DMV stands for Department of Motor Vehicles, and that is the official name of the agency in roughly a dozen states and the District of Columbia. Everywhere else, the office that handles driver’s licenses and vehicle registration goes by a different name: a bureau, a division, a registry, a commission, a branch of the Department of Transportation, or even a duty of the Secretary of State. People use “DMV” as shorthand for all of them, but the sign on the building often says something else.
States That Actually Use the Name “Department of Motor Vehicles”
Eleven states and D.C. use “Department of Motor Vehicles” as the official agency name: California, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, Nevada, Nebraska, Vermont, West Virginia, South Carolina, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles In most of these states, the DMV is a standalone executive agency handling driver licensing, vehicle registration, and title records in one place.
Florida trips a lot of people up. The state has no DMV; its agency is the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which combines traffic safety enforcement with vehicle regulation.2Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles If you move to or from Florida, searching for a “Florida DMV” will not land you at the right place by that name.
What the Other States Call It
The remaining states use near-synonyms that signal whether the agency stands alone or sits inside a larger department.
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Ohio, Indiana, and Maine use “Bureau of Motor Vehicles,” or BMV.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles “Bureau” usually means the office is a unit inside a bigger department. Ohio’s BMV sits under the Department of Public Safety, Maine’s falls under the Secretary of State (an arrangement that dates to 1905),3Digital Maine. Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles Documents and Indiana’s BMV operates as a standalone agency.
Division of Motor Vehicles
Colorado, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Alaska use “Division of Motor Vehicles.”1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles The parent department varies by state. Colorado’s DMV is part of the Department of Revenue,4Colorado Department of Revenue. Colorado Department of Revenue Home North Carolina’s falls under the Department of Transportation, New Hampshire’s sits inside the Department of Safety, and Alaska’s lives under the Department of Administration.
Registry of Motor Vehicles
Massachusetts is the only state that calls its office the Registry of Motor Vehicles, or RMV. It operates under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.5Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Search “Massachusetts DMV” and you will find no agency by that name.
Branches of a Department of Transportation
Iowa, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Arizona run their motor vehicle services as a unit of the state Department of Transportation.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles The logic is that the same agency building the roads also licenses the people who use them. Iowa’s branch is called the Motor Vehicle Division within the DOT.6Iowa Department of Transportation. DMV Services Pennsylvania calls its branch Driver and Vehicle Services, housed inside PennDOT.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Driver and Vehicle Services Arizona’s version is the Motor Vehicle Division, or MVD, under ADOT.8Arizona Department of Transportation. MVD
Branches of a Department of Revenue
States that treat vehicle registration mainly as a tax and fee operation put it under the Department of Revenue. Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and New Mexico all do this.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles New Mexico’s Motor Vehicle Division is a unit of the state’s Taxation and Revenue Department.9Taxation and Revenue New Mexico. Motor Vehicle Division
Branches of a Department of Public Safety
Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas emphasize the safety side and place motor vehicle services inside a Department of Public Safety.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles Minnesota’s branch is called Driver and Vehicle Services within the Department of Public Safety.10Minnesota Department of Transportation. All About Cars and Driving
Secretary of State and Other Unusual Setups
In Michigan and Illinois, the Secretary of State, an elected official who also oversees elections and business filings, runs driver licensing.1NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor Vehicles Michigan handles licenses, IDs, and vehicle services through the Department of State.11Michigan Department of State. Michigan Department of State Illinois runs its Driver Services Department through the Secretary of State’s office, with more than 140 offices statewide.12Illinois Secretary of State. Driver Services Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles likewise sits under its Secretary of State, though it keeps the BMV name.3Digital Maine. Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles Documents
A handful of states use agency names that fit no clean category. Maryland has the Motor Vehicle Administration. New Jersey has the Motor Vehicle Commission, or MVC.13NHTSA. List of State Departments of Motor VehiclesGeorgia Department of Driver Services Washington drops the “motor vehicles” framing entirely and calls its agency the Department of Licensing.14Washington State Department of Licensing. Washington State Department of Licensing Home Louisiana uses Office of Motor Vehicles. Montana assigns driver licensing to its Department of Justice.
States That Split the Work Between Two Agencies
Not every state keeps licenses and vehicle registration under one roof. In a number of states, two different agencies handle the two tasks, and walking into the wrong one is a wasted trip.
Texas is the clearest example. The Department of Public Safety issues driver’s licenses and ID cards, while a separate Texas Department of Motor Vehicles handles vehicle titles and registration.15Texas Department of Public Safety. Welcome to the Texas Department of Public Safety Georgia splits the same way: the Department of Driver Services for licenses, the Department of Revenue for registration.16Georgia.gov. Georgia Department of Driver Services Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Utah use similar divided models, and in several of these states county offices handle one or both functions on behalf of the state.
Hawaii takes it further. The state has no state-level motor vehicle agency at all. County governments run driver licensing and vehicle registration independently.
Why the Naming Matters When You Need Something Done
If you are moving, renewing a license, or registering a vehicle, the agency name matters mostly because it shapes how you find the office. Searching for a “DMV” in a state that does not use the term will often still redirect you through the state’s official .gov site, but not always, and not always to the right subpage. Searching “[state name] driver’s license” or “[state name] vehicle registration” is usually faster than guessing the acronym.
In split-agency states, confirm which office handles which task before you go. A Texas license renewal does not happen at the Texas DMV; it happens at the Department of Public Safety. A Georgia registration does not happen at the Department of Driver Services; it happens at the Department of Revenue. Deadlines after a move are tight. New York gives new residents 30 days to register an out-of-state vehicle.17New York State DMV. Register an Out-of-State Vehicle New Jersey allows 60 days or until your current license and registration expire, whichever comes first, and you surrender your out-of-state license when you apply.18New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Moving To New Jersey
Most states now require appointments for in-person visits and offer online options for renewals, address changes, and registration. Whatever the agency is called where you live, that is the office you want.