Welcome to the Hoosier State! Hoosiers pride themselves on being hard-working, independent people―so much so that we even have 30 farms throughout the state where you can go and pick your own fruits and vegetables.

Top Driving in Indiana

You're going to enjoy living here, but you'll have to take care of some business first. You'll want to do is get your Indiana driver's license and register your vehicle.

You'll also be receiving new license plates, so be sure to visit our license plate section to see your options. If you live in certain counties, you'll need to have an emissions check completed, as well.

Indiana residents are generally safe and courteous drivers. But, accidents and tickets do happen. So, you probably should familiarize yourself with our point system, and traffic ticket system.

Of course, you'll need to have proof of financial responsibility before you may drive on our roads. If you have a disability, feel free to visit our drivers with disabilities section.

Top Other Driving-related Business

We also offer helpful information about such topics as how to become an organ donor, and also how to register to vote through the BMV.

We hope you don't have to use it, but Indiana does have a Lemon Law in case your new vehicle is not behaving as it should.

Incidentally, if you want the low-down on Indiana's motor laws, just check our section on vehicle codes.

We'll help you get your hands on whatever forms and manuals you might need.

The BMV also has a New Resident guide available, which you might find useful.

Top About BMV Branches

Since you'll probably be spending a lot of time at the license agency, you should check out the state's Branch Efficiency guide. On the page, you will find a listing of the average wait times for every license branch in the state.

Additionally, you may check the branches with the fastest and slowest wait times at a glance. The agencies with the 20 longest times also have their average wait time per day of the week listed.

You can easily compare these times with those of the three nearest branches. Maps to these nearby branches are also available.

Top The Crossroads of America

Indiana's state motto is "The Crossroads of America," and for good reason. The state incorporates a wide variety of people, industry, agriculture, colleges, landscapes and big-and small-town life. Not to mention its geographical position in the heart of the country.

At the center of the state―literally and figuratively― lies the state capital of Indianapolis. The city is the home to two professional sports teams, as well as the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 auto races. Indeed, it may seem that all roads lead to Indianapolis, as most of Indiana's interstates run through the town and back out into the state in a spider-like fashion.

Top Touring Indiana

But there's much more to Indiana than our state capital. So much so that the state's Office of Tourism Development has divided Indiana into six distinct regions, each having its own attractions and flavor.

The state also has three unique geographical regions. The upper-third contains an abundance of lakes, including Lake Michigan with its 24 miles of beaches. The middle-third is known for its flatness. The lower-third, containing the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains boasts spectacular valleys and ridges.

Hoosiers generally enjoy their sports, especially basketball. But, there are plenty of great golf courses throughout the state, and the Indiana Golf Guide will help you find them. You can also enjoy numerous hours of hiking, fishing, biking and camping within Indiana's State Park system, the fourth oldest in the country. Visit the Department of Natural Resources Web site for details.

You may discover that we're not all on the same page when it comes to time. Indiana is unique in that most of the state is in the Eastern Time Zone, while 18 counties in the northwest and southwest corners remain in the Central Time Zone.

Top Indiana: In the Heart of America

Indiana may not be very large in terms of size (38th in the nation in area) or population (less than 6 million residents), but it does have the country's second-largest Amish population. And, we're proud to say than we've had more than our fair share of famous Hoosiers, including Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Harrison, William Henry Harrison, Cole Porter, Carol Lombard, James Dean, David Letterman, John Mellencamp, Ernest Pyle, George Rogers Clark, James Whitcomb Riley and Wilbur Wright.

Oh, and as far as the reason why we're known as the "Hoosier" state―no one really knows. There are numerous theories circulating, but the only thing that most historians agree on is that the term began somewhere around 1830.

Perhaps you'll come up with your own theory as you discover Indiana.

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