Motor vehicle inspectors
Who are we
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles was founded in 1917. In 1919 the State Legislature authorized a uniformed force of 30 inspectors equipped with motorcycles to inspect and weigh trucks on both the New York and Massachusetts borders.
Connecticut pioneered the world’s first Point System to curb careless and dangerous drivers in 1947, and in 1950 Connecticut was the first to record vehicle engine numbers to track stolen vehicles.
Today, Motor Vehicle Inspectors are P.O.S.T. certified (Police Officers Standards and Training) law enforcement officers with powers of arrest. Each Inspector receives hundreds of hours of specialized training and utilizes the latest technologies to assist in DMV’s primary law enforcement functions which include:
- Truck safety and size/weight enforcement
- School bus inspections and enforcement
- Licensing of repairers and dealers of new and used vehicles
- Vehicle identification and auto theft investigation
- Registration enforcement
- Speed and traffic law enforcement
The primary objective of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) is to reduce the number of accidents and hazardous material incidents involving commercial motor vehicles. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Division operates from six fixed weight and inspections sites and patrols all highways and numerous secondary roads throughout the State.
