DMV is based on the short story "Chicken-Flavored and Lemon-Scented" by Katherine Heiny, originally published via Electric Literature.

The series received a pilot order from CBS on August 5, 2024, before being picked up to series on April 22, 2025, and later receiving a full season order of 20 episodes in September 2025.

Although the show is set at a fictional Los Angeles DMV branch in East Hollywood, both the pilot (filmed November 2024) and the series (filming began July 28, 2025) were actually shot in Montreal, Canada.

Tim Meadows, Harriet Dyer, and Molly Kearney were the first actors cast, joining in September 2024, followed by Alex Tarrant, Tony Cavalero, and Gigi Zumbado on November 1, 2024.

The series was canceled by CBS after just one season in March 2026, with the finale airing May 11, 2026.

DMV holds a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews, with critics noting it 'still has some kinks to work out before it passes inspection.' Metacritic gave it a 'mixed or average' score of 53 out of 100.

In the UK, the series aired on ITV1 and ITVX under the retitled version 'DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles,' with its episodes split into two batches released in April and June 2026.