Latest news with #BureauofMotorVehicles
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
What the Supreme Court's decision on porn age verification means for Indiana
The Supreme Court on June 27 upheld a Texas law requiring pornographic websites to verify a user's age, a ruling that could impact access in Indiana. Indiana lawmakers in 2024 approved a measure requiring porn website operators to enact age verification processes, and allowing parents to sue if their children get past them, following the example of several other states. Several of those operators and free-speech advocates immediately sued the state over this law, as they did in other states, but the Indiana lawsuit has been in a holding pattern pending this Supreme Court decision. The competing interests in all of these lawsuits are First Amendment rights to free speech and expression balanced against minors' exposure to sexually explicit material. In Indiana as in Texas, the plaintiffs argue these age restriction measures are overly burdensome and restrict free speech unnecessarily while placing privacy at risk. More: Supreme Court upholds Texas' age verification law for porn sites For example, they argue there are more effective options out there to address the same end without introducing a barrier to adults' access, such as content filtering at the browser or device level. Defenders like Attorney General Todd Rokita have said protecting children from "harmful" content overrides these concerns. The Supreme Court voted along ideological lines in arguing that Texas' law is not overly burdensome, saying it uses "established methods of providing government-issued identification and sharing transactional data." Indiana's law is similar: Acceptable age verification methods include a mobile identification credential issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, an independent third-party age verification service, or "any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data." From 2024: Porn website operators sue Indiana AG Todd Rokita to block age verification law After Pornhub and others sued Indiana in June, a federal judge granted their request to block the law, but then an appeals court rescinded that injunction in August, allowing the law to go into effect. Meanwhile, Pornhub has disabled access to its website for people surfing the web within Indiana. The plaintiffs later requested to pause the proceedings in Indiana until the Supreme Court made a decision on the Texas law, which a judge granted, acknowledging that the question of what standard to apply to these free speech concerns is similar in both cases, and the Supreme Court's answer may help streamline the discovery process in Indiana. According to a November filing in the case, the parties will reconvene within two weeks.
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana doesn't have a DMV. We have a BMV, and they won't text you to pay a ticket
No, the Indiana Department of Vehicles won't text you to demand you pay your traffic tickets. In fact, there is no "Indiana DMV." In Indiana, drivers instead have the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or BMV. But they aren't sending you these texts, either. IndyStar wrote about this text message scam that has been reported across several states targeting Hoosiers earlier this month, but those texts are still in circulation. If you receive a text like this, it's just another smishing, or SMS phishing scam, and you should not go to the link in the text. The scam is similar to recent fraudulent texts and emails about unpaid tolls. The messages may claim that if unpaid traffic fines aren't paid right away, drivers will face actions such as their vehicle registrations or licenses being suspended, additional fees and prosecution. "Please pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes," one text message reads. It gives a link that is not for a government website. Scam texts: Indianapolis is one of the top cities receiving toll road scam texts in the United States Don't follow the instructions in the text. You can report the fraudulent texts to the Federal Trade Commission at
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
3,600 pairs of new license plates to be replaced after printing error
Jun. 6—The state will replace thousands of newly issued license plates after a printing error, the Department of the Secretary of State said. About 3,600 pairs of license plates were printed with the wrong amount of space between numbers and letters, office spokesperson Jana Spaulding said on a Friday evening phone call. She said the erroneous license plates were printed within the same time frame. "It could potentially cause an issue with E-ZPass and other things that do that character reading," she said. "Obviously an inconvenience, which is unfortunate, but was caught quickly." The new plates, which feature a pine tree reminiscent of the 1901 state flag, are being manufactured in Canada. They began replacing Maine's time-honored chickadee plates last month. The 3,600 drivers who were issued the faulty plates are being notified by letter, Spaulding said. The office will mail impacted drivers replacement plates and sticker tags at no cost. In the meantime, drivers are asked to use the errant plates and notify the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of any issues related to scanning, Spaulding said. "It's a relatively minor, short-term error," she said, adding that the issue affected only "3,600 out of a few million" the agency intends to distribute this year. Those who receive replacement plates can return the faulty ones to the BMV or hold onto them as a keepsake, but they should not be used on a vehicle, Spaulding said. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
City Clerk warns of scam texts
Terre Haute City Clerk Michelle Edwards reported Wednesday that her office has received information regarding text messages asking recipients to pay bogus traffic tickets. "These messages are scams and are not from any court or clerk's office," Edwards said. The messages are sent from the number +63 931 983 1668 and read: "Indiana Department of Vehicles (DMV) Final Notice: Enforcement Penalties Begin on June 7. "Our records show that as of today, you still have an outstanding traffic ticket. In accordance with North Indiana State Administrative Code 15C-16.003, if you do not complete payment by June 6, 2025, we will take the following actions: "1. Report to the DMV violation database "2. Suspend your vehicle registration starting June 7 "3. Suspend driving privileges for 30 days "4. Transfer to a toll booth and charge a 35% service fee "5. You may be prosecuted and your credit score will be affected "Please pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes." Indiana has a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), not a DMV, Edwards noted, and text messages are not sent concerning traffic tickets. Individuals should not respond to the text or click on any link it includes.
Indianapolis Star
04-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Don't fall for the latest text messaging scam claiming you have unpaid traffic fines
No, the Indiana Department of Vehicles won't text you to demand you pay your traffic tickets. In fact, there is no "Indiana DMV." In Indiana, drivers instead have the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or BMV. But they aren't sending you these texts, either. A recent text message scam across multiple states is now targeting Hoosiers. It's yet another smishing, or SMS phishing scam, and recipients should not go to the link in the text. The scam is similar to recent fraudulent texts and emails about unpaid tolls. The messages may claim if unpaid traffic fines aren't paid right away, drivers' will be added to a violation database;' their vehicle registrations or licenses will be suspended; they'll face an additional service fee; they'll be prosecuted; and their credit scores will be affected. "Please pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes," one text message received Wednesday reads. It gives a link that is not for a government website. Scam texts: Indianapolis is one of the top cities receiving toll road scam texts in the United States Don't follow the instructions in the text. You can report the fraudulent texts to the Federal Trade Commission at
