Mutant Vehicle Criteria and Licensing

The Mutant Vehicle Statement of Intent (MVSOI) form is our initial check-in for Black Rock City. Just as the Placement team uses their Placement SOI to understand the plans of placed Theme Camps, The MVSOI helps the DMV better gauge the needs and intentions of all Mutant Vehicle projects, both new and returning.

The Mutant Vehicle Statement of Intent (MVSOI) is for all Mutant Vehicle teams who plan to bring their vehicle to Black Rock City, those who may want to take a year off, or those who seek access to purchase tickets in the spring Stewards Sale. NOTE: If you do not submit an MVSOI, you may still apply to bring your Mutant Vehicle, however you will not be considered for Stewards Sale tickets.

The MVSOI is a planning tool that helps the DMV understand:

• Your Vehicle’s Intent: What vehicle you plan to bring and its current status.
• Stewards Sale Ticket Needs: The total number of tickets your Mutant Vehicle team and associated support camp members will require to get to the playa.
• Placement Needs: Does your team intend to request placement as a Mutant Vehicle Support Camp (as opposed to being part of another type of Placed Camp). The MVSOI does not replace the Placed Camp Questionnaire.

Stewards Sale Ticket Access

The Stewards Sale takes place before the main public sales and is designed to support the teams actively building and supporting projects that significantly contribute to Black Rock City. We know ticket access is critical, and we aim to supply tickets to all MV teams to meet the essential needs of their team and support camp.

What to Expect

The form will ask you about your vehicle project, the total size of your Mutant Vehicle crew and support team, whether you require a Mutant Vehicle Support Camp, and your anticipated ticket needs. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Please be thoughtful and realistic when estimating your total team/support camp size and its corresponding ticket needs. Your careful planning helps us manage resources effectively for all teams.

A Few Key Notes

This form Does Not Replace Your Mutant Vehicle Application!

This MVSOI is for initial planning and ticket access only. You still need to submit a separate, full application for your Mutant Vehicle to be considered for an official license. If requesting a placed Mutant Vehicle Support Camp, you will need to fill out a Placed Camp Questionnaire. Mutant Vehicle Registration and the Placed Camp Questionnaire will open Mid-February, 2026.

Inclusion in the Stewards Sale Does Not Guarantee your Mutant Vehicle’s invitation or camp placement.
Because the Stewards Sale happens before registration opens, completing the form and participating in the sale doesn’t guarantee your Mutant Vehicle will be invited this year or that you will receive Placement for a Mutant Vehicle Support Camp.

If you have any questions while filling out the form, please don’t hesitate to email us at dmv@burningman.org.

To be eligible for a Mutant Vehicle license, you must satisfy ALL of the following criteria:

There are five main points the DMV considers when reviewing your vehicle.

1. Level of Mutation / Visual Presentation

• Mutate or create your vehicle to the point that it is not recognizable as a street or stock vehicle. A radically mutated vehicle will not resemble or represent a car, truck, golf cart, or any other readily identifiable street or stock vehicle. In most cases, little or none of the base vehicle should be visible.
• Beyond just changing, covering, or hiding the base vehicle (if any), the mutation should aim to be visually compelling, providing “wow factor” for the other participants of Black Rock City. When a person sees this vehicle, their reaction should be “Wow! Look at that!”
• General Considerations:
  • If a vehicle maintains its stock form (i.e., it keeps the shape of a bus, golf cart, or street vehicle), it may not be sufficiently mutated to meet the Mutant Vehicle Criteria.
  • A vehicle primarily covered with fabric, fur, or other material, without significantly changing the vehicle’s shape, may not be sufficiently mutated to meet the Mutant Vehicle Criteria.
  • A vehicle where the Mutation is primarily art or mutation on top of an unmutated vehicle may not be sufficiently mutated to meet the Mutant Vehicle Criteria.
  • A vehicle primarily stripped to the engine and/or frame may not be sufficiently mutated to meet the Mutant Vehicle Criteria.
  • For visual examples of vehicles that applied but did not meet Mutant Vehicle Criteria, please see: DMV GALLERY.
  • Consideration may be given to vehicles that are presented outside of their normal context.
  • The DMV will be looking to invite a balance of different types of vehicles on the playa: large-scale sound vehicles, flame effects focused vehicles, small artistic vehicles, large transport vehicles, highly participatory vehicles, etc.
  • We are dedicated to licensing vehicles from projects of all budget levels, not just the most expensively built ones.
  • We primarily look for vehicles that meet the criteria above AND demonstrate good execution of their design concept.
  • We also consider the originality of a vehicle. There are already quite a number of bar-cars, furniture cars, and boats, for example, and the DMV may choose only to invite some of the vehicles that are similar or identical in design. The same applies to groups of identical vehicles, ie, fleets, herds or swarms of similarly designed vehicles.
  • TRAILERS – Any trailer attached to a Mutant Vehicle must also meet the criteria for Mutation as well as the Trailer SafetyRequirements (see below)

2. Interactivity

• Provide an interactive experience for participants of Black Rock City. Interactivity is defined as an opportunity for any BRC citizen to participate in some activity offered by your vehicle. The theme and/or size of the vehicle are considered here. Do you entertain a crowd? Does your vehicle have room for riders? Does your vehicle provide a service to the community? Does it include an interactive element?
• Interactive aspects alone are not a replacement for the Mutation Criteria above, but are considered more like “extra credit”.

3. Safety

• The safe operation of a Mutant Vehicle at the event is the Registrant’s responsibility. Depending on the size and style of your vehicle, some or all of the following may apply:
  • The vehicle must be able to maintain a steady speed of five MPH (the speed limit in Black Rock City) or less.
  • The brakes must be in good working order.
  • The vehicle should have sturdy side Guard railings and stair railings. Guard railings should be a minimum height of 36-48 inches above the floor surface. Allowances may be made for ingress and egress zones no more than 36″ wide.
  • There should be no sharp or protruding objects.
  • Having a fire extinguisher and First Aid kit on board is highly recommended.
  • The vehicle should have a safe access area and procedures for loading and unloading passengers.
  • For safety requirements of lasers mounted on Mutant Vehicles, please see Mounted Lasers.
  • Vehicles with trailers must have Trailer Barriers protecting the space between the vehicle and the trailer. For details on trailer safety requirements, please visit this page of the MV Handbook.
• Important notes
  • The DMV does not do Safety Inspections. There are specialized teams that do Fire Effect and Laser Inspections for Mutant Vehicles.
  • The DMV may decline a license to a vehicle if there is a demonstrable safety concern such as sharp objects that protrude from a vehicle or some other dangerous aspect to the vehicle.

4. Lighting

• There are two fundamental requirements for mutant vehicle night illumination:
  • Safety: People need to see your vehicle, and you need to see them.
    • Your vehicle must have front headlights or equivalent that illuminate at least 30 feet to the front.
    • Your vehicle needs to be illuminated from all angles (front, sides, and rear) to clearly show it as a continuous vehicle.
  • Radical Visual Stimulation (The “Mutant” Factor): Mutant vehicles are licensed not just for transportation, but because they contribute to the event. For most mutant vehicles, this requirement is met through radical visual stimulation. The more your vehicle makes people say, “WOW! What an awesome car!” the more likely you are to be granted a license. At night, this can be achieved in two ways:
    • The lighting itself is the art: This applies when the vehicle isn’t fully mutated or obscured during the daytime, but at night, the lighting becomes the primary visual element (for example, like the “Big Giant Head” vehicle).
    • Illuminating a well-crafted mutant vehicle: This applies if your vehicle is already worthy of a day license and its existing design is enhanced by significant lighting.
• In both cases, the lighting should be significant enough for the vehicle to be easily seen from all sides and from a distance.

5. Sound

• There is a Sound Policy for Mutant Vehicles. It is important that you know it. Please go here to review the policy. All vehicles driving in Black Rock City must follow the sound policy.

• The following are not considered Mutant Vehicles:
  • Vehicles only stripped to the frame and engine.
  • Street/stock vehicles with minimal changes or temporary decorations.
  • Vehicles that too strongly resemble the original form or where too much of the base vehicle is unmutated and still visible. For example: A fur-covered golf cart or street vehicle that keeps its original shape.
  • Vehicles that may be unusual but are stock/mass-produced (military, industrial or foreign-made vehicles). Examples of this that have previously applied include an MK 48, Swamp Buggies and Tuk-Tuks
  • Low riders, classic cars, custom cars, monster trucks, dune buggies, rat rods, and hot rods (there are other venues for these vehicles to be appreciated)
  • Vehicles that are primarily unmutated but have art placed on top, unless the base vehicle underneath the art is well-obscured and incorporated into the overall art. The underlying vehicle should be unrecognizable as its original form.
• NO EMERGENCY VEHICLE LOOK-ALIKES
  • Burning Man does not permit vehicles that resemble emergency services vehicles, including any vehicles decorated with red, blue, or amber rotating/flashing lights or vehicles with sirens. During an emergency, participants MUST be able to differentiate between an actual emergency vehicle and a Mutant Vehicle or other vehicles.

Once you have filled out a Mutant Vehicle Registration form, the DMV will review your application and notify you once we have reached a consensus on whether and how well your vehicle meets the Mutant Vehicle Criteria and whether it is invited to Burning Man.

For more details on the DMV Review process, please see the DMV FAQ/MUTANT VEHICLE OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK

Mutant Vehicle licenses are issued by the DMV on-playa. All licensed Mutant Vehicles will be given a Day and/or a Night license. Licenses will also be designated for Street or Playa driving, based on the size of the vehicle (see more below). Day or Night designation is based on many factors, including what purpose the vehicle serves, lighting, and how it is implemented.

Standard/Playa-Only Licenses

• A Standard Mutant Vehicle License allows a Mutant Vehicle to operate on city streets (with the exception of pedestrian-designated streets) and on the open playa of Black Rock City. To be eligible for a Street License:
  • The vehicle must be less than 13 feet in width, and less than 45′ in length,
  • The vehicle must be able to safely navigate a right turn on a typical BRC intersection while remaining within one lane of the street.
  • Operators must be able to safely monitor all segments of the vehicle while in operation.
• A Playa-Only/City Restricted License allows a Mutant Vehicle to operate PRIMARILY on the open playa of Black Rock City. Mutant Vehicles with a Playa-Only License may NOT be operated on BRC streets except on their way to the playa from their camp (using the most direct entry). Playa-Only vehicles may require walkers/spotters.

Day/Night Licenses

• DAY licenses allow Mutant Vehicles to move around Black Rock City during the daytime.
• NIGHT licenses allow Mutant Vehicles to move around Black Rock City at night. To receive a night license, Mutant Vehicles must be FULLY and RADICALLY illuminated (see above).
• Some vehicles may receive both a DAY and a NIGHT license.

Trailer Licenses

Trailer licenses are required for any trailers that are attached to Mutant Vehicles. These are licensed separately from the Vehicle.

Mutant Vehicles that incorporate flame effects must include flame effects information in their Mutant Vehicle application and also must be inspected on-playa and be granted a Flame Effects license from the Fire Arts Safety Team before the flame effects can be operated. Learn more about Flame Effects on Mutant Vehicles.

Important details for MV’s with Flame Effects

In order to protect your passengers from danger, the height of the first point of fire must be at least 10-feet above the last place a person could possibly stand on your vehicle. This allows plenty of height above heads and a little extra in case the wind presses it down a bit. This rule has been in place all along and this year we are going to be strict with this rule. Please take action to correct this pre-event if your MV flame effect is lower than 10-feet.

Questions about Mutant Vehicle flame effects should be sent to dmv-flame-effects@burningman.org.