City Desk

D.C.’s new motor vehicle law took effect in February, but the bill drew little attention until Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Director Sherryl Hobbs Newman held a press conference on June 11 to tout it. An amnesty for minor moving violations prior to April 9, 1997, garnered the most attention, but DMV public information officer Regina Williams notes that the bill isn’t pure gravy for District drivers. “There has been a lot of emphasis on the ticket amnesty,” she says, “and people aren’t aware of other changes.” For instance, she observes, there’s the new $15 penalty for late vehicle inspection (and a $15 penalty for each subsequent uninspected month). “People are just finding this out at inspection and getting upset,” she continues. The deadline for applying for the ticket amnesty is Oct. 26, 2001. —Sarah Godfrey