DMV Near Me

The Department of Motor Vehicles is a government department of several states in the US. While the exact name varies from state to state, DMV is a generic term that is understood everywhere. The department handles car registration and also licensing of drivers. The department has a lot of responsibility because of the importance of driver’s licenses in America.

The license is not only used to prove the ability to drive a car, but is also used to verify identity for many different situations. In states that require it, the DMV will also handle driving schools and instructors. DMVs also issue driver’s manuals in each state. All drivers are expected to abide by the rules in this manual. You can find a DMV by searching “DMV near me”.

DMV Near Me – Find it on the Map

DMV Near Me – DMV Trivia

When were driver’s licenses introduced?

The first states to require driver’s licenses were Missouri and Massachusetts in 1903. Prior to this, licenses were not required to operate vehicles. However, in 1899, Chicago and New York were the first places to require automobile registration. Chicago required all drivers to pass an exam, and New York only allowed license engineers to operate steam-powered cars.

When was the first car built in America?

The first gasoline powered car in America was built in 1893 by the brothers Charles and Frank Duryea, of the Duryea Motor Wagon Company. The car was running by February, and made its first run on public roads in September, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Are there DMVs in other countries?

The term DMV is also understood in Canada. Each Canadian province and territory has its own bureau or office to regulate motor vehicles, and in Mexico there are two main motor vehicle offices. Every country with motor vehicles has its own regulatory body, but the term DMV is not typically used outside of North America. Other terms such as the Department of Transport might be used, depending on the specific country.

Does every state have its own DMV?

In many states, the vehicle registration and driver licensing responsibilities are performed by two separate government departments. In some other states, there is no separate department for motor vehicles. The responsibilities of the DMV are instead performed by an existing department. In Michigan, for example, the tasks are performed by the Michigan Department of State; in Missouri they are done by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands all have their own offices to regulate motor vehicles within these territories.

Hawaii is the only state of America where the functions of the DMV are not performed by the state government. Instead, the state has delegated the vehicle registration and driver licensing powers to each local government, for example the City of Honolulu.

How large are the highways in America?

There are approximately 253 million cars and trucks on the roads of America every day! These cars drive over 4 million miles of road in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii)! About 2.6 million miles of this is paved, with the remaining 1.3 million being unpaved road. There are about 46 thousand miles of highway in the US. Texas is the state with the longest highway network, with over 3 thousand miles of interstate. Texas also contains Interstate 10, which is the widest highway in the world. In some parts of it, it is 26 lanes wide! The highway stretches from the city of Katy in Texas up to the intersection with Interstate 610.

You can find your local DMV by searching “DMV near me”.

DMV Near Me – DMV Facts

In Alabama it is illegal to drive while blindfolded. In Eureka, California, it is illegal to use a road as a bed. In Massachusetts, the law states that a person may not operate a car with a gorilla in the back seat. In Rhode Island, it is illegal to drive with beer in a vehicle, even if it is unopened. In Nevada, it is unlawful to place a bench or a chair in the middle of a road. In Kansas, it is a misdemeanour to screech your tires when driving. This act can in fact lead to a 30 day term in jail. In Alaska, it has been made illegal to tether a dog to the roof of a car. In Hilton Head, South Carolina, it is illegal to store trash in your vehicle.

The first state to require drivers to pass a practical test was Rhode Island in 1908. By 1959, every state required drivers to be licensed and tested before they could drive a car.

The DMV employs law enforcement agents that have specific policing powers. For example, they are allowed to cancel registration and tags if a person refuses to answer questions. If a person is stopped by police who believe they are driving under the influence, and the driver refuses a breathalyzer test, the DMV will automatically revoke that person’s driver’s license for one year, even if the evidence of their impairment is found to be insufficient for a trial.

The DMV, depending on the state, may also be in charge of issuing boating licenses, and other duties, or these may be handled by a separate government division.

Patty and Selma Bouvier, Marge Simpson’s sisters from the TV show The Simpsons, work at Springfield’s Department of Motor Vehicles. In that show, the DMV is portrayed as overly bureaucratic, and extremely slow for customers to use, with customers waiting hours in lines that do not move all day.

Seat belts are legislated by each individual state. There were no seat belt laws at all until 1968. This law required that all vehicles except buses be fitted with seat belts for all seats. The law has since been modified to require that the belts be three point. New York was the first state that required vehicle occupants to wear seat belts, due to a 1984 law. New Hampshire is the only state that does not require adult drivers to wear seat belts.

In 18 states, not wearing a seat belt is not a primary offense. This means that a police officer cannot stop a driver and issue them with a ticket for this reason alone. If the driver has committed a different offense as well, they may be fined for both offenses. New York was the first state to create a law making failure to wear seat belts a primary offense.

To find the DMV closest to you, search “DMV near me”.