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DMV is an American workplace comedy television series created by Dana Klein that premiered on CBS on October 13, 2025. The show follows the workers at the East Hollywood DMV. Collette, a driving instructor, tackles workplace problems, romance, and interpersonal connections with her coworkers. The show is a fictional account of the DMV, but makes the jokes that most people have when going to renew licenses and forms. In March 2026, the series was canceled after one season. The series finale is scheduled to air on May 11, 2026.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Harriet Dyer as Colette, a driving examiner at the East Hollywood branch of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) who has a big heart, but is not great with boundaries. She harbors a crush on Noa.
  • Tony Cavalero as Vic, a DMV driving examiner and former bouncer. An avid gym-goer, generally dim-witted, and is a misogynist.
  • Molly Kearney as Barbara, the recently promoted California DMV East Hollywood branch manager who is very optimistic and well-intentioned
  • Alex Tarrant as Noa, a recently hired DMV employee originally from New Zealand
  • Gigi Zumbado as Ceci, a photographer at the DMV. She is selfish, arrogant, and fixes many problems at the DMV.
  • Tim Meadows as Gregg, a DMV driving examiner who used to be an English teacher. He often makes jokes about how he cannot stand to go home to his wife.

Recurring

  • Jessica Camacho as Surfer Mary, Noa’s laid-back love interest whom he meets during a driving test

Special guest stars

  • Mark Feuerstein as Brent, a man who gets upset when he can’t use an expired passport to get a Real ID driver’s license
  • Randall Park as Beau Young, the California DMV North Hollywood branch manager
  • Leslie Jones as Sally, the California DMV director’s executive assistant in Sacramento “Big Sac”

Episodes

No.Title [1]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [1]U.S. viewers
(millions)
1“Pilot”Trent O’DonnellDana KleinOctober 13, 2025 (2025-10-13)3.93[2]
Colette, a big-hearted driving examiner, begins her day at the East Hollywood DMV branch, where nothing goes according to plan. While balancing the teasing of coworkers Gregg, a grumpy former English teacher; Vic, a former bouncer; and Ceci, who is obsessed with photography and laminating, she manages her crush on her coworker Noa. Barbara, the new branch manager, struggles to keep things under control as consultants stop by to figure out how to cut costs and decide whether this branch or four other local Hollywood branches should be shut down.
2“Stay In Your Lane”Trent O’DonnellDana Klein & Matt KuhnOctober 20, 2025 (2025-10-20)3.31[3]
On a hot day in East Hollywood, the DMV staff struggles with a broken air conditioner. Colette worries that Noa might leave next after a new hire quits because of the overwhelmingness and demand, known as “Wash out Wednesday” to the staff. She is determined to keep him around, so she ignores what Gregg and Vic warn and changes the AC herself, which causes a power outage. At the same time, Noa’s driving test brings him face-to-face with someone from his past, which makes things more difficult for Colette. Barb is still reporting to “Big Sac” as the decision whether their branch or four other local Hollywood branches should be shut down remains in question.
3“Easy Pass”Trent O’DonnellIra UngerleiderOctober 27, 2025 (2025-10-27)2.84[4]
When Colette finally gives her coworker, Noa, his driving test, she struggles to stay professional even though she has feelings for him. Meanwhile, Ceci helps Barb get ready for her official portrait as the branch’s new manager. As Colette opens up to Noa, she learns he may have used their friendship to get ahead.
4“Don’t Kill the Job”Trent O’DonnellSam LaybourneNovember 3, 2025 (2025-11-03)3.02[5]
When Colette unexpectedly encounters an old friend while working at the DMV, she chooses to act more like a customer than an employee to avoid embarrassment, enlisting the help of her coworkers to carry out her plan. Meanwhile, Gregg take Noa under his wing to teach him the unspoken strategies of navigating the slow-moving rhythms of DMV work.
5“Stick Shift”Trent O’DonnellKeith HeislerNovember 10, 2025 (2025-11-10)2.98[6]
Ceci accuses Colette of performing acts of kindness solely for recognition and credit, prompting Colette to try and prove her sincerity by anonymously giving Noa a carefully chosen gift, which unexpectedly causes disastrous results for him.
6“Blindspot”Christine GernonSasha StromanNovember 17, 2025 (2025-11-17)2.93[7]
Colette is heartbroken to learn that her crush, Noa, is dating someone else, and Ceci encourages her to take action using magic-driven ways. Meanwhile, Barb launches an investigation into who is defacing the DMV’s property with inappropriate drawings.
7“There Is No I in DMV”Christine GernonJoshua Corey & Brian KratzNovember 24, 2025 (2025-11-24)2.81[8]
e printer at the DMV doesn’t work. Barb decides to visit another LA DMV to see how they run and takes Collette, Noa, and Vic. While there, Collette and Vic steal their printer. Barb gets into arguments with the manager of the location. Noa tries to get his license done but keeps getting transferred between windows. In the end, they give the printer back, and realize they only have good wait times because the location transfers people to other windows to keep them at a 3-5 minute completion time.
8“Splash Fountain”Katie Locke O’BrienMiles WoodsDecember 1, 2025 (2025-12-01)N/A
Barb tells everyone they got a refund from when the AC broke. Collette becomes texting buddies with Barb and starts to regret it immediately. Vic and Noa bond over being bros. Gregg gets onto a call with the help desk about his forever broken chair and becomes best friends with the AI assistant. Collette and Barb get trapped in a self-driving car for hours. Everyone want a new coffee maker.
9“The Next Window”Katie Locke O’BrienMatt KuhnDecember 8, 2025 (2025-12-08)N/A
Noa breaks up with Mary. Barb wants to take some of the team to Sacramento to see the DMV director open up their holiday card and put it on the tree.
10“Hot Gurlz”Robert CohenNora NolanFebruary 23, 2026 (2026-02-23)N/A
Collette wants more girl friends, so she tries to befriend Ceci and get into the Hot Gurlz group chat. She goes on a date with Ceci’s cousin, who is a repairman, but instantly regrets asking him out because he is shorter than her. Ceci adds her to the group chat. On the second date she tries to be obnoxious to blow him off, but he blows her off because she has weird feet. In the end everyone is good and Ceci lets Collette stay on the group chat.
11“Power Shift”Robert CohenKristen ZublinMarch 2, 2026 (2026-03-02)N/A
Barb’s ankle is healed so she gets her boot off. The DMV will be piloting a new AI license photography robot, which basically replaces Ceci’s job. Ceci and Barb decide to swap jobs for the day to make her feel better. Ceci does a great job as a manager, so Barb sabotages her. In the end, they switch back and as they’re trying to destroy the robot, it falls and breaks Barb’s foot again.
12“The Fourth Wheel”Santiago LimónIra UngerleiderMarch 9, 2026 (2026-03-09)N/A
Barb hires a new driving instructor, (played by Anna Camp), who is the niece of the President of the DMV. Quickly, she reveals she is trying to take Collette’s place. Also, Noa finds out that Ceci is dating the man who made him miserable in previous episodes. He finds that their relationship is horribly toxic, but helps them stay together anyway. Barb ends up firing the new girl and gets a call from the president thanking her for firing his neice. This episode also features people playing poker with expired licenses.
13“Test Drive”Rob CohenSasha StromanMarch 16, 2026 (2026-03-16)N/A
It is Teen Outreach Day, Barb wants good press, so they’re getting a bunch of teenagers on their road tests. Collette tries to find out why Gregg left teaching. Barb gets Ceci to star in her promotion video for DMV-TV. Vic and Noa are convinced that one of the teenagers is Vic’s son.
14“Payday”Robert CohenNora NolanMarch 23, 2026 (2026-03-23)TBD
Payday at the DMV only happens once a month, so everyone needs a side hustle to get them through the month. Barb doesn’t do side hustles but end up falling for an MLM that sells gloves. Vic builds and delivers furniture and ropes Noa into helping him. Gregg discovers Noa is rich and doesn’t actually need any side hustle. Barb convinces Collette and Ceci to join in the MLM, and they discover the gloves cause irritation and lesions to their hands. Payday finally occurs and everyone starts blowing their money on things again.
15“Gilbert”Santiago LimónMiles WoodsMarch 30, 2026 (2026-03-30)TBD
Collette gives a driving test to Howard (played by Thomas Lennon), who rescues animals. Vic’s 12-year old best friend moves away and he is lonely, so Gregg and Collette set him up to get a dog from Howard. Barb’s foot is still healing and Ceci blames herself for it breaking, so she tries to repay her debt by getting Noa, the person with the slowest ATP, to be faster. Howard has very thorough tests to see if Vic is capable of owning a dog. Ceci tries to make Noa less hot so he can be faster, in the end she puts Paula at the window next to him to improve his time. After some self-sabotage, Vic passes Howard’s tests and adopts his new dog, Gilbert.
16“Fresh Ink”Natalia AndersonKeith HeislerApril 13, 2026 (2026-04-13)TBD
Barb is the only Hollywood DMV manager who hasn’t been featured in the 10&2 magazine. Gregg and Vic start a competition to get more positive reviews online, with the loser having to get a tattoo of Barb. Collette gets a teen reporter to interview Barb.
17“Drive-ory Tower”[9]Natalia AndersonAnanya MenonApril 20, 2026 (2026-04-20)TBD
18“Abuela”[10]Natalia AndersonSam LaybourneApril 27, 2026 (2026-04-27)TBD
19“Car-lette”TBATBAMay 4, 2026 (2026-05-04)TBD
20“Impact Will Be Felt”[11]Natalia AndersonDana Klein & Matt KuhnMay 11, 2026 (2026-05-11)TBD

Production

Development

On August 5, 2024, DMV was given a pilot order by CBS.[12] The pilot was written by Dana Klein and directed by Trent O’Donnell, and was filmed in Montreal, Canada in November 2024.[13][14] Klein also executive produced the project alongside O’Donnell, Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, and Robyn Meisinger.[15] On April 22, 2025, DMV was picked to series by CBS. Production companies involved producing the series are Anonymous Content, CBS Studios, Kapital Entertainment, and TrillTV.[16] The series is based on a short story by Katherine Heiny.[17] Filming for the series began on July 28, 2025, in Montreal.[18] In September 2025, DMV received a full season order of 20 episodes.[19] On March 27, 2026, CBS canceled the series after one season.[20]

Casting

In September 2024, Tim Meadows, Harriet Dyer, and Molly Kearney were cast to star.[21][22][15] On November 1, 2024, Alex Tarrant, Tony Cavalero, and Gigi Zumbado joined the main cast.[23] On October 20, 2025, Jessica Camacho was cast in a recurring capacity.[24]

Broadcast

DMV premiered on CBS on October 13, 2025.[25] The series finale is set to air on May 11, 2026.[20]

The series was acquired by ITV in the United Kingdom – subtitled DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles – with the first ten episodes available on its streaming platform ITVX from April 16, 2026;[26] only the first episode received a linear broadcast, that night on ITV1.[27][better source needed]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 63% based on 16 reviews. The website’s critics consensus reads, “While DMV still has some kinks to work out before it passes inspection, it’s already a lot more fun than visiting the genuine article.”[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave a score of 53 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating “mixed or average”.[29]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of DMV
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
Ref.
1 Pilot October 13, 2025 0.3/3 3.93 0.1 1.15 0.4 5.08 [2]
2 Stay In Your Lane October 20, 2025 0.3/3 3.31 0.1 0.77 0.4 4.27 [3]
3 Easy Pass October 27, 2025 0.2/2 2.84 0.1 0.84 0.4 3.68 [4]
4 Don’t Kill the Job November 3, 2025 0.3/3 3.02 0.1 0.74 0.4 3.76 [5]
5 Stick Shift November 10, 2025 0.2/3 2.98 0.1 0.75 0.3 3.73 [6]
6 Blindspot November 17, 2025 0.2/3 2.93 TBD TBD TBD TBD [7]
7 There Is No I in DMV November 24, 2025 0.2/3 2.81 TBD TBD TBD TBD [8]

References

  1. ^ a b “Shows A-Z – DMV on CBS”. The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 15, 2025). DMV Series Debut on CBS Builds Upon its Neighborhood Lead-in in Total Viewers”. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2025). “Monday Ratings: MLB American League Championship Series Concludes on Fox and FS1”. Programming Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (October 29, 2025). “Monday Ratings: 11.4 Million Tune in to 18-Inning Third Game of MLB World Series on Fox Platforms”. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 5, 2025). “Monday Ratings: Modest Return for NBC Comedy St. Denis Medical. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 12, 2025). “Monday Ratings: The Office Spinoff The Paper from Peacock Makes Repurposed Premiere on NBC”. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 19, 2025). “Monday Ratings: NFL on ABC and ESPN Crushes its TV Competition”. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Pucci, Douglas (November 26, 2025). “Monday Ratings: Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion on CBS Scores Fall’s Top Audience for a Primetime Entertainment Special”. Programming Insider. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  9. ^ “(#DMV112) “Drive-ory Tower”. The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  10. ^ “(#DMV118) “Abuela”. The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  11. ^ “Impact Will Be Felt”. The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 5, 2024). “CBS Orders Pilot For ‘DMV’ Comedy From Dana Klein, Development Room For Vampire Comedy From ‘Ghosts’ Showrunners”. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  13. ^ Graham, Adam (October 9, 2025). “Tim Meadows wanted to get involved politically, so he sold his Tesla and went to work”. The Detroit News. Detroit. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  14. ^ Flores, Andrea. “Gigi Zumbado takes the edge off new Valentine’s Day slasher ‘Heart Eyes’. Los Angeles Times. El Segundo, California. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 30, 2024). ‘SNL’s Molly Kearney Joins CBS Comedy Pilot ‘DMV’, Trent O’Donnell To Direct”. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  16. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 22, 2025). “CBS Orders Tim Meadows’ ‘DMV’ Comedy and Matthew Gray Gubler’s ‘Einstein’ Drama to Series”. Variety. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  17. ^ Seitz, Loree (October 14, 2025). ‘DMV’ Creators Talk Finding Laughs in One of the Most Dreaded Places: ‘It Is the Great Equalizer’. TheWrap. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  18. ^ “DMV Season 1 (Block 1 – Part A)”. Casting Workbook. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  19. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 17, 2025). ‘DMV’ Gets Back Order For 7 Additional Episodes”. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 27, 2026). Watson & DMV Canceled By CBS, Series Finales Set; What Does That Mean For Net’s Comedy Pilots?”. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  21. ^ Petski, Denise (September 13, 2024). “Tim Meadows To Star In CBS Comedy Pilot ‘DMV’. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  22. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 25, 2024). ‘Colin From Accounts’ Star Harriet Dyer Joins CBS Comedy Pilot ‘DMV’. Variety. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  23. ^ Cordero, Rosy (November 1, 2024). “Alex Tarrant, Tony Cavalero & Gigi Zumbado To Star In CBS Comedy Pilot ‘DMV’. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  24. ^ Schneider, Michael (October 20, 2025). “Leslie Jones Among ‘DMV’ Guest Stars This Season; Jessica Camacho Added to Recurring Cast”. Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  25. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (July 11, 2025). “CBS Sets Fall Premiere Dates for NCIS, Matlock and More — Tom Ellis' CIA Bumped to Midseason With New Showrunner”. TVLine. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  26. ^ “DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles – Watch Episode – ITVX”. ITVX. Archived from the original on 16 April 2026. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  27. ^ “DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles on ITV1 London HD at 10:05pm April 16th, 2026”. Digiguide. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  28. ^ DMV: Season 1″. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  29. ^ DMV: Season 1″. Metacritic. Retrieved October 17, 2025.