by Brandy Brubaker

RICHMOND
There is only one place to access Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles products and services securely, conveniently, and without extra processing fees: www.dmvNOW.com. All others are third-party pretenders.

“DMV is aware of sites like dmv.org that pop up during internet searches and try to pull in customers who may think they are dealing directly with DMV,” says DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. “Unlike these unauthorized sites, the real DMV would never charge extra for simply performing a transaction. In fact, some of our products and services, like decal renewals, come at a discount when you conduct your business at dmvNOW.com.”

More than 40 transactions can be performed at www.dmvNOW.com, a convenient shortcut address that directs people to the official DMV website, www.dmv.virginia.gov. DMV urges customers to make sure “virginia.gov” appears in the address bar before they proceed with a transaction. Additionally, the official Virginia DMV’s website home page has “Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles” and “DMV Now” in the top left banner.

Websites not affiliated with Virginia DMV usually have disclaimers on their home pages indicating they are not affiliated with official government sites.

“We have worked hard to build a mobile-friendly website that offers security and quality customer service,” added Commissioner Holcomb. “It troubles me that these third-party sites would use our good name to offer an inferior experience. Customers at dmvNOW.com can expect timely service, official DMV products, and top-of-the-line security, which the pretenders can’t promise.”

Millions of customers who use DMV’s official website also enjoy advantages like the myDMV account, which provides a dashboard-style interface unique to each customer, electronic renewal notifications via text or email, free study guides, interactive traffic safety data, and much more.

BRANDY BRUBAKER is a spokeswoman for the DMV. She can be reached at 804-367-6834 or brandy.brubaker@dmv.virginia.gov.