Who handles driver licenses and vehicle registration in each state

Not every state has a single "DMV." See which agency issues driver licenses and which office titles and registers vehicles in all 50 states and DC, from state DMVs to county tax collectors, Secretaries of State and private agents.

Guide · all states · Driver licenses · Vehicle registration · updated October 29, 2026

"Going to the DMV" means different things in different states. Some states have one motor vehicle agency that handles licenses and vehicles at the same offices. In others, your driver license comes from a state agency, while your title, registration and plates come from a county treasurer, tax collector or clerk. A few states add private agents, town offices or a Secretary of State. This guide sorts all 50 states and DC by who you deal with, so you go to the right office the first time.

The short answer

  • Driver licenses and ID cards follow one state agency's rules everywhere. Most states issue them at that agency's own offices; Hawaii and Idaho issue them at county offices, Florida also at county tax collector offices, and Ohio through deputy registrars. In some other states, such as Alabama and Kansas, county offices can also renew licenses; the state guides say where.
  • Vehicle titles and registration are the main source of confusion. In 15 states you do them at a county office, not at a state DMV office (and in Ohio, titles too), and in some of those states a different state agency from the one that issues licenses sets the rules.
  • Separate offices are common even where one agency does both. North Carolina, New Jersey and Washington, for example, use different office networks for licenses and for vehicles.

Words you will see

  • DMV, MVD, BMV, RMV, MVA, OMV: different names for a state motor vehicle agency (Department, Division, Bureau or Registry of Motor Vehicles; Motor Vehicle Administration; Office of Motor Vehicles).
  • DPS, DDS, Driver Services: agencies that issue driver licenses, but not vehicle titles or registration, in some states, such as Texas, Georgia and South Dakota.
  • Secretary of State: in Illinois and Michigan, the Secretary of State's office runs licenses and vehicles. In Maine, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is part of the Secretary of State's department.
  • Tag office, county treasurer, tax collector, county clerk: county offices that title and register vehicles in many states.
  • Deputy registrar, license plate agency, tag agent, authorized third party: offices run by private operators or partners on the state's behalf. Some charge an extra service fee; the state guides say where the agency mentions one.

One agency, at its own offices

In these states the same agency issues driver licenses and handles vehicle titles and registration, and you go to its offices for both.

One agency, but separate offices for licenses and vehicles

The same agency is in charge of both, but it sends you to different kinds of offices.

  • New Jersey: NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). Licenses at Licensing Centers, titles and registration mostly at Vehicle Centers. State page · Vehicle guide
  • North Carolina: NC Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Licenses and IDs at driver license offices; titles, registration and plates at license plate agencies, which do not take appointments. State page · Visit guide
  • North Dakota: North Dakota DOT. Licenses from its Driver License Division at driver license sites; vehicles from its Motor Vehicle Division, at a central office in Bismarck and branch offices, several of them in county treasurer or chamber offices. Most branches charge branch fees. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Washington: Department of Licensing (DOL). Licenses at driver licensing offices; titles, registration, plates and tabs at vehicle licensing offices, which are subagent offices and walk-in only. State page · Vehicle guide

One agency, with private agents or partners

The state agency handles both, and you can also use private or partner offices that act for it.

  • Alaska: Alaska DMV, at state DMV offices, contract agent offices or DMV business partners. Business partners are privately owned and charge a fee. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Arizona: ADOT Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), at MVD offices or Authorized Third Party providers, and online at AZ MVD Now. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State, at Secretary of State facilities. For vehicles, remittance agents authorized by the Secretary of State also accept title and registration fees and charge a handling fee. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Indiana: Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), at any BMV branch. The BMV also lists full and partial service provider locations for some registration transactions. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Louisiana: Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), at OMV offices or Public Tag Agents, which are state-authorized and may charge a convenience fee. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Minnesota: Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Most in-person vehicle work is done at a deputy registrar office; licenses at DVS offices or driver's license agents. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Missouri: Missouri Department of Revenue, at Missouri license offices. The Department's contact page refers to license office contractors, and its titling pages list processing fees on top of the state fees. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Oklahoma: Service Oklahoma, at its own locations and at Licensed Operators (formerly called tag agencies). State page · Vehicle guide
  • Pennsylvania: PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services. Most title work goes through PennDOT-authorized agents such as dealers, notaries and messenger services. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Wisconsin: Wisconsin DMV, at DMV customer service centers that offer vehicle services, or through DMV-authorized title and registration service providers. State page · Vehicle guide

One agency, plus a county tax step

The state agency registers the vehicle, but you must deal with the county first.

  • Arkansas: Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), at state revenue offices, for both licenses and vehicles. You also assess the vehicle with your county assessor and pay personal property tax to the county tax collector. State page · Vehicle guide
  • South Carolina: SC Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). You must pay personal property tax on the vehicle to your county before SCDMV will register or renew it. State page · Vehicle guide

Town or city office first

  • Maine: Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), part of the Secretary of State's department. Registering a vehicle starts at your town office, where you pay the municipal excise tax. Many town offices then issue the registration themselves; if yours does not, you take the receipt to a BMV branch. State page · Vehicle guide
  • New Hampshire: Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Safety. Every registration starts with your town or city clerk; the DMV handles titles and the state part of registration. State page · Vehicle guide

Licenses from the state, vehicles at the county

In these states your driver license comes from a state agency, but you title and register your vehicle at a county office. Where a different state agency sets the vehicle rules, it is named.

  • Alabama: licenses from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). Titles from the Department of Revenue; registration and plates from the license plate issuing official in your county. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Colorado: licenses from the Colorado DMV at state driver license offices. Titles and registration at county motor vehicle offices run by each county clerk and recorder. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Georgia: licenses from the Department of Driver Services (DDS). Titles, registration and plates from the Department of Revenue, at your county tag office in the county where you live. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Iowa: licenses from the Iowa DOT. Titles, registration and plates at county treasurer offices. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Kansas: licenses from the Department of Revenue's Division of Vehicles. Titles, registration and plates at the county treasurer in the county where the vehicle is garaged. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Kentucky: licenses from the Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) at Driver Licensing Regional Offices. Titles, registration and plates at the County Clerk's office. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Mississippi: licenses from the Department of Public Safety. Vehicles under the Department of Revenue; you register and buy your tag at the county Tax Collector's office. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Montana: licenses from the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Department of Justice, at driver exam stations. Titles and registration at the County Treasurer's office in the county where you live. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Nebraska: licenses from the Nebraska DMV at its driver licensing offices. Titles and registration at your County Treasurer. State page · Vehicle guide
  • South Dakota: licenses from the Department of Public Safety at driver exam stations. Vehicles under the Department of Revenue; you do the paperwork at your county treasurer's office. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Tennessee: licenses from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Vehicles under the Department of Revenue; all title and registration transactions are done at your county clerk's office. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Texas: licenses from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), not the Texas DMV. Vehicles under the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV); most vehicle business is done at your county tax assessor-collector's office. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Wyoming: licenses from WYDOT Driver Services. Registration and standard plates from the county treasurer; titles and liens from the county clerk. State page · Vehicle guide

Mixed state and county offices

  • Florida: Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) for both. Licenses are issued at FLHSMV service centers and at county tax collector offices; vehicle paperwork is done at motor vehicle service centers, some of them run by the county tax collector. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Ohio: Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Licenses and registration through deputy registrar license agencies, which act for the BMV; titles only at County Clerk of Courts title offices. State page · Vehicle guide

Two state agencies, no county step

  • Utah: licenses from the Driver License Division of the Department of Public Safety. Vehicles from the Motor Vehicle Division (DMV) of the State Tax Commission, which does not issue licenses. State page · Vehicle guide

County offices for both

  • Hawaii: licenses follow statewide rules from the Hawaii DOT but are issued by your county; vehicles are registered by the county where they are driven. On Oahu, both are handled by the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Customer Services. State page · Vehicle guide
  • Idaho: both follow rules from the Idaho Transportation Department's DMV. Licenses at county driver's license offices run by each county sheriff; vehicles at your county assessor's motor vehicle office. State page · Vehicle guide

How to find the right office

  1. Find your state above and note which office handles your service.
  2. Open the state page and filter by Driver licenses & IDs or Vehicle registration & titles. Where vehicles go through the county, the county pages list the offices in your county.
  3. Check the office page for hours, services and the official booking link, and confirm on the agency's website before you go.

Sources · checked October 29, 2026

We wrote this summary ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency.

Related