Media Contact: Chiderah Monde, PIO; (202) 729-7098

The DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) will fully implement the “no tickets for stolen vehicles and plates” provisions of the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education, and Responsibility (“STEER”) Amendment Act by July 31, 2025. Working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), and the DC Department of Public Works (DPW), DMV has developed programming to automatically dismiss DC tickets to stolen vehicles and tags once notified of the report by MPD. 

Under the new process, vehicle owners who have reported their vehicle as stolen in DC will not receive photo enforcement tickets. The system will automatically block issuance of tickets to these vehicles. Unlike photo enforcement tickets, parking violations are placed manually on the vehicle by enforcement personnel. Parking tickets may still be issued at the scene; however, under the updated process, any DC tickets issued to a reported stolen vehicle will be automatically voided or dismissed before a notice is sent to the registered owner. 

The STEER Act, enacted April 20, 2024, mandates improved information sharing between MPD, DDOT, DPW, and DMV to prevent tickets from being issued to vehicles reportedly stolen at the time of the violation.   DC DMV encourages District residents to act immediately if they are a victim of car theft. Individuals should contact the police and obtain a police report, file an insurance claim, and contest any tickets they may receive from the stolen vehicle. 

More information about implementation of the STEER Act provisions and the process for contesting tickets for stolen vehicles can be found on the DMV website here.