While the city of Washington, DC was established as the seat of the United States government, it is also a vibrant city in its own right. Although the U.S. Congress has ultimate authority over the district, there is a municipal government with limited "home rule" authority.

As this young municipal government has evolved since home rule was granted in the 1970s, its various agencies have also grown to accommodate the city's expanding population.

Originally, the functions of what is now the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) were handled through the city's Department of Public Works (DPW). In fact, many of the laws governing the functions of the DMV still refer to the DPW.

The DMV eventually became a separate agency from the DPW and established its main headquarters at 301 C St. NW. Now, the DC DMV has five service locations:

• C Street Service Center (main headquarters), 301 C St. NW

• Penn Branch, 3230 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

• Georgetown Service Center, 3222 M St. NW

• Brentwood Square, 1233 Brentwood Road NE

• Vehicle Inspection Station, 1001 Half St. SW

The department has published a guide to the various services available at each DMV service location. Of course, the DMV has a Web site where you can get information, download forms, and use various online services to "skip the trip" to the DMV―saving you time and hassle.

Today's DMV has a wide jurisdiction, stretching from issuing driver's licenses and registering vehicles to monitoring auto insurance compliance and collecting fines for parking tickets.

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