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DMV text scam: the unpaid-fine and license-suspension messages are fake

Short answer: A text that claims to be the DMV and demands payment for an unpaid fine, toll or ticket is smishing, not a real notice. State agencies say they do not text links to collect payment. Do not click, check your record by typing the agency's address yourself, and report the message to the FTC and IC3.

Last reviewed: · By Mark Dent

Key facts, checked October 5, 2026
  • California's DMV says it does not send text messages with links to make payments, and will never ask for your Social Security number, banking information or full license number by text or email.
  • Georgia's DDS says it will never ask for payment or personal information through unsolicited text messages.
  • In April 2024 the FBI's IC3 reported more than 2,000 complaints about toll-debt smishing texts since early March of that year, and said the scam could be moving from state to state.
  • NPR reported on May 24, 2025 that DMVs in at least New York, Florida and California had warned of a new round of fake texts.

What the message looks like

The pattern is consistent across states. A short text arrives from an unknown number or an email address. It says your license will be suspended, or that you owe a fine, a toll or a ticket, and gives a link and a deadline. California's DMV lists examples such as a message that your license is suspended with a link to pay a fee, or a request to verify your identity to avoid DMV penalties. Illinois's transportation department, in a March 2026 alert, described a text claiming recipients owe money for traffic tickets, tolls and other fines and said the messages are not from the department.

The link leads to a page built to resemble a state site. The page asks for a card number, a Social Security number or a driver's license number. California's DMV also warns of fake websites that charge unnecessary fees and of scam ads on social media.

How the scam works

Built from the patterns in the agency warnings and the FBI's description of the toll version:

  1. A text arrives that mimics a government notice, with a small amount owed and a late fee threatened.
  2. The link goes to a web address made to look like the state's agency, not the agency's real one. The IC3 notes that the link is created to impersonate the state's own service name, and that the sending phone numbers change between states.
  3. The page collects card details and personal data, which are then used for charges or identity theft.

Promise versus how the DMV actually works

The text saysWhat the agencies say
Pay now by link or the license is suspendedCalifornia's DMV: it does not send texts with payment links. Georgia's DDS: it never requests payment through unsolicited texts.
Confirm your SSN or driver's license numberCalifornia's DMV: it will never ask for these by text or email.
Pay within hoursUrgency is a scam tactic listed by the FTC.
Pay with a gift card, app or cryptoCalifornia's DMV: it never asks for gift cards, wire transfers or apps like Venmo or Zelle.

Two-minute check

  • Did you contact the agency first? Government agencies usually write by mail, according to USA.gov's imposter-scam page.
  • Does the link address match the agency's real site? Do not click to find out. Type the address yourself or use the state directory.
  • Is there urgency, a threat to your license, or a payment method an agency would not use?
  • Can you see your record by logging in to the official site? Georgia's DDS tells people to check their driver record through its official online services, not through a text.

If you clicked or entered details

  1. Call your bank or card issuer on the number printed on the card and ask them to secure the accounts. Dispute any charge you do not recognize.
  2. Check your credit reports and place a fraud alert or freeze if you entered a Social Security number (see the recovery steps).
  3. Report the text. The IC3 asks for the phone number the text came from and the website listed in it. You can also report to the FTC.
  4. Delete the message. The IC3's advice on the toll version is to delete smishing texts.

The same tactic is used with other agencies. A message that mentions a toll, a package or a ticket and carries a link is a phishing text until proven otherwise. The FTC's guide to recognizing phishing covers the general case.

Frequently asked questions

Will the DMV contact me by text?

Some offices send reminders, but California's DMV says it will never ask for personal or financial information by text and does not send payment links. If a text threatens suspension or demands payment, treat it as fake and check your record on the official site. Georgia's DDS makes the same point and tells drivers to check their record through its official online services.

What do fake DMV messages look like?

They say your license is suspended or that you owe a fine, a toll or a ticket, include a link and a deadline, and often a late fee. California's DMV lists examples such as a link to pay a fee and a request to verify your identity. The wording changes from state to state and week to week, but the structure of a threat, a small amount, a link and a deadline stays the same.

I clicked the link. What now?

Call your bank on the number on your card, dispute unknown charges, watch your credit reports, and report the text to the FTC and the FBI's IC3 with the sender's number and the website address. You can also call the bank number on the back of your card. Acting early gives the issuer more options, and it costs nothing to ask.

Is the DMV toll text a different scam?

It is the same family. In 2024 the FBI described texts about unpaid tolls that link to look-alike sites. Agencies now report the same tactic using DMV names, parking fines and traffic tickets. The agencies treat these as one pattern, so if you got both a toll text and a DMV text, one report with both numbers helps.

How do I report a DMV text scam?

File a complaint at ic3.gov with the phone number and web address from the text, and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your state DMV may also want a copy; its site usually has a scam page. Reporting also lets agencies see which numbers and websites are in use and pass them to the companies that can shut them down.

Keep reading

Sources and official links

About the author
Written by Mark Dent from federal statutes, agency pages and state government pages that were opened on the date shown. Truthdocuments sells, issues and arranges no license or document, and has no tie to any DMV, federal agency or government body. See the editorial policy or report a mistake.