All Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) full-service customer service centers will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Thursday, November 24 through Saturday, November 26, and will reopen on Monday, November 28. More than 50 services are available online at dmvNOW.com or through the mail if customers need access to DMV during the holiday closure.
DMV also reminds motorists to buckle up during the Thanksgiving holiday – and every day.
State and local police officers across Virginia will be on the lookout for unbelted motorists during the Click It or Ticket campaign, which runs from November 26-30. Click It or Ticket combines high-visibility enforcement of seat belt and child safety seat laws with outreach and education.
During the Thanksgiving holiday last year, one person was killed and 61 injured in 110 alcohol-related crashes on Virginia roadways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 30% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States in 2020 involved drunk drivers, and of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2020, 51% were not wearing seat belts.
“Wearing a seatbelt is the easiest and most effective thing you can do to stay safe while driving,” said Acting DMV Commissioner Linda Ford, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “And if your Thanksgiving celebration involves alcohol, select a designated driver to keep you and others on the roads safe.”
Virginia law requires everyone under age 18 to be properly secured in a safety belt or child safety seat no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle, and the driver is responsible for making sure this happens. In addition, Virginia law requires everyone in the front seat of vehicles to be properly restrained, regardless of age, with passengers 18 and older subject to tickets and penalties.
