This article needs additional citations for verification .(February 2009) |
Headquarters in Sacramento | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | August 7, 1915 |
Preceding agency |
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Jurisdiction | State of California |
Headquarters | DMV Headquarters 2415 1st Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818 38°33′26″N121°28′53″W / 38.55722°N 121.48139°W |
Employees | 8,902 [2] |
Annual budget | $1.1 billion [3] |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | California State Transportation Agency |
Website | dmv |
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the state agency that registers motor vehicles and boats and issues driver licenses in the U.S. state of California. It regulates new car dealers (through the New Motor Vehicle Board), commercial cargo carriers, private driving schools, and private traffic schools. The DMV works with the superior courts of California to promptly record convictions against driver licenses, and initiates administrative proceedings before its own administrative law judges to suspend or revoke licenses when drivers accumulate excessive convictions (as measured by a point-based system). It issues California license plates and driver's licenses. The DMV also issues identification cards to people who request one.
The DMV is part of the California State Transportation Agency. It is headquartered in Sacramento and operates local offices in nearly every part of the state. As of December 2017 [update] , the DMV employed over 8,900 people—35% at headquarters and 65% at 172 field offices (and various other locations). [2] Also, as of December 2017 [update] , it maintained records for 30,112,927 persons, 33,993,857 driver licenses and/or identification cards (there is overlap as some persons can and do hold both documents), and 35,391,347 vehicles. [2] California has 26,957,875 licensed drivers. [2]
On July 23, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom released a report by the California Government Operations Agency "DMV Reinvention Strike Team" detailing recommendations for improving DMV transparency, worker training and performance, speed of service, and overall consumer satisfaction. As part of the release of the report, Newsom announced the appointment of Steve Gordon as the director of the California DMV. [4]
The first act regulating the use of automobiles for safety reasons in California was established by the Vehicle Act of 1915. [5] The provisions of the first Vehicle Act relating to the department went into effect 90 days after the close of that legislative session.
The department of Motor Vehicles was within the Department of Finance in 1921. In 1935, the Department of Motor Vehicles was created. [6] Still only vehicles that used the highways were subject to registration, and the two classes of Driver's Licenses was Operator's and chauffeur's. The Highway Patrol was tasked with enforcement of the vehicle codes and reporting roadways that needed to be repaired, or signage added or replaced.
Today, the DMV maintains a cadre of approximately 200 armed sworn state peace officers classified criminal investigators for enforcement duties relating to vessel or motor vehicle theft, vehicle or hull identification number and odometer fraud, chop shops, counterfeit or fraudulent DMV documents, disabled parking permit placard misuse, identity theft, unlicensed vehicle dealer ("curbstoner") and dismantler activity, out-of-state vehicle registration plate misuse to avoid California registration, internal employee investigations, etc.
The DMV began collecting a statewide Vehicle License Fee in 1936, in lieu of the personal property tax that individual cities and counties previously levied directly on motor vehicles regularly garaged within their borders (hence its nickname as the "in lieu tax"). [7]
The nation's first modern "credit card style" driver's licenses were introduced by the California DMV in January 1991. The plastic-coated design featured innovations like digitized photos, color holograms, and magnetic information strips readable by law enforcement. [8]
In 2012, a bill introduced by California State Assemblyman Mike Gatto required the DMV to establish the California Legacy License Plate Program. [9] This program allows California residents to order replicas of California license plates produced in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The original intent was for older cars to get new plates that matched the plate colors that the DMV issued for that car when it was new. Due to lack of applications, the program was opened to all cars. For a license plate style to enter production, it needed to receive 7,500 paid applications by the January 1, 2015, deadline. [10] Only the 1960s style plate (yellow lettering on black background) received the required number of orders. The DMV began production of the 1960s style plates at Folsom State Prison in Summer 2015. [11]
Since 2015, more than a million illegal immigrants have been issued driver's licenses. [12] [13]
The California Driver Handbook is a booklet published by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Formerly titled the 'Vehicle Code Summary', it is usually about 96 pages of information relating to licenses, examinations, laws/rules of the road, road signs, seat belts, and health and safety issues. There are also several pages of advertisements.
California provides permits for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles on public roads. [14] The first manufacturer licensed to deploy autonomous cars without a safety driver by the California DMV was Nuro, on December 23, 2020. Two more manufacturers, Cruise and Waymo, were licensed on September 30, 2021. [15]
Drunk driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle with the operator's ability to do so impaired as a result of alcohol consumption, or with a blood alcohol level in excess of the legal limit. For drivers 21 years or older, driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher is illegal. For drivers under 21 years old, the legal limit is lower, with state limits ranging from 0.00 to 0.02. Lower BAC limits apply when operating boats, airplanes, or commercial vehicles. Among other names, the criminal offense of drunk driving may be called driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated or impaired (DWI), operating [a] vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OVI), or operating while impaired (OWI).
A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate, license plate or licence plate, is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. All countries require registration plates for road vehicles such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Whether they are required for other vehicles, such as bicycles, boats, or tractors, may vary by jurisdiction. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle or vehicle owner within the issuing region's vehicle register. In some countries, the identifier is unique within the entire country, while in others it is unique within a state or province. Whether the identifier is associated with a vehicle or a person also varies by issuing agency. There are also electronic license plates.
A department of motor vehicles (DMV) is a government agency that administers motor vehicle registration and driver licensing. In countries with federal states such as in North America, these agencies are generally administered by subnational governments, while in unitary states such as many of those in Europe, DMVs are organized nationally by the central government.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is a non-governmental, voluntary, tax-exempt, nonprofit educational association. AAMVA is a private corporation which strives to develop model programs in motor vehicle administration, police traffic services, and highway safety.
In the United States, vehicle registration plates, known as license plates, are issued by a department of motor vehicles, an agency of the state or territorial government, or in the case of the District of Columbia, the district government. Some Native American tribes also issue plates. The U.S. federal government issues plates only for its own vehicle fleet and for vehicles owned by foreign diplomats. Until the 1980s, diplomatic plates were issued by the state in which the consulate or embassy was located.
Motor vehicle registration is the registration of a motor vehicle with a government authority, either compulsory or otherwise. The purpose of motor vehicle registration is to establish a link between a vehicle and an owner or user of the vehicle. This link might be used for taxation or crime detection purposes. While almost all motor vehicles are uniquely identified by a vehicle identification number, only registered vehicles display a vehicle registration plate and carry a vehicle registration certificate. Motor vehicle registration is different from motor vehicle licensing and roadworthiness certification.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The equivalent of the department of motor vehicles in other states, it is responsible for titling, registering and inspecting automobiles, and issuing driver's licenses.
In the United States, driver's licenses are issued by each individual state, territory, and the District of Columbia rather than by the federal government due to federalism. Drivers are normally required to obtain a license from their state of residence. All states of the United States and provinces and territories of Canada recognize each other's licenses for non-resident age requirements. There are also licenses for motorcycle use. Generally, a minimum age of 16 is required to apply for a non-commercial driver's license, and 18 for commercial licenses which drivers must have to operate vehicles that are too heavy for a non-commercial licensed driver or vehicles with at least 16 passengers or containing hazardous materials that require placards. A state may also suspend an individual's driving privilege within its borders for traffic violations. Many states share a common system of license classes, with some exceptions, e.g. commercial license classes are standardized by federal regulation at 49 CFR 383. Many driving permits and ID cards display small digits next to each data field. This is required by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators' design standard and has been adopted by many US states. According to the United States Department of Transportation, as of 2018, there are approximately 227 million licensed drivers in the United States.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is the department of the New York state government responsible for vehicle registration, vehicle inspections, driver's licenses, learner’s permits, photo ID cards, and adjudicating traffic violations. Its regulations are compiled in title 15 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations.
The U.S. state of Texas first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1907. Registrants provided their own license plates for display, with serial numbers assigned by their county of residence, until the state began to issue plates in 1917.
The U.S. state of Virginia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1906. As of 2022, plates are issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
The U.S. state of California first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates. Plates are currently issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the governmental agency responsible for registering and inspecting automobiles and other motor vehicles as well as licensing drivers in the U.S. state of Vermont.
An electronic license plate is a vehicle-mounted identification device that emits a radio signal for tracking and digital monitoring purposes. Various patents including advanced features have been published to replace traditional metal and plastic license plates. It communicates directly with the vehicle computer system as well as other remote systems related to vehicle regulation.
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV) is a Nevada state agency responsible for issuing driver licenses and vehicle registration. The DMV operates a total of 20 offices across the state, with five in Las Vegas, two in Reno, and one each in Henderson, Sparks, Carson City, Elko, Ely, Fallon, Hawthorne, Laughlin, Mesquite, Pahrump, Tonopah, Winnemucca, and Yerington. The DMV is headed by a director, and the position is currently occupied by Julie Butler. It is based in Carson City, Nevada's capital.
As of July 1, 2022, 18 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico issue driver's licenses or permits to some or all of the population residing without inspection in the United States. State laws permitting this are on the books in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
In the United States, reserved spaces are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.
The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles is an agency of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The department registers motor vehicles and issues driver licenses and license plates, issues identification cards, and provides hearings on tickets.
The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) is a department of the Washington state government that administers vehicle and vessel registration and issues driver's licenses. It also regulates licensing for certain professions, including architects, cosmetologists, geologists, private investigators, real estate brokers, and security guards. The agency also maintains a database of firearms transactions and ownership that is used by law enforcement in the state.