How to Submit a Mutant Vehicle Design to the Department of Mutant Vehicles

The bicycle is the best vehicle for getting around Burning Man, and one purpose of the Department of Mutant Vehicles is to return Burning Man to being a pedestrian- and bike-friendly city. Aside from official vehicles, the only motorized vehicles allowed in Black Rock City are licensed Mutant Vehicles and vehicles for people with disabilities. Operators must submit necessary paperwork and have their vehicles visually approved on the playa.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Oil drip pan
• Reliable vehicle that you can modify permanently

Review the DMV Protocols and Design Your Vehicle

1. Read every word of the BRC Vehicle Protocols at the Burning Man On The Playa web page.
2. Decide whether it is worthwhile to seek a license (see Resources below).
3. Design and modify your vehicle, paying attention both to the requirements for a Mutant Vehicle license and to the challenge of getting it to and from Burning Man.

Submit Your Questionnaire and Design to the DMV

4. Proceed to the DMV Questionnaire web page, follow all prompts, and read all material carefully as you submit your vehicle design and application to the Department of Mutant Vehicles (see Resources below). When asked to click on an "Accept" or "Decline" button, don't skim over the material. There will be a test, and the consequences of failing may be impoundment and revocation.
5. Submit a Disabled Persons Vehicle Questionnaire if you qualify (see Resources below). This process does not require that you modify or mutate your vehicle.

Get Your Vehicle to the Playa, Get Approved and Drive Safely

6. Bring your vehicle to the Gate with your preliminary approval from the Department. If licensed as a person with disabilities, bring your disability permit as issued by your locality.
7. Submit your vehicle for visual approval at the Gate.
8. Abide by all DMV traffic rules as well as any specific limitations placed on your vehicle.

Tips & Warnings

• It requires a lot more than some artsy ornamentation to make your vehicle a Mutant Vehicle. A car should not look like a car, and a bus should not look like a bus. A motorized couch or bed may have a better shot than an old VW bus with a floral design.
• Once licensed and approved on the playa, even Mutant Vehicles and vehicles for people with disabilities must be operated according to very strict Black Rock City traffic rules. Violating traffic rules at Burning Man may lead to revocation of a license, impoundment of the vehicle and possible ejection from the event.