What We Do
Driver and Vehicle Services
(DVS) serves more than 11 million customers annually.
It provides services related to:
• Vehicle ownership, license plates and registration
• Driver education, driver testing and license issuing
• Driver evaluation services
• Driver's licenses
• State identification cards
• Disability license plates and parking certificates
• Motor carrier registration, and fuel tax collection and sharing
• Dealer licensing
• Salvage and reconstructed vehicle inspections
• Collection of crash data
• Requests for vehicle, driver’s license, identification card and crash record data
Related Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 65B: Automobile Insurance
Chapter 168: Vehicle Registration, Taxation, Sale
Chapter 168A: Vehicle Titles
Chapter 168B: Abandoned Motor Vehicles
Chapter 169: Traffic Regulations
Chapter 171: Driver’s Licenses and Training Schools
Chapter 221: Motor Carriers
Director
Pong Xiong is the director of the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division, a position he accepted in 2021.
Before joining DPS, Xiong spent 10 years at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, most recently serving as its director of tax operations. There he supported the annual processing of millions of returns across over 60 tax types, processing of $27 billion annually in tax revenue across all payment platforms. He also oversaw the agency’s central print-and-return mail process, which generates over 3 million letters annually; integrated tax management system support for all cross-agency functions; external tax software provider certification; and annual legislative implementation.
Prior to his state service, Xiong served in the United States Marine Corps. His service to his country included a tour to Afghanistan in 2010.
Xiong holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, and is a graduate of the state’s Senior Leadership Institute.
Xiong lives in Woodbury with his wife, their four children, and his parents.
Staff
DVS has 538 employees who staff the central office in St. Paul and the 95 state-operated driver’s license exam stations.
DVS also appoints and oversees 126 independent driver’s license agent offices and 175 independent deputy registrar offices. These offices provide driver’s license application, vehicle title and registration services.
Exam stations, driver's license agent offices, and deputy registrar offices are available throughout the state (see
office locations).
History
Minnesota began issuing license plates in 1902 and driver’s licenses in 1934. In 1970, the Motor Vehicle Division of the Secretary of State’s Office became part of the newly formed Department of Public Safety (DPS). In 1972, the Driver’s License Division of the Highway Department also joined DPS. In January 1977, DPS consolidated the two divisions to form Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS).
Other
DVS works in partnership with:
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Corrections
• Department of Human Services
• American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
•
American Automobile Association (AAA Clubs of Minnesota)
• Minnesota Deputy Registrar Association
