The DMV text scam
A text from "the DMV" about an overdue traffic ticket, with threats and a payment link, is probably a scam. Check only with your DMV, on a site you know.1
Text Message
Today 9:41 AM
State DMV Notice:1 Our records show an outstanding traffic ticket. If unpaid, we will report you to the DMV violation database and suspend your registration and driving privileges2, plus a 35% service fee3. Pay today at statedmv-ticketpay.example.com4
- A DMV name. The Texas DMV says it doesn't issue or collect fines for traffic violations at all.4
- Threats of a "DMV violation database" and a suspended registration or license, to make you pay before you think.1
- A 35% service fee, word for word what the FTC saw in these texts.1
- A link that isn't your DMV's own site. It's there to take your money and personal information.1
What to do Don't tap the link or reply. Report it as junk or forward it to 7726, then delete it.1
Rebuilt from the FTC's description, with a safe address and number. Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources.
What the DMVs themselves say
Seven state motor vehicle agencies have answered the question in their own words. Read the one for your state.
| State | What the agency says |
|---|---|
| California | "The DMV does not send text messages with links to make payments." It will never ask for personal or financial information by text.5 |
| Texas | TxDMV "is not a law enforcement agency and does not issue or collect fines for toll or traffic violations." Its warning is dated 25 March 2026.4 |
| Florida | The state's Scam Stoppers page says the highway safety department "will never contact you via text message demanding payment or threatening suspension or arrest."6 |
| New York | The DMV "will never send a text like this, threatening you to make payments within days or risk suspension" (19 March 2026).7 |
| Virginia | "The DMV will never send you text messages demanding payment for fines or fees."8 |
| Connecticut | The DMV "does NOT contact residents regarding motor vehicle related violations" and does not send payment demands by text (6 March 2026).2 |
| Alaska | The DMV "will never request payment or sensitive personal information via text message", and doesn't collect payments for traffic tickets (2 April 2026).3 |
Three texts, one trick
The same scam wears different names. Each one sends you to a link to pay now.
The DMV ticket text
An "overdue traffic ticket" with threats of suspension, prosecution or damage to your credit score.1
Your DMV's own site, typed in yourself.
The toll and court texts
The same pressure in the name of a toll agency or a traffic court.4 The toll text scam in full
The toll agency or court, on a number you know.
If you got one
- Don't tap the link and don't reply."Scammers want you to react quickly to get your personal information before you realize it's a scam." Talk to someone you trust first.1
- Check with your DMV directly.Use a phone number or website you know is real, not the information in the text.1
- Report it, then delete it.Use your phone's "report junk" option or forward the text to 7726. Texas also points people to ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.1,4 Where to report each kind of scam
- If you paid, call today.How you paid decides who to call first, as in the table below.9
If money already left your account
How you paid decides who to call first. Call today.9
| You paid by | Contact right away |
|---|---|
| Credit or debit card | Your card issuer or bank, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund. |
| Bank transfer or Zelle | Your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment. |
| Payment app | The app. Report the payment and ask for a reversal. |
| Gift card | The card's issuer, on the number on the card. Keep the card and the receipt. |
| Wire transfer | The wire transfer company. Say it was a scam and ask for a refund. |
| Cryptocurrency | The exchange or crypto ATM operator, then the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. |
Questions people ask
Does the DMV text you about tickets?
Is the "outstanding traffic ticket" text real?
The FTC says a text about an overdue traffic ticket is probably a scam. If you're unsure, contact your DMV using a number or website you already know.1
What if I already gave my card details?
Call your card issuer or bank today, on the number on the card, and ask for a refund.9
How do I find my DMV's real website?
Type it in yourself rather than following a link or a search ad. California's DMV gives the same advice for dmv.ca.gov.5
More scam examples
- Unpaid toll textA small toll, a late fee and a link.
- USPS package textA delivery problem and a redelivery fee.
- IRS scam texts and emailsA refund you weren't expecting, or a threat.
- Election scam texts"You're not registered to vote", and ScamPACs.
- How to report a scamWhere each kind of scam goes, in the US and the UK.
- All the examplesThe home page, with every scam side by side.
Sources 9
- That text about an overdue traffic ticket is probably a scam (21 July 2025), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 29 October 2026.
- Text message call scam (6 March 2026), Connecticut DMV. Read 29 October 2026.
- Scam alert: fraudulent text messages (2 April 2026), Alaska DMV. Read 29 October 2026.
- Fake fines, real fraud: TxDMV warns Texans about ongoing text scam (25 March 2026), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Read 29 October 2026.
- DMV scam alert (undated page), California DMV. Read 29 October 2026.
- Traffic ticket scam (reported 14 November 2025), Florida Chief Financial Officer, Scam Stoppers. Read 29 October 2026.
- DMV warns New Yorkers about latest barrage of scam texts (19 March 2026), New York State DMV. Read 29 October 2026.
- Virginia DMV warns customers of text scam (2 June 2025), Virginia DMV. Read 29 October 2026.
- What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 29 October 2026.
Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check