Motor Vehicles, Department of

Agency Web Site: http://www.dmv.ny.gov/

Mission

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) administers the State’s motor vehicle laws, promotes traffic safety, issues secure identity documents, protects consumers and personal information while providing customer services to the residents and businesses of this state.

Organization and Staffing

The Department is headed by an Executive Deputy Commissioner appointed by the Governor. The Department’s main office is in Albany with 27 State-run DMV offices, primarily located in the New York City Metropolitan District and Long Island areas, and 102 County run offices. The Department issues licenses, non-driver identification cards and vehicle registrations; conducts road tests; monitors driver training; and performs enforcement activities.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is a customer service agency, with the majority of employees funded by the Dedicated Highway Bridge and Trust Fund at 1,736 FTEs. State operations staffing is funded from the Administrative Adjudication Fund, at 329 FTEs, and the Clean Air Fund, at 174 FTEs. As part of a Federally supported program, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee has 17 FTEs, for a total of 2,256 FTEs in FY 2018.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2018 Executive Budget proposes $342 million of appropriations, an increase of $16 million from prior year levels. The increase is needed to provide sufficient staffing levels to accommodate amplified activity resulting from the upcoming license renewal peak, for the implementation of Real ID, and for the Governor's proposed expansion of ridesharing services.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 2,256 FTEs for the Department, an increase of 107 FTEs from FY 2017.

Major budget actions include:

• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to waive fees for a replacement of a non-driver identification card for crime victims whose card was lost or destroyed as a result of a crime.
• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to provide that non-residents seeking to have their driving privileges restored after revocation in New York pay a reinstatement fee of $100 making the license restoration reapplication fee the same for both residents and non-residents. Such fee would also apply to revocations for driving after having consumed alcohol under the Zero Tolerance Law.
• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to increase the certificate of title fee from $50 dollars to $75 dollars, and the duplicate certificate of title fee from $20 dollars to $40 dollars, to adjust for inflation and increased costs.
• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law, the Insurance Law, the Executive Law, the General Municipal Law and the Tax Law, in relation to the regulation of transportation network company (TNC) or ridesharing services.
• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to add a $5 fee for renewals or amendments of licenses and non-driver identification cards to support the added cost of State compliance with Federal Real ID requirements. Real ID documents – higher security license documents – will be required for all domestic air travel by 2020, affecting an anticipated 11 million New Yorkers. These documents are expected to be available in the Fall of 2017.
• Legislation to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to address highway safety and stem the rise in highway deaths by providing enforcement tools to reduce fatalities, change roadway behavior, and make work zones safe for workers and motorists.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Transportation (PDF)

Program Highlights

Accident Prevention or Insurance Reduction Program (IPIRP): IPIRP allows drivers to reduce points on their license through successful completion of an Internet Driver Safety Course. DMV uses alternative delivery methods to the traditional classroom-based Point and Insurance Reduction Program through the application of the internet and other technologies.

Administrative Adjudication: DMV adjudicates traffic offenses in major metropolitan areas and provides motorists with a system specifically designed for traffic violation cases, relieving local courts of handling most non-criminal traffic tickets. Fines collected from traffic violators are used to cover State operating expenses. The remaining funds are returned to the jurisdictions where violations occurred.

Clean Air: The Clean Air program develops, operates, evaluates, and maintains the system for conducting emissions inspections in the State of New York. Revenues consist of sales of emission inspection stickers and a surcharge on heavy weight vehicles.

Compulsory Insurance: Compulsory Insurance is a repository for the fines charged to DMV customers as a result of a lapse in auto insurance coverage, in addition to fees obtained from assessments on insurance companies based on the amount of premiums written.

Motorcycle Safety: Motorcycle Safety develops and implements education and awareness courses throughout the State. The fund consists of monies deposited by DMV from motorcycle registration fees and motorcycle licenses. DMV engages an independent training coordination organization to manage the program.

Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC): GTSC serves as the State's liaison with Federal Government agencies on highway safety programs and policies. Through GTSC, DMV receives Federal funding for traffic safety programs. GTSC maintains employees in DMV responsible for the programmatic functions of highway safety, planning the grant program, and safety program activities.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 1/17/2017