The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles provides Driver Improvement services at our Penn Branch Service Center. This location replaces the Driver Improvement Office previously located at 301 C Street, NW.
To schedule driver license hearings such as ‘show cause’ hearings for serious moving violations which include: driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving while under the influence (DUI), operating while impaired (OWI), leaving the scene of an accident (LAC) etc, you must visit our Penn Branch Service Center. The Penn Branch Service Center also schedules misrepresentation hearings and reinstatement hearings.
Customers with ticket suspensions and child support revocations must report to the Penn Branch Service Center for clearance and/or pay reinstatement fee. This is also the office which removes points as a result of traffic school completions. Requests for limited occupational licenses or restricted driver’s licenses are also submitted to the Penn Branch Service Center.
Driver History Records may be obtained at any service centers. The cost for driver history records is $7.00 for three and five year records and $13.00 for ten year and full history records. Reinstatement fee is $98 and must be paid at the Penn Branch Service Center only.
The Penn Branch Service Center is located at 3220 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE and is open Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 4:00 pm. All hearings will be conducted at 301 C Street, NW, Room 1157. You may be scheduled for a driver’s license hearing at 7:30 am. If so, please provide your hearing notice to the security officers at 301 C Street in order to gain building access for 7:30 am hearings.
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Driver Improvement:
- Can I schedule a driver’s license hearing over the telephone?
No, since documents need to be reviewed to make certain the driver is eligible for a hearing, driver’s license hearings may not be scheduled over the telephone. Driver’s License hearings can be scheduled in person, by mail, or by fax. The office fax number is (202) 645-7378.
- How can I reschedule a driver’s license hearing?
You may submit a request to reschedule your driver’s license hearing to the Penn Branch Service Center at least seventy two hours prior to the date of the hearing. Emergency requests for continuances are handled on a case by case basis.
- Can someone else pay my reinstatement fee for me?
Yes, someone else may pay your reinstatement fee for you as
long as you provide a notarized statement authorizing payment.
- Can a reinstatement fee be paid on-line or by telephone?
No, we are not yet able to process reinstatement fees over the
telephone or on-line. These fees may be paid in person or by
mail.
- Is the Penn Branch Service Center the only location where I can pay a reinstatement fee?
Yes.
- Is Penn Branch the only office where I may obtain a copy of my DC driver history record?
No, you may visit any DMV service center to obtain a driver history record.
- Do I have to satisfy all of my outstanding parking, photo, and moving violations in order to be eligible to pay a reinstatement fee?
Yes, because you are restoring or reinstating your driver’s license or non-resident driving privileges, all stops on your driver history record, including outstanding tickets, must be paid in order to process your reinstatement fee.
- Can the DC DMV clear stops on the National Driver Registry (NDR)?
A driver must reinstate his or her driver’s license or non-resident driving privileges in the state that has entered the stop on the National Driver Registry. The reinstatement will update to the National Driver Registry and clear the stop for tickets issued in the District of Columbia. The update will occur within twenty-four to seventy-two hours after the reinstatement fee is paid.
