Earlier this week New York's DMV proudly announced that it would no longer require drivers to come in for a vision test when renewing their licenses. Because, y'know, if grams says she can drive then clearly she can drive! But that was earlier this week. Trusty sources are now reporting that Governor Andrew Cuomo is putting the brakes on the plan (which actually went into effect yesterday). more ›

The DMV is trying to make your life a little...easier? That, at least, is what Commissioner Barbara J. Fiala is saying. Yesterday she announced a bunch of changes to how New York's DMV works with licensed drivers. Most notably, starting tomorrow drivers can "self-certify" that they meet the vision requirements for driving (though first time drivers will still have to take the a vision test at the DMV). Also, there is now something called "MyDMV," which is like that MySpace thing the kids are using—but for your driving records (it is "Your Path To Personalized Online Services!" according to the website). more ›

DMV employees in NYC made over $1 million issuing fake identification to convicted criminals, including one man who appeared on "America's Most Wanted." Cops cuffed six members of the ID operation today, including its suspected ringleader Wilch DeWalt. According to Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara more than 200 people were sold stolen identities for $7,000 to $10,000 apiece. [PDF] "The fraud ring's client base was essentially a rap sheet," he said, adding that "The integrity of any security system, no matter how elaborate or expensive, is only as good as the integrity of the people who carry it out." more ›

As if giving birth to deep-pan pizza wasn't enough of a tragedy, two Chicago companies are to blame for producing as many as two million vehicle registration stickers and up to 2.5 million inspection stickers that simply won't stick to car windshields. more ›

New rates for things like driver's licenses and registration fees from the NY State Department of Motor Vehicles went into effect yesterday. All over NY State, the standard driver's license fee is now $64.50—up from $50, but in NYC and surrounding counties drivers will have to pay $80.50, because those areas are helping bail out the MTA. Registration fee-wise, a typical passenger vehicle will cost $55 (up from $44), but in the NYC-area, it'll be $105. Republican legislators are using the high fees to show how much Governor Paterson has raised taxes, but Paterson said he'd consider reducing them if the GOP can find revenue elsewhere, "I'd be happy to entertain it but they are not just going to be able to get up at a news conference and act shrill. They are going to have to tell us where they can close the gap." more ›

There are 9.3 million vanity license plates in the United States, but every now and then there is one person whose choice of to proclaim on his/her plates causes some problems. Typically, the problematic plate is weeded out thanks to the DMV’s “blue list”of banned letter and number combinations ranging from the obvious, like GOD, NYPD and POL1CE, to the less so, like 3M TA3. Still the NY State DMV’s online plate lookup allows for... more ›