DMV Employment

Are you as good with paperwork as you are with people? The DMV has career opportunities for customer service representatives, driver license examiners, vehicle inspectors, and more―with all the benefits that civil service employment offers.

Naturally, getting a job with the New York Department of Motor Vehicles is more complicated than simply sending in a resume. It's also very competitive, and it requires testing that you sometimes must pay for.

The DMV culls applicants from the New York Civil Service eligibility list for that job. To get on the list, you must pass a specific civil service exam from a long list of available exams, but the DMV doesn't tell you which exams are for jobs at the DMV (you need to scrutinize the list of all civil service exams).

Once you have passed an exam and been put on a list―candidates are listed according to the highest score―the DMV will contact you if it is interested. When a candidate is hired from the list, the other candidates move forward in the queue.

To apply for a job at the New York DMV, first find a relevant position on the list of state examination announcements. You can search for jobs that are open to all qualified applicants, or even only to current state employees.

Search tip: Search the Archived Announcements section for "Department of Motor Vehicles" to see examples of titles, job qualifications and descriptions, salaries, and examination numbers and titles.

You may also call (518) 457-6216 for exam information, or look for examination announcements at the New York State Department of Labor.

If you find a position you're interested in, click on the link to find out when the applicable exam will be held and how much the nonrefundable processing fee will be (some exams are free to apply for, while some cost $20, $30, or $40). In some cases you may register for the test online directly from the listing; otherwise, you can download an application form from the listing page.

The Department of Civil Service will then notify you by mail if your application to take the exam has been approved or rejected (you will be given the reason for a disapproval). You forfeit your application fee if you're not approved to take the exam, so choose carefully.

For one-on-one help finding employment at the DMV, try one of the Department of Civil Service's Outreach and Information Centers. Also check out these links:

• How to get a job with the DMV

• Explore civil service job opportunities

• Examination announcements

• New York State Department of Labor