The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will transition to an appointment-only system for most services starting Monday, August 15. This change affects the DMV’s six largest offices in Carson City, Henderson, Las Vegas, and Reno due to ongoing staff shortages and high customer demand.
To accommodate this shift, four locations in Henderson and Las Vegas will add a total of 4,000 new appointments weekly. DMV Deputy Director Tonya Laney emphasized the importance of public cooperation and encouraged customers to utilize online services. “We have seen an actual decrease in use of our online services at the same time we’re facing an ongoing staffing shortage,” Laney stated. “The switch to appointments only is the best way to encourage Nevadans to go online while efficiently serving the customers who must come in.”
From August 15 onward, only customers with appointments will be served at these metro locations from Monday through Friday. Walk-ins will still be accepted for specific services such as vehicle movement permits and license plate drop-offs. Saturday walk-in services remain unchanged.
This move does not affect commercial and rural offices. The DMV reports a 2.4 percent decline in online service usage from July 2021 to June 2022 compared to the previous year. Despite many transactions being eligible for online completion, over 200,000 are still conducted in person annually.
Vehicle registrations and renewals constitute most unnecessary visits. Only 47 percent of eligible vehicles purchased from Nevada dealers are registered online. Customers can renew registrations up to 35 days before expiration and driver’s licenses six months prior.
The DMV urges those unable to keep appointments to cancel them promptly so others can benefit from the availability.
Currently, there are significant vacancies within the DMV Field Services Division and across the department as a whole. Training academies are underway for about 35 new employees as part of efforts to address staffing issues.
The future focus is on expanding online services through a four-year, $114 million Department Transformation Effort using Salesforce technology. This initiative aims to fundamentally change customer interactions with the DMV over time.
Laney reiterated the need for public cooperation: “Visit us online first! Don’t just grab your paperwork and head to an office.” She also advised against waiting until expiration dates for renewals: “Think ahead and make an appointment.”
