The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the principal traffic department in the Commonwealth of Virginia, providing a wide range of services related to driving, vehicle registration, licensing, driving records, and traffic safety. Most routine services such as vehicle registration renewal, title transfers, and accessing driving records can be done online. However, certain tasks—like applying for a new driver’s license or titling a recently purchased vehicle—require an in-person visit to a local DMV office. You can locate the nearest DMV branch using the online branch locator tool, which allows searches by zip code and provides contact information for each location[1].
For added convenience, Virginia offers DMV Select services at participating local government offices and select private entities. DMV Select locations can handle many transactions on the spot, such as issuing or replacing vehicle titles, processing original registrations, transferring registrations, ordering personalized license plates, and providing driver or vehicle transcripts. Note that some transactions, especially those related to driver’s license or ID issuance, cannot be completed at DMV Select and require a visit to a standard DMV branch[2].
When dealing with traffic citations, payments for certain traffic tickets and offenses are handled by the general district court system, not the DMV. Payments can be made online if you know the jurisdiction where the violation occurred, or you can use the Statewide Search to locate your case information. However, payments cannot be processed directly through the Virginia DMV[7].
The Virginia DMV also actively promotes public safety campaigns, such as the “Buckle Up, Virginia” initiative, which encourages drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. This campaign is supported by regional public safety teams and is frequently highlighted through various outreach methods across the state[4].
For information specific to another region or possible confusion with the name “Virginia Free State,” there is no official government traffic department in the Commonwealth of Virginia using the term “Virginia Free State.” The recognized traffic authority is the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles[5].
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