department of Transportation) is Kentuckys state-funded department in-charge of building and maintaining U.S. highways and Kentucky state highways, as well as regulating other transportation related issues. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) maintains the State Highway system in New Jersey. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Boat (disambiguation). ... In economics, a business is a legally-recognized organizational entity existing within an economically free country designed to sell goods and/or services to consumers, usually in an effort to generate profit. ... This article is about people called professionals. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Oregon Department of Transportation (otherwise known as the ODOT) is a department of the Oregon state government responsible for systems of transportation. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Pennsylvania Department of Transporation (or PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... // History The Texas Legislature created the Texas Highway Department in 1917 to administer federal highway construction and maintenance. ... The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a department of the government of the state of Texas. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th in the US  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... For other uses, see Alaska (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Demonym Coloradan Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th in the US  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

Organization within the government

A BMV license branch in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Furthermore, there is much diversity in how the Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) is situated within the structure of a state's government. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 427 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 800 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 427 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 800 pixel, file size: 1. ... Chauncey Village area of West Lafayette West Lafayette (IPA: ) is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, 65 miles (105km) northwest of Indianapolis. ...

Hawaiʻi 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. This article is about the U.S. State. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of...

In Kentucky and Tennessee, the Transportation Cabinet, and the Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Vehicle Services Division, respectively, set the policies and designs for licenses and vehicle registration; but the actual registration and licensing are handled by offices of the county governments. Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ...

In the District of Columbia, which is not part of any state, the DMV (formerly the Bureau of Motor Vehicle Services) is part of the city government. For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...

In a few states, there may be a separate department which administers vehicle inspections (which are mandatory in a number of U.S. states with adverse weather conditions which make vehicle maintenance a high priority). 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. Vehicle emissions inspection station Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. ...

In some states, the DMV is not a separate cabinet-level department, but instead is a division or bureau within a larger department. Examples of departments which perform DMV functions include the Department of Justice (Montana), the Department of Public Safety (Texas), the Department of Revenue (Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee), and the Department of Transportation (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin). In New Hampshire, the Division of Motor Vehicles is a division of the Department of Safety. In Vermont, the Department of Motor Vehicles is a subunit of the state Agency of Transportation. This article is about the U.S. State. ... This is an article about the modern meaning of the term public safety. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is the transportation agency for the state of Vermont. ...

Some states do not separate DMV functions into distinct organizational entities at all, but simply bundle them into a laundry list of 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 Michigan and Illinois, the Secretary of State's offices perform responsibilities which would be handled by the DMV in other states. For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (140,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ...

Jurisdiction and exceptions

Usually, 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 (and current registration tags or stickers) issued by that agency.

The main exceptions to this rule are vehicles registered by the federal government. The Office of Foreign Missions at the U.S. Department of State has a Diplomatic Motor Vehicles program which issues driver's licenses to foreign diplomats and their dependents, registers their vehicles, and issues special "CONSUL" license plates. The General Services Administration issues vehicle plates for the federal vehicle fleet (although federal employees who drive must hold driver's licenses issued by their home state). This article is about the federal government of the United States. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. ...

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.

DMVs with the responsibility of registering automobiles also track detailed vehicle information such as odometer history in order to prevent automobile-related crimes such as odometer fraud. The Trikke is a Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Automobiles are among the most commonly used engine powered vehicles. ... Odometer fraud is the illegal practice of rolling back odometers to make it appear that vehicles have lower mileage than they actually do. ...

Driver's licenses and identification

In countries with no national identification card (like the United States), driver's licenses have often become the de facto identification card for many purposes, and DMVs have effectively become the agency responsible for verifying identity in their respective states. See Identity documents in the United States. German identity document sample An identity document is a piece of documentation designed to prove the identity of the person carrying it. ... There is no true national identity card in the United States of America, in the sense that there is no federal agency with nationwide jurisdiction that directly issues such cards to all American citizens. ...

The DMV in popular culture

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Jokes about DMVs have become common (and even somewhat of a cliché) in American comedy, and DMVs are often the subject of satire in television shows and movies. Humor about long lines, unenthusiastic employees and departmental policies is common, as are stereotypical depictions of driving testers, usually portrayed as unsympathetic and callous. In a Dane Cook special on Comedy Central, he remarked that in the future, when everything is instantaneous, the DMV will still take like nine seconds. The DMV has been more than once jokingly connected to Hell in American comedy (such as an episode of Pinky And The Brain, where it's revealed the DMV has a trapdoor to "Hades" and the TV series Reaper, where the DMV is where evil escaped souls from Hell are deposited since it's "the closest thing on Earth to Hell", as said by Satan himself) Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1867 edition of Punch, a ground-breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a good deal of satire of the contemporary social and political scene. ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... This article is about the theological or philosophical afterlife. ... This article describes both the animated television series, and the characters from that series. ... Reaper is an American supernatural television comedy-drama created by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, who also serve as executive producers alongside Mark Gordon, Deborah Spera and Tom Spezialy. ...

Equivalent agencies in other countries

• Australia

• Queensland - Queensland Transport
• New South Wales - Roads and Traffic Authority
• ACT - Road Transport Authority
• Victoria - Vicroads
• Tasmania - Department of Infrastructure, Energy & Resources
• South Australia - Transport SA
• Northern Territory - Motor Vehicle Registry
• Western Australia - Department for Planning and Infrastructure

• Brazil - At national level, DENATRAN, that coordinates all governamental effort. But each state has it own DETRAN (such as DETRAN-SP, that belongs to state of São Paulo), that manages actual registration of vehicles, emission of driver's licenses, etc.
• Bulgaria - Traffic Police
• Canada

• Alberta - Service Alberta^[5]
• British Columbia - Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles^[6]
• New Brunswick - Service New Brunswick (performs other functions as well)
• Ontario - Ministry of Transportation (Ontario) (MTO)
• Québec - Société de l'Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ)
• Saskatchewan - Saskatchwean Auto Fund, a division of Saskatchewan Government Insurance^[7]

• Germany - Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA)
• Israel - Office Of Licensing (Hebrew: משרד הרישוי)
• Italy - Motorizzazione Civile
• New Zealand - Land Transport New Zealand^[8]
• Norway - Statens vegvesen
• Portugal - Direcção Geral de Viação (now extinct and its functions split amongst other agencies)
• Sweden – Swedish National Road Administration
• Spain - Dirección General de Tráfico
• United Kingdom – Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... Queensland Transport is the state government department for transport in Queensland. ... NSW redirects here. ... The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is a New South Wales (Australia) Government agency responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... VIC redirects here. ... VicRoads (Roads Corporation Victoria) is a subordinate authority which is the States road and traffic authority in Victoria, Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product... For the song, see South Australia (song). ... For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person... Motto Pro Brasilia Fiant Eximia (Latin) For Brazil Great Things Are Done Anthem Bandeirantes Anthem Capital (and largest city) São Paulo Demonym Paulista Government  -  Governor José Serra  -  Vice Governor Alberto Goldman Area  -  Total 248. ... A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. ... First German driving school in 1906, Aschaffenburg Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ... For other uses, see Alberta (disambiguation). ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... This article is about the Canadian province. ... Service New Brunswick (in French, Service Nouveau-Brunswick), commonly referred to as SNB, is a crown corporation in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Ministry of Transportation Headquarters in St. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... Logo of the Société de lassurance automobile du Québec The Société de lassurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) (Quebec automobile insurance corporation) is a Crown corporation (government-owned company) in Quebec, Canada, which insures all drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists involved in road collisions... This article is about the Canadian province. ... SGI Head Office in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Created in 1945, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is a provincial Crown corporation that has evolved over the years into two distinct operations. ... The Swedish National Road Administration, Vägverket, is a government agency in Sweden. ... The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (the DVLA) is an agency of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. ...

References

The Uniform Vehicle Code is a privately prepared set of United States traffic laws prepared by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances a private non-profit organization. ... Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is the transportation agency for the state of Vermont. ...

External links

• American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
• 50 State DMV links
• German Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, with information in English