# What is your DMV called (if not "DMV")? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901 "2017-09-21T17:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/21 "2017-09-21T20:11:47Z")
Nevada: DMV “D” is for “Department”. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/22 "2017-09-21T20:34:45Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s going to vary by state of course, but a majority of DMVs are under the state DOT. The DMV generally takes care of just about anything and everything related to driver licensing, vehicle registration, tags, insurance compliance, citations and violations, etc. In New Jersey the state DOT and the MVC have nothing to do with each other. DOT handles roads and transportation. The MVC handles licensing and registration. Neither is in the others chain of command. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/23 "2017-09-21T20:47:10Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > What bureaucratic idiocy (but I repeat myself). If all 50 states (not to mention also most countries worldwide) can agree that red means stop and green means go, one might think they could all agree to call the DMV the DMV. The error here, of course is “one might think”. Maybe better to not do that. In Michigan’s case, the Secretary of State office handles more than just stuff related to motor vehicles. It also has voter registration, elections, UCC, etc. within its purview. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/24 "2017-09-21T21:06:02Z")
It depends on what you are trying to do. For driver’s licensing, we have the [South Dakota Department of Public Safety](https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing) and for titling and registration and license plates and such we have the [Motor Vehicles Division](http://dor.sd.gov/Motor_Vehicles/) of the [South Dakota Department of Revenue](http://dor.sd.gov/). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/25 "2017-09-21T21:43:16Z")
Here in PR due to the use of Spanish the place in different towns we go to get licenses and plates, the Driver Services Center, is called “the CESCO.” This is under a division of our Transportation Department, the Driver Services Directorate, whose Spanish acronym is DISCO and nobody ever uses it. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/26 "2017-09-21T21:59:24Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Here in PR due to the use of Spanish the place in different towns we go to get licenses and plates, the Driver Services Center, is called “the CESCO.” This is under a division of our Transportation Department, the Driver Services Directorate, whose Spanish acronym is DISCO and nobody ever uses it. Are you saying that DISCO is dead? ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/27 "2017-09-21T22:31:02Z")
NSW, Australia: It used to be the RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority), and now it is the RMS (Roads and Maritime Services), but to get a new licence you go to Service NSW, which handles customer-facing interactions for a bunch of departments. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/28 "2017-09-21T22:36:27Z")
In Georgia, the USA one, it’s called DDS, Department of Driver Services. What’s kind of amazing is all my experiences with them since becoming DDS have been pretty efficient and painless. I’m sure they will fix all that soon enough. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/29 "2017-09-21T22:36:49Z")
UK: [DVLA](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-licensing-agency), the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/30 "2017-09-21T22:45:40Z")
In New York, we stuck with the basics on this one: Department of Motor Vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/31 "2017-09-21T22:50:41Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Some are the “DMV” but the “D” is for “Division.” I believe this reflects an administrative issue. A Department is generally the highest level of a government agency. A Division is an agency which is subordinate to a Department. So in some states, the Department of Motor Vehicles is a separate agency. In other states, the Division of Motor Vehicles is a part of the Department of Transportation or the Department of Public Safety. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/32 "2017-09-21T23:35:45Z")
Victoria, Australia, we have the pretty aussie slangish sounding VicRoads. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/33 "2017-09-22T00:11:24Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > In Georgia, the USA one, it’s called DDS, Department of Driver Services. What’s kind of amazing is all my experiences with them since becoming DDS have been pretty efficient and painless. I’m sure they will fix all that soon enough. 😃 Washington State is efficient and painless too. One commonality between Georgia and Washington is that the offices seem to be small outposts in convenient locations. Here I updated my registration in a store in the mall. In Georgia I think it was a kiosk in a Kroger. As opposed to the more stereotypical California DMV model of a soul sucking central office. I know in Washington they use private agents at least for the vehicle registration offices. I’m not sure about driving licenses. That’s actually a separate thing. It may be that they’ve set up the agent system well enough for meaningful competition between offices. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/34 "2017-09-22T00:12:30Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Michigan: Secretary of State . . . and everybody knows the secretary;s name, because it is prominently emblazoned on the sigh above the door. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/35 "2017-09-22T00:58:29Z")
In Western Australia, we have the Department of Transport, Driver & Vehicle Services. Colloquially, usually just “the Department of Transport”. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/36 "2017-09-22T01:11:31Z")
> [@Thylacine](#): > > Victoria, Australia, we have the pretty aussie slangish sounding VicRoads. What would sound less vaguely internet-ish is something like “Vicco”. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/37 "2017-09-22T01:27:12Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > . . . and everybody knows the secretary;s name, because it is prominently emblazoned on the sigh above the door. Oh, God, I suck; I had to look this up. I’d been out of the country for a long time, and so the last one I remember was Terry Lynn Land, although I always remember Richard H. Austin for some reason. I guess he had some longevity. SecState for a state doesn’t have the same cachet as the federal level, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/38 "2017-09-22T01:29:53Z")
[SAAQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_de_l%27assurance_automobile_du_Qu%C3%A9bec) - _Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec_ (which would translate to Automobile Insurance Corporation of Québec). Which sounds an awful lot like an insurance company, but is a government body that insures vehicle-related injuries under the no-fault system, and also happens to be in charge of licenses. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/39 "2017-09-22T01:30:01Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > … but it’s also standard EMS code for “Motor Vehicle Accident.” :smack: > > … Here is it AAPI, or AAPD (Auto accident personal injury / Auto accident property damage). The first time I heard AAPD I thought it was auto accident possible death, but was relieved to hear that I was mistaken. Anyway it is the DMV in NY ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901/40 "2017-09-22T03:27:17Z")
Maine: Bureau of Motor Vehicles New Hampshire: Division of Motor Vehicles [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-dmv-called-if-not-dmv/796901.md?page=3)