{"id":368927,"date":"2022-06-07T08:52:26","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T13:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-my-state-s-department-of-motor-vehicles-dmv.html"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:45:29","slug":"can-i-sue-my-state-s-department-of-motor-vehicles-dmv","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-my-state-s-department-of-motor-vehicles-dmv.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue My State’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can I Sue My State's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

You can sue your state’s DMV, but these suits are hard to win. In general, governments and government agencies have sovereign immunity. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This immunity means that they are protected against lawsuits. Someone wanting to bring a lawsuit could not do so unless the government agency agreed to be sued.<\/p>\n

That said, there have been a number of successful lawsuits against the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) in various states in recent years. They haven’t been simple cases, like \u201cThey made a mistake on my driver’s license or vehicle title.”<\/p>\n

Let’s look at some of the situations when people asked, \u201cCan I sue my state’s DMV?” and the answer was yes. You can also ask a lawyer<\/a> in your state about whether you have a worthwhile claim.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Learn more about whether you can sue the DMV<\/span> below:<\/p>\n