§ 50–901. Establishment of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(a) Pursuant to § 1-204.04(b), there is hereby established in the Executive Branch of the government of the District of Columbia a Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”).
(b) The Director of the DMV shall have authority over the department and all functions and personnel assigned thereto, including the power to re-delegate to other employees and officials of the department such powers and authority as, in the judgment of the Director is warranted in the interests of efficiency and sound administration.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the Director of the DMV may:
(1) For any of the reasons described in paragraph (2) of this subsection extend the time period for a person, without penalty, to:
(A) Adjudicate or pay a notice of infraction;
(B) Obtain a new vehicle registration;
(C) Renew the registration of a vehicle;
(D) Pass a vehicle inspection; or
(E) Obtain or renew a noncommercial or commercial driver license, learner permit, or provisional permit; and
(2) Extend any of the time periods for the actions listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection for any of the following reasons:
(A) A closure of the District government or the DMV due to an emergency;
(B) An administrative closure of the District government or the DMV; or
(C) A major disruption of DMV operations.
§ 50–902. Purpose.
The DMV is charged with helping to improve the District of Columbia’s economic competitiveness and quality of life by fostering the safe operation of motor vehicles on District streets in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
§ 50–903. Organization.
There is hereby established in the DMV offices and divisions as follows:
(1) The Office of the Director, with subordinate staff offices as are required to carry out overall management responsibility for the office;
(2) Division of Adjudication, with subordinate staff offices as required, to coordinate and manage the functions as follows:
(A) Traffic adjudication hearings;
(B) Traffic adjudication processing; and
(C) Public space adjudication;
(3) Customer Services Division, with such subordinate staff offices as are required, to coordinate and manage the following functions for the District:
(A) Vehicle inspection;
(B) Vehicle registration; and
(C) Driver testing, including medical reviews and insurance compliance; and
(4) Support Services Division, with such subordinate staff offices as are required to coordinate and manage the procurement, financial, technology and administrative functions for the Department of Motor Vehicles, and management of the personal property inventory for the Department of Motor Vehicles.
§ 50–904. Functions.
The primary function of the major organizational components of the DMV are to plan, program, operate, manage, control, and maintain systems, processes, and programs that serve to ensure the safe and efficient movement of people in the operation of motor vehicles within the District of Columbia. The following functional components are included within this framework:
(1) Adjudication functions as follows:
(A) Administer the processes of collecting traffic fines and adjudicating disputes regarding traffic movement or parking movement in the public right-of-way;
(B) Ensure that efficient information and payment processing services are provided to motorists who have been ticketed, booted, or towed;
(C) To process all correspondence relating to contested traffic violations;
(D) Maintain account for the ticket file;
(E) Make determinations on violations which pertain to automobile insurance;
(F) Make determinations on complaints filed against public vehicle operators; and
(G) Make determinations on drivers’ permits, including suspensions and revocations;
(2) Customer service functions as follows:
(A) Title and register new or used motor vehicles and trailers in the District and issue special tags and permits;
(B) Coordinate the issuance of special tags and permits, and to enforce activities relating to automobile dealers and vehicle inspection facilities;
(C) License public vehicle operators;
(D) Provide all services which pertain to the issuance of driver permits and licensing; and
(E) Maintain and administer a traffic record system;
(3) Administrative service functions to provide department wide coordination of administrative services emphasizing human resources, technology and information support, procurement, and fiscal management support services; and
(4) Take enforcement action, including the issuance of fines, for car dealers’ violations of Chapters 4 and 5 of Title 18, DCMR.
§ 50–904.01. Department of Motor Vehicles Kiosk Fund.
(a) There is established as a special fund the Department of Motor Vehicles Kiosk Fund ("Fund"), which shall be administered by the Mayor in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.
(b) All convenience fees collected from the operation of the Department of Motor Vehicles' self-service kiosks shall be deposited in the Fund.
(c) Money in the Fund shall be used to pay the costs of installing, renting, operating, maintaining, and providing supplies for the Department of Motor Vehicles' self-service kiosks.
(d)(1) The money deposited in the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, or at any other time.
(2) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.
(e) For the purposes of this section, the term "self-service kiosk" means a hardware device with specialized integrated software that enables users to conduct transactions related to the Department of Motor Vehicles' services without the need for assistance from Department of Motor Vehicles staff.
§ 50–905. Transfers.
(a) All positions, personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available to the Department of Public Works for the vehicle and driver licensing, registration, and control functions set out in Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1983 (part D of subchapter VI of Chapter 15 of Title 1), effective March 1, 1984, are hereby transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(b) All of the functions assigned, and authorities delegated to the Department of Public Works, with respect to issuing regulations for and administering motor vehicle services, except for parking services functions, as set forth in section III(H) of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1983, effective March 1, 1984 (including only vehicle and driver licensing, registration, and control) are hereby transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
§ 50–906. Reorganization.
The Director of the DMV is authorized to organize the personnel and property transferred herein within any organizational unit of the DMV as the Director deems appropriate. Until such establishment, existing orders establishing the components of the pre-existing Department of Public Works remain in force, where they do not conflict with this chapter.
Subchapter II. Regulations.
§ 50–911. Regulations.
The Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles may amend the regulations promulgated pursuant to Regulation No. 72-13, effective June 30, 1972, that were published in Title 32 of the District of Columbia Rules and Regulations and are now contained in chapters 1 through 10 of Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, and those amendments contained in the provisions of the Motor Vehicle and Safe Driving Amendment Act of 2000, effective April 27, 2001 (D.C. Law 13-289; 48 DCR 2057 ). Regulations promulgated or amended pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of Council review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and days of Council recess. If within the 45-day period, a resolution of disapproval has been introduced by 3 members of the Council, the regulations shall not be deemed approved.
Subchapter III. Mobile Customer Service Center Program.
§ 50–915. Mobile Customer Service Center Program. [Not Funded]
