LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has received nearly 21,000 complaints about illegal drivers through its new online reporting portal in just two months, with more than 83 percent of those reports coming from Clark County.
The Registration Spotter tool, launched in October on the DMV's website, allows residents to report vehicles with no plates, expired or invalid registration, or illegal out-of-state plates. The initiative was part of an effort to address what officials call a pervasive problem affecting road safety and contributing to rising car insurance costs.
WATCH | Plenty of reports, not enough action — what's the deal?
"It's everywhere all the time," said J.D. Decker from the DMV's Compliance Enforcement Division during a February ride-along.
However, some residents who have filed reports are questioning the effectiveness of the system, like Las Vegas resident Paul who emailed to ask, "Darcy, what's the deal?"
"I reported a car without plates over two months ago and I still see it parking where I live. Why don't they investigate? I also see so many cars on the road without plates and even see cops that don't stop them. Why don't police stop them?" Paul asked.
DMV officials acknowledge that enforcement is lacking. DMV spokesperson Hailey Foster said the agency agrees "this is certainly an issue we, the DMV, would like to see be enforced more."
The DMV admits it's still working to distribute data from the online portal to other agencies and cannot guarantee specific action on reports. Foster explained that if a vehicle is parked in someone's driveway and not being operated, that's technically legal. Officers need to see the car being driven on streets to issue a citation.
"This takes everybody, and there's so much of it right now, and it's going to take all of Nevada law enforcement to address," Decker said.
The DMV does not track enforcement statistics based on whether action comes from patrol, investigation or complaints submitted by residents, making it impossible to determine how many Registration Spotter tips have led to enforcement action.
But, traffic enforcement overall is increasing. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police made about 82,000 traffic stops this year, according to a Dec. 16 social media post.
A newly formed multi-agency traffic task force, which we told you about on Dec. 8, has logged 26 registration violations and 14 insurance violations since its formation, though their primary focus is on dangerous driving.
We also asked other agencies for their enforcement statistics over the last two months. North Las Vegas Police said, "While NLVPD does not receive or track the individual public-submitted reports sent directly to the DMV as part of that program, we are able to provide our department’s registration-related enforcement statistics during the same general timeframe.
For the period October 1, 2025 through December 18, 2025, North Las Vegas Police Department officers issued:
- 557 citations
- 601 total offenses related to registration and license plate violations
These offenses include, but are not limited to:
- Failure to possess or surrender certificate of registration
- Improper display of license plates
- Operating a vehicle without valid Nevada vehicle registration
Henderson Police citations from 10/01/2025 - 12/17/2025:
Operate vehicle w/expired registration or plates: 214
Operate unregistered vehicle-trailer or semi trailer: 84
Display fictitious vehicle registration/plate/title: 8
Fail to obtain and properly display permit to operate unregistered vehicle: 3
Operate unregistered moped: 1
Rear license plate lamp violation: 1
License plates improperly displayed: 1
Nevada State Police was only able to provide citation information for the month of October.
Nevada Highway Patrol statewide citation information:
Total citations issued: 12,962
Registration-related citations: 1,475
All other citations: 11,487
Statement from the Department:
"The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Division recognizes public interest related to unregistered vehicles and has and will continue to enforce all traffic laws on Nevada’s roadways, including laws related to vehicle registration. Enforcement of unregistered vehicles has long been part of routine traffic enforcement efforts statewide. As with all enforcement activity, the Nevada Highway Patrol prioritizes public safety and responds based on observed violations, calls for service, and operational considerations, including impaired driving and other serious safety concerns. Traffic enforcement is continuous and ongoing, and troopers take appropriate enforcement action when unregistered vehicles are encountered during patrol or traffic stops. The Nevada Highway Patrol strongly encourages drivers to ensure their vehicles are properly registered in accordance with Nevada law."
The DMV is asking each law enforcement agency in the state to increase enforcement of the types of violations reported through Registration Spotter. DMV officials say the best outcome would be for each agency to conduct their own enforcement patrols and crack down on these violations.
Wondering what the deal is with something happening in the valley? Reach out to Darcy Spears at Darcy.Spears@ktnv.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
