Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dmv

Hideous driver's license photo

AngryTypingGuy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:14:49 -0800

I have an awful photo of myself on my driver's license. I'd like to have it changed. I have a North Carolina driver's license but I just moved back to NYC. How can I get a new driver's license along with a new photo from the DMV?

Connecticut DMV Hell (Help me out since their system is useless)

jofuu — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:44:12 -0800

I recently got a speeding ticket and received a letter in the mail telling me I have to complete a driver retraining course. My last ticket was over 24 months ago, and the officer who wrote the ticket told me that because of this I wouldn't be required to attend any such course. I've tried googling every term I can think of having to do with license points and their expiration but it seems there is no information of this sort available anywhere. When I try to call the CT DMV suspension hotline there is no option to speak to an operator, nor any information of any use to understanding this predicament.

On top of this, they ask in the letter I received that all business be done by mail. I can request my driving record and whatnot but by the time the paperwork comes through it will probably be too late to fight and my license will be suspended anyhow for not taking the course. (Must complete approximately 2 weeks before Jan 1)

I've read the Connecticut General Statute 14-111g and understand that, as I am under 24 years of age, when I receive 2 points on my license this course will be mandatory, but if the last point added to my record prior to this was over 2 years ago do I now actually have 2 points on my record?

So my question is really 2-fold: a) can someone explain CT DMV points regulations, specifically in regards to their removal (how long do points stay on a driving record - is there a follow-up procedure for this?) and b) presuming that the error is in the institution's hands, how can I get the impending suspension/retraining requirement rebuked ASAP? (who do I have to speak to, what sort of language will get the ball rolling?)

It isn't the course I'm necessarily concerned over, it's the fact that I must pay some private business about a $60 fee for the class, and then the DMV needs more than another $100 to reinstate my license (all this after I paid the $200 ticket immediately).

How can I drive a car in CA before my license plates arrive in the mail?

twblalock — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:09:25 -0800

I am in California and I am about to buy a car last registered in Michigan. The car is here. In Michigan, the plates follow the owner and therefore the car won't come with any plates. Once I take it to the DMV and register it, will they give me some kind of window sticker or something so I can drive the car around before my CA plates arrive in the mail?

Help me navigate the DC DMV

Bulgaroktonos — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:55:55 -0800

So after three years of living in Maryland, I'm moving inside the District, help me navigate the DC DMV. Right now my wife and I each have a MD driver's license, and we have a car titled and registered in my name alone in MD. From reading the DMV website, and an old thread here's what I know:

1)I don't need to pay the excise tax
2)I need to get the car inspected, before I do anything
3)The wait will be long and I will want to kill myself

Here's my questions
1)When do I change my insurance information? If I change it before the day I go to the DMV, won't my current MD insurance lapse and cause me problems?
2)What is the minimum set of documents I can bring?
3)Can this actually be done in a single trip?

Anyone who's done this who could walk me through the process?

Am I getting a visit from the police this weekend?

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:43:22 -0800

Are the police going to come knocking on my door this weekend for an arrest warrant issued on court fines I forgot to pay? A couple of months ago, I was pulled over for a lapsed registration (I live in Massachusetts). I was told to go to court and I'd be given an amount to pay, and I'd be fine.

I went to court, was told to pay $500, and was given two months to pay it. In the meantime, I was diagnosed with a very serious illness, and in going through all that, I lost track of the time when I'd have to pay the fine. I honestly thought it was due this coming Monday, but I missed by two days (the money was due on Wednesday).

Today, I got a letter in the mail saying that a warrant has been issued for my arrest, which didn't come until after the courthouse closed. It's a Friday, and now I'm terrified that the police are going to come knocking on my door.

I'm not going to drive anywhere (obviously) over the weekend, and will rush over to the courthouse bright and early on Monday morning, but I'm nauseated over the idea that I'm going to wake up to the police knocking on my door.

If the courthouse was open 24 hours, I'd have cash in-hand and be there right now, but it's not, and I'm not the kind of person who doesn't pay his bills.

What do I do?

No wheelies right?

Mr.Me — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:40:36 -0800

California scooter filter- I've got a Motorcycle (ride on) test tomorrow at the DMV. What can I expect? Anybody out there recently taken the test and can tell me what's in store? Been riding for years w/o the endorsement. Should I be sweating this test?

Help us transfer our plates!

PhoBWanKenobi — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:19:24 -0800

Florida DMVFilter: what's the easiest (and cheapest) way to register Mr. WanKenobi's car in the state of Florida? Mr. WanKenobi just moved in. Yay! He brings with him a nice, newish RAV4, which he owns outright and is currently registered in the state of NJ.

Since I hardly use my own car, which is registered in Florida, and since we certainly don't need two cars, I've just sold it on craigslist. I have the plates and all of that.

Now we're trying to figure out the best way to register Mr. WanKenobi's car. I would just send him over to get his own plates, but the state of Florida charges you an extra hundred bucks the first time you register any vehicle in the state, whereas transferring the plates would only be four dollars. We have no problem sharing the ownership of the car--we'll both be using it, after all--but I can't find anything on the website about transferring the title to a new co-owner, if that makes any sense. Do any of your Florida mefites have any experience with this? We'd like to avoid paying that hundred dollar "initial registration fee" again if at all possible!

MVA vs. Tag and Title Service Center?

Loto — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:12:11 -0800

In Maryland, can a new to MD resident (with an MD license) bring in his out of state vehicle at a registered "Tag and Title" service center as opposed to using the MVA or is that a service only for cars already registered with Maryland?

License Limbo

Falconetti — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:40:21 -0800

Help me figure out how to get a new driver's license. I had a DC driver's license and then moved to New York about two years ago. I became registered to vote in New York for the Presidential election. Shortly thereafter, my DC driver's license and social security card were stolen. I don't drive, so I've just been using my passport for an ID when needed, but in about two months I will need to rent a car and drive and I need to get this figured out. Both the NY and DC DMV have been giving me the run around and I am having a hard time figuring out what I need to do. Not having my social security card is making things a lot harder. I can go in person to either the DC or NY DMV.

Am I just a victim of inept bureaucracy? Can I do anything?

miss lynnster — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:45:39 -0800

I have had a perfect storm of bureaucratic screwups take $400 and many hours of my life from me. Can I get my money back? I've been fighting up to now with no success so I don't even know who or what to do anymore. Help! (Companies involved: AAA, DMV, LA Parking Violations Bureau) Okay, so here's the deal. I hate that it's long because I do need people to read it to get my problem. But... it's a bit convoluted, unfortunately.

1) April 2008 -- I realized I hadn't gotten a car insurance bill from AAA in a while (even though I hadn't changed billing addresses in many years) and it should've been due. I drove straight from my father's memorial service to AAA with a checkbook and was told by a nice kid named Troy that everything was fine, I was good, I didn't need to pay that day, but I should wait for a bill.

2) May 2008 -- I paid my registration fees to the DMV. Strangely, I didn't receive any stickers in the mail.

3) June -- Still no stickers. I went to the DMV. They said I had no insurance. I didn't know what was going on. I called Troy. He said there was no problem. I was insured. It was their issue. I should go back to the DMV and get my stickers.

4) I go back to the DMV. Twice. They tell me both times that it's not handled. I try to fix it. The DMV insists it's still not handled.

5) June -- I call the AAA office. Troy is no longer employed there. People in the office won't help me. I call AAA's 800 number to complain. I'm told my account needs updating. My policy is "revised" and I receive a bill immediately afterwards which I pay. I'm told this should clear up the problem with the DMV.

6) July -- The DMV still won't give me stickers. I start to get parking tickets for expired registration even though I know I have paid my fees and have insurance. AAA tells me they are fixit tickets and it should be no problem, that I should be able to get my stickers immediately and clear them all up without paying anything.

7) For months afterwards I have a great deal of back and forth with the DMV and AAA. Hours of my life. Finally it's supposedly cleared up. By this time I have three fixit tickets. I'm told they'll be cleared easily when I have my stickers... so I keep making DMV appointments and calling AAA.

8) November 2008 -- I'm finally assured I should get my stickers. However, when I go to the DMV for the fifth time, they tell me that prior to giving me my sticker I now owe $300 in fees for the tickets due to the time that passed since they were issued. I tell them they were fixit tickets but I can't clear the tickets without the stickers. They tell me they can't give me the stickers if I don't pay $300 and I should call AAA because they'll take care of everything for me.

9) December 2008 -- I call AAA's 800 number to get an update on what's going on since nobody was calling me back. I'm informed for the first time that Troy had screwed up my policy and I actually *was* driving uninsured from March to June. Apparently this is why the people in his office wouldn't help me, because it was covered up. I find out my entire policy was REWRITTEN FROM SCRATCH in June and I didn't even know until December.

9) December until April 2009 -- AAA tells me they'll handle the problem and I shouldn't pay the tickets because it was their mistake, that I should get my stickers soon but I have to talk to the LA Parking Violations Bureau to find out what they need from AAA. LA Parking tells me what they need from AAA. I tell AAA. Then in April 2009 I am informed by e-mail that nobody at AAA can help to clear up the issue. It's suggested that only the DMV can fix it. DMV says I have to talk to the LA Parking Violations Bureau or AAA. LA Parking Violations Bureau says I should talk to the DMV. Everyone is pretty rude.

10) April 2009 -- After over a year of fighting this and having no registration stickers, I narrowly escape getting my car impounded by the police. I have a total breakdown of built-up frustration in a AAA/DMV office when I'm informed in a scripted tone that nobody can help me, that I now owe $400 and that I should've paid the tickets when I got them instead of expecting them to be fixed (even though AAA promised me they'd handle it). Yeah, thanks a lot folks.

*********
Sorry that's so long... but am I just out $400 and a year of my life because people suck? Should I just be a victim? Can't I fight this and get that money back? That's a lot of money to me right now and I didn't do anything wrong in the first place!

Thoughts? Advice? I want this in my past... but I'm also really pissed off beyond belief at how I've been treated and how much time of my life has been unapologetically wasted.

Thanks for listening to my tale of woe.

Where can/should I register my car?

Maia — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:18:19 -0800

From Washington state, but going to college in Massachusetts. What state should I register the car I just bought? I bought the car in Mass, and am currently there. However, it looks like I need a Mass driver's license to register the car here. Also, it probably doesn't make sense to register the car here since I am leaving as soon as I graduate.

However, if I want to register the car in Washington, it needs to be notarized in Washington state or done in person at a DoL office.

What to do? I want to be able to drive as soon as possible!

Quest for Car Legality

lazaruslong — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:34:23 -0800

Please guide me through several steps for registering a car and related inspections / et cetera, in North Carolina. Bonus points if you can phrase the instructions in the form of a World of Warcraft quest. I need to take care of the following matters, and I am totally ignorant on the workings of the DMV system. I imagine that fulfilling some objectives have pre-requisites involving other objectives, perhaps fulfilled at other locations, so I need both logistical and chronological help. I am notoriously bad at these sorts of things, so phrasing it in the fashion of a quest from World of Warcraft would be plus a million points.

The objectives:

Get a NC driver's license. Current license is valid and clean, from South Carolina.

Register my recently purchased vehicle and get new tags. Current tags and registration are 4 months expired.

Insure the vehicle, and find out whether said insurance is legally mandated like it is in SC or not.

Have my vehicle inspected.

Do I need to switch my license over before registering a vehicle? Is proof of insurance required for registering? When does the inspection need to be done, or is it a totally separate thing?

Thanks very much to any help, in WoW form or not.

DMV hearing on fake accident - what to do?

ilyanassa — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:05:41 -0800

Out of the blue, my spouse received a form letter from the DMV claiming that he caused more than $750 in damages over two months ago. He doesn't know anything about this...what to do? He called the DMV and discovered that someone is claiming that he hit their parked car. Though he could have been in that location that day, he certainly didn't hit anyone's car hard enough to cause that much damage. (He doesn't remember anything out of the ordinary happening on that day.) The lady at the DMV told him to return the form letter without including his insurance info and to request a hearing.

What goes on in these hearings? Will it be his word against this random person who is almost certainly lying? Should we report this to our insurance company? We have plenty of coverage but we don't want our rates to go up. We are in California.

car registation nightmare

MillMan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:37:57 -0800

Help me get my car registered in the state of California. I am at a loss. Here is the history:

Car was purchased new in the state of Minnesota.

Car loan was paid off while living in Massachusetts.

I now live in California, and am attempting to register the car here. The title was lost in the move (and I can't remember which state was listed on the title). According to the DMV here in CA the car can't be registered here without the title (if someone knows that to be false, let me know).

I applied for a duplicate title from the state of MA. They mailed the request back, saying "[loan company] must release the title." I called the loan company, and they said "all we can do is send you the lien release." I received that, but a rep from the state of MA on the phone still says the loan company has to "release" the title. I can't get anything beyond this conflicting info. Anyone have an idea of what to do here?

DC DMV Confusion

echo0720 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:02:48 -0800

When I switch my car registration from MD to DC, do I also have to get a new title? And can I get my driver's license and new registration at the same time? I feel like these are silly and easily answered questions, yet I can't seem to find the answer (or I'm a really bad google-searcher). After 4 yrs living in the District, I finally live in a neighborhood with relatively easy street parking and decided it's prob cheaper to switch over to DC registration than pay $200ish a month for parking, but the instructions on how to do this confuse me (it's so much easier when you buy a new car and they take care of it for you). I'm going to get my car inspected Thursday morning, then am going straight to the Georgetown DMV. A couple questions:
- Will they let me get my driver's license at the same time as my registration or will I have to wait in line twice?
- Will I have to transfer my vehicle title over from Maryland to DC?
- Will I have to pay the excise tax?
- Will I want to hang myself after having waited in line for 3 hours?

(you don't have to answer that last one).

Thanks mefites, sorry for the ignorance.

Renewing a lost expired drivers license?

AceRock — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:05:36 -0800

Renewing an old, lost, and expired driver's license out of state? I got a driver's license in Texas about 6 years ago and I lost in college about 2 years ago. I think it has since expired, and I now live in Chicago. Is there any way to renew it without having to go to Texas? How can I find out my old driver's license number? Anyone have experience with this kind of situation?

I don't want a pickle...

sourwookie — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:00:01 -0800

How to recover a lost title for a scooter I would like to purchase from someone who got it in another state? I'm in Missouri, the title was in Illinois. Simplicity is a priority. I normally wouldn't hassle, but it is mint and the price is better than right. Additionally--I've heard rumor about some mysterious trick involving Arkansas--that just may make everything easier. My barber has a scooter that his father-in-law would like him to sell here in Missouri--AND I WANT IT. The problem is it's 80cc (therefore requires licensing) and has a lost title from Illinois. It is showroom-perfect, like a time machine version of a 1995 Honda.

How do I go about getting a title for it, with minimal involvement from father-in-law (the whole reason he is selling it so cheap--he's a cranky old cuss--is that he wants his involvement with recovery, DMV fees--all hassles really--kept to a minimum)?

Can I buy it and then apply for lost title in Illinois? Can I buy it then get a new title in Missouri? Does he have to get a title, then transfer it over to me? If so, how do I do as much of that as possible for him?

Also I've heard of a way to just get a new title sent to me from Arkansas--a loophole, if you will. Anyone know of any truth to that?

Online Driver History Report?

rampy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:08:08 -0800

I was wondering if there was an online service/database where I can download a copy of my driving record quickly, kinda like car fax but instead of vehicle history report it would be my personal driving history. The only places I've found online are very sketchy/scammy. I need this to prove to an out of state court that I have a clean driving record in my home state (tomorrow) in order to get a ticket dismissed. Normally I could use this process to get a copy of my driving record mailed to me.

But I need more timely gratification :) Unfortunately DMV is closed today or I could try and finagle it in person.

Ideas? links?

Ye Olde DMV

modernpoverty — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:24:52 -0800

Where would one research the various laws and regulations of a state's Department of Motor Vehicles of 20-50 years ago? I'm sure that this stuff is on file somewhere, somehow. And if I knew how to find it, it would certainly make the process of getting titles for 20-50 year old small displacement motorcycles (most of which were originally purchased for farm/off-road use and probably never had a title in the first place) easier.

Virginia is #1 on my wish list, followed by Ohio, NY, PA, and NJ, but I certainly wouldn't say no to other states (especially if the vintage lawbooks can be found online).

May I please pay you for new license plates?

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:04:04 -0800

The state DMV won'’t let me renew my registration on my current car because I owe property taxes on the old car. Is that legal? Can the state refuse to help me comply with one law if I am potentially violating another one? In 2007, I made a good-faith attempt to renew my registration after I noticed it had expired, and was told by the woman behind the DMV counter to drive off in my unregistered car because the DMV could not renew my registration until I sorted out property tax issues with the city where I live (this is in Virginia). My license plates were no longer even in the DMV’'s computer records because of how long I had waited to attempt to renew them. The woman behind the counter offered the example that if the police pulled me over and ran my plates, the plates would not turn up. Then she sent me on my way, refusing to take the money I wanted to pay for my renewed registration. The DMV seemed to be saying that my city's tax collectors' demands outweigh a state agency's driving regulations, which is surprising.

Fast forward to the present, where my car registration has now been expired for about two years. I understand some of you are lawyers but none of you are my lawyers. Is paying the property taxes I owe on the car I no longer own my only recourse, or is there some way I can bring my current car into compliance while I deal with the old car'’s property tax issues instead of after? I have been driving on expired tags for some time, yet with a valid driver’'s license, paid-up insurance policy and up-to-date state inspection on my car. The DMV has never sent notice that my license is suspended, and the state-approved inspection service operated by my car dealership has never had a problem with updating the inspection decal on my windshield. Why can't I put a new sticker on my license plates before I drive down to pay my tax bill?

Car accident that may become involved. How do I report to the DMV?

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:23:24 -0800

QUESTION: The DMV form wants me to indentify injured persons - should I report the other party as injured because the insurance company has told me about their injury claim? I rear-ended another vehicle; there was limited car damage and nobody looked visibly injured or complained of injuries at the time of the accident, at least until the police officer came. Afterwards, my insurance company informed me that the other party has claimed injuries and hired a lawyer.

I undestand that injuries may not be felt fully at the time of the accident and if I had a problem like this, I would probably want to have a lawyer on my side, too. As the guilty party, I feel very vulnerable and since the form I have to file (SR-1, Report of Traffic Accident Occuring in California) will be public information, I want to be careful, too.

So, the form wants me to indentify injured persons - should I report the other party as injured because the insurance company has told me about the injury claim?

It seems to me that doing that could be interpreted as me personally acknowledging the injuries, whereas I do not know about any first hand. The form instructions say “Identify any person involved in the accident (driver, passenger, bicyclist, pedestrian, etc.) who you saw was injured or complained of bodily injury or know to be deceased.”

Thanks in advance for any comments. If you have an opinion or had any similar experience, I will very much appreciate it if you share.

The DMV form is available here, if anyone wants to take a look: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/sr/sr1.pdf. Throwaway e-mail: anonymousaccident@yahoo.com.

Used Car Transfer

LoopyG — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:28:56 -0800

I just bought a used car. Do I need to get it smog checked before transferring ownership over to myself in California? Yesterday I bought a used car. I have the Certificate of Title, and have filled and signed all the necessary portions. I understand that I need to go to the DMV with this certificate to have the ownership transferred over to myself, as well as pay some fees.

I have two questions:
1) Do I need to bring any other paperwork to the DMV other than the certificate of title?

2) Do I have to get a smog check before transferring ownership, or can I do it after? I ask because this DMV site has "Smog Check" on its checklist for buying a used car.

This is in the state of California.

Smog Testing in California Private Sale

matimer — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:22:49 -0800

I bought a car in California from a private seller, and the smog certification is 100 days hold and I have been unable to change the title over to my name because of this... I suck at buying cars and this car seemed to run fine when I tested it out. When I went to get the car smog tested, the guy at the shop said the check engine light had been turned off and that even if the car is bought "as is" the seller is still responsible for paying to get the car fixed to the point where it will pass the smog test.

My main dilemma is when the light is fixed what if there are tons of problems, how do I make sure the seller pays for these things, I plan on calling him and telling him what happened today... I guess my only reprieve would be small claims court?

state ID without proof of address?

sparrows — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:36:18 -0800

Is it true that when I get a NY state non-driver ID card, they won't ask me to prove my street address? According to the DMV's list, my passport plus my social security card are enough to get me a state ID. Neither of those two things shows a street address (and I have no proof of my address, and I've never had a driver's license or non-driver ID). Does this mean I could just write my address (or for that matter, any NY state address!) on the form at the DMV?

Best driving school in New York?

jasonsmall — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:06:13 -0800

What's a good driving school for help with the NY driving test? I'm trying to finally get my NY driver's license (I'm 31, have driven for years but let my California one lapse a few years ago - never needed it living here). I'm doing the inane 5 hour video thing this weekend, but will then need to schedule my test and am in search of a good place in NYC that will provide a car and driver for the day of the test. Recommendations? Also, any insights on the best location to take the test? (Have already scanned AskMefi, but would love any additional thoughts.)

Any help much appreciated!