Escrow Accounts

An escrow account is an alternative to sending a check or money order for each DMV transaction. You deposit money into the escrow account, and then DMV debits the account to pay for the transaction. New York State DMV customers who frequently process any of the following products and services can establish an escrow account:

• Copies of motor vehicle crash reports by mail-order
• Bulk order driver license abstracts
• DMV Central Office record searches
• DMV Central Office abstract orders
• Records Request Service account display searches
• Records Request Service account display abstract orders
• Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests
• License Event Notification Service (LENS) notifications
• Bus driver (Article 19-A) notifications
• Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) crash prevention course filings
• Motor vehicle title certificate lien filing accounts (paper and electronic lien filings)
• Copies of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law book

Escrow Amount - DMV requires a minimum escrow amount of at least $200 for search accounts. We recommend that you keep enough money in the escrow account to cover 2 months of transactions. 

Escrow Account Statement - On the last business day of the month, DMV automatically issues a statement of the activity in the escrow account during that month.

Debit - The amount taken, by date, from the escrow account. Details about each debit are not available on your statement. Only the total debit amount by date and type of product or service is available on your statement.

Credit - Payments to your escrow account by date. Payments are posted to your account by 3 p.m. the day they are received.

Balance - The amount in your escrow account available to use. You cannot pay for transactions from the account until payment is received and processed. A negative amount (in parentheses) indicates that the account has a positive credit balance, and a positive amount (without parentheses) indicates that the account is overdrawn. 

Monthly Charges to Date - The total debits to your account for the statement period.

Total Charges - The cumulative total of debits to your account.

Pay This Amount - The payment amount necessary to return your account balance to the required Escrow Amount.

ACH (Automated Clearing House) Payments - Electronic transfer of funds from your bank account into your escrow account by the DMV website.

Account Liaison - The person identified on the monthly Escrow Account Summary page that is sent to your business each month. Only the account liaison can request updates to the account or request information about it. The account liaison can also update your business address and assign users to the system.

Payment by Check or Money Order

You can mail DMV a check or money order to replenish funds into your escrow account. For each payment, make the check or money order out to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and include your Escrow account number on the face of the check in the memo section (This number can be found on the monthly account summary page sent to you in the mail). DMV will return all payments without an account number. 

Send your payment by normal mail or overnight to Revenue Accounting.

Payment by Credit Card or ACH

You can register online with eServices to electronically replenish funds into your DMV escrow account using a credit card or Automatic Clearing House (ACH). The funds are immediately credited to your accounts. This eliminates the need to send your payments by mail. You can post payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so that you never have to worry about running out of money or a delay in replenishing your account.    

Set Up an Online Escrow Account

If you have any questions about online replenishment, contact Revenue Accounting’s Escrow unit at (518) 474-0888.   

How to Set up ACH

Complete forms Authorization Agreement for Direct Deposits (ACH Debits/Credits) (PDF) (FM-138) and ACH Liaison Designation (PDF) (FM-139). Return both forms and a blank, voided check for the account from which the funds will be withdrawn. You can return them to us via mail, email, or fax. Account setup takes about 4-6 weeks after we receive the forms and check.

The account liaison will receive an email from [email protected] when the account has been set up. They must then add the company's banking information. If accepted, the banks may approve your first ACH transaction in about 6 days. Each ACH transaction after the first will hit your account after an overnight delay. 

Payment by credit card does not require ACH setup.

Your account liaison must email [email protected] to request a change or receive information about the escrow account. 

If your business needs to change the person serving as account liaison, you must state that in an email to [email protected]. 

We will ask for the new liaison's: 

• Driver license number 
• Driver license state of issuance
• Business contact phone number 
• Business contact email address

If you are registered for an online account, your account liaison can use the system to update your address. 

If you are not registered for an eService account, send a letter on business letterhead to DMV Revenue Accounting’s Escrow Unit.

Include the following:

• Your old address
• Your new address
• Your account number
• Your signature
• The date

You may need to recertify annually. To recertify, email [email protected].  

When your account has been recertified, you must do the following before you can continue using the account:

1. Log into your Fins account (fins-XXXXXXX)
2. Click on Remote Admin of Vpass Environment
3. Agree to the terms
4. Click on Recertify all the Users
5. Check all the user boxes 
6. Click Update
7. Complete all the steps on this page 
8. Check that the page says 364 days left till Recertification
9. Log off and close the browser
10. Log back in

When you have completed this, you should be ready to continue your business.  

To close your escrow account, use the contact information below to send a request by mail, fax, or email to DMV Revenue Accounts. Put your request on letterhead and sign and date it. If you do not have letterhead, send in the request on your monthly statement. Be sure to include your account number. 

If there is any remaining balance in your account, DMV can issue you a refund check or transfer the balance to another escrow account that you have with DMV. When you close the account, let DMV know what you want to do with the balance, if any, left in your account.