DEPARTMENT OF MUTANT VEHICLES
The primary mission of the Black Rock City Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) is to license Mutant Vehicles for movement at Burning Man. For information on other types of vehicles on the playa, visit Vehicles on the Playa. Mutant Vehicles contribute to the surreal thread that binds Black Rock City together. They are "art on wheels": radically, stunningly, (usually) permanently, and safely modified motorized vehicles. For aesthetic reasons, Mutant Vehicles should not represent the base vehicle, and for safety reasons, should not mimic any type of emergency services or law enforcement vehicle. Mutant Vehicles include non-standard motorized vehicles such as couches, beds, and armchairs. Let the words "whimsical" and "surreal" guide you through your creative process.
Larry Harvey likens Mutant Vehicles to "sublimely beautiful works of art floating across the playa like a Miro painting." Jewelz Cody, former head of the DMV, calls them "a surreal contribution to the visual quality of Black Rock City." Whatever their description, Mutant Vehicles are core to the culture and community at Burning Man. If you've ever ridden on Pepper Mouser's Living Room, watched Tara Packard's Rubber Ducky cruise by at night, or basked in the warm glow of Tom Kennedy's Whale, you know what we're talking about.
How do you go about getting a license? Read on for our criteria and process.
And, as always, if you have any questions, please contact the DMV.
Thanks!
The DMV Hotties
Mutant Vehicle Licensing Criteria
In order to be eligible to receive a Mutant Vehicle license, you must:
1. Think about, and tell us, WHY you want to bring a Mutant Vehicle to Burning Man.
What's your motivation? If convenience or personal conveyance is your primary goal, please rethink your desire to have a Mutant Vehicle on the playa. The only Mutant Vehicles to receive licenses will be radical works of art, or vehicles with a high participation factor. Yes, Black Rock City is huge, and can be a challenge to navigate. This is what bicycles are for!
2. Comply with all DMV pre-registration guidelines and deadlines.
Online Mutant Vehicle pre-registration is MANDATORY. This includes reading and understanding all information about Mutant Vehicles on the playa, and filling out the online form. If you do not pre-register your Mutant Vehicle, you will not be eligible for a Mutant Vehicle license. Pre-registration begins on February 15th and ends on June 30. We've given you a lot to think about when filling out the pre-registration form. You will be asked to include a photo or sketch of your vehicle, the safety considerations you are making, detailed information about the vehicle, and your intent in bringing this vehicle to Burning Man. You'll also be asked to agree in advance to honor BRC driving protocols.
3. Include safety in your design considerations.
You must be thinking about safety in terms of your vehicle's design, passengers, and operating procedures. In the pre-registration form, you will be asked specific questions, including the dimensions of your vehicle, how people can get on and off of your vehicle, and whether your vehicle includes trailers. If your vehicle will carry passengers, make sure it can handle its potential passenger capacity.
4. Honor your Black Rock citizenship and keep your commitments.
Black Rock City has a few simple guidelines/driving protocols. Obey the speed limit (5 MPH on the streets). Don't kick up dust. Give pedestrians and bicyclists the right of way. Don't drive without a DMV license. Don't drive in pedestrian-designated roads, on walkways, or in Center Camp. Don't drive if you are chemically impaired. If you violate these community guidelines, you'll lose your Mutant Vehicle license at a minimum; your vehicle can also be impounded, and you can be fined by law enforcement and/or ejected from the event. Owners that cannot follow our simple rules run the risk of not being licensed in subsequent years.
5. Fulfill your intent — create a Mutant Vehicle that meets the requirements of being a highly participatory, visually stimulating, and whimsically beautiful/surreal contribution to Black Rock City.
Deciding which vehicles get licensed and which ones don't is one of the hardest jobs in the Burning Man community. The DMV criteria help us to evaluate all Mutant Vehicles equally and fairly. Not every vehicle that applies for a license can (or should) be licensed. Your vehicle should inspire "Ooh!s," "Ahh!s," and "How in the name of Peaches Q. Fernbottom did you make that happen?!?!?" If this isn't the case, be prepared to receive an email letter from the DMV asking you to not bring your vehicle to the playa.
Mutant Vehicle Licensing Process - Pre-Playa
The first step in the licensing process is to pre-register your Mutant Vehicle by filing out the online application (this is NOT filling out a paper application and mailing it in! Only online applicatinos will be accepted). This is mandatory. When your application has been submitted, you will receive an email from the DMV acknowledging its receipt.
Next, your vehicle's application will be considered. One of three things will happen:
1. You will receive an email inviting you to bring your Mutant Vehicle to Burning Man, where a team of DMV Hotties will perform an on-playa inspection. If it meets all criteria, it will be issued an appropriate license. In this instance, you will also be added to an announce list for this year's Mutant Vehicles, which will provide you with important information before the event.
OR
2. You will receive an email asking you to NOT bring your Mutant Vehicle to Burning Man. If you receive this email, it is because a team of Hotties has determined that this vehicle would not be issued a license on the playa. This step is intended to reduce the sweat and heartache of hauling your vehicle all the way to the playa only to discover that you cannot drive it at the event.
OR
You will be contacted by a member of the DMV and asked to clarify certain points about your application/vehicle.
Mutant Vehicle Licensing Process - On-Playa
The licensing process is not complete until a team of DMV Hotties inspects your vehicle on the playa. If your vehicle has met all of the preliminary criteria, you will receive an email from the DMV inviting you to bring your vehicle to the playa for inspection and possible licensing. In order to bring your Mutant Vehicle through the Black Rock City Gate, you must show this email to the Gate staff. The email you receive will indicate the location and hours of the BRC DMV.
At the BRC DMV, a team of Hotties will examine your vehicle to see if you have fulfilled your agreement to bring a radically, visually stimulating and highly participatory vehicle to Burning Man.
But Wait, There's More!
Night Licenses: If you are applying for a night license, you must come during daytime hours to get a prelliminary inspection and fill out your paperwork. You must then return during night hours so that we can inspect (and be thoroughly enthralled by) your thoroughly radical illumination.
Trailers: If your vehicle includes trailers, ALL trailers must be present for inspection. Trailers are licensed separately from the main vehicle.
Location of Mutant Vehicle License: If invited to bring your vehicle to the playa, you will be asked to keep the lower-rear driver-side section of your vehicle open for license placement. Consistency of license location makes all of our jobs easier.
Sound: All vehicles licensed for movement at Black Rock City are subject to the same sound guidelines as theme camps. Sound systems over 300 watts are only allowed to play music at an unrestricted volume in the large-scale sound areas of Black Rock City. When within the city streets, in camping areas, especially later at night, you must turn down your sound to an appropriate level. Also be conscience and respectful of art installations on the open playa, and reduce your volume as you approach.
Flame Effects: If your vehicle incorporates flame effects, it will need to go through an additional inspection. These licenses allow Mutant Vehicles that incorporate flame effects to use these effects on the playa. An additional questionnaire and process is required for these licenses.
If you've gotten this far, we can't wait to see you and your vehicle on the playa! 
