LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is announcing a major change that will impact anyone registering their car in the Silver State.
According to a statement shared with Channel 13 on Thursday, the DMV is changing its process for all vehicle transactions. Now, all Nevadans will begin those transactions online through MyDMV or DriveNV before they visit a DMV office, if needed.
This change will impact any vehicle transaction, the DMV says, which includes registering a new car, obtaining a title, renewing your registration, or getting a movement permit.
DMV director Tonya Laney says this change was inspired by the recent statewide network outage, which began with a cyberattack that crippled state agencies and websites for weeks.
As Channel 13 reported, the outage took the DMV's website offline and led to confusion from the shuffling of appointments that followed — many of which had been scheduled weeks or months in advance.
WATCH | We talked to locals about how the statewide network outage impacted them:
"Our top priority is ensuring customers can get critical services like driver's licenses and ID cards without delays," Laney stated. "Moving vehicle transactions online allows us to dedicate more time and resources to those essential in-person needs."
Car registration renewals make up a majority of the transactions completed in DMV offices, the agency says, noting that more than 192,000 such transactions have been completed since July. DMV officials argue this transition to an online-first approach to registration will "streamline intake, reduce incomplete visits caused by missing paperwork, and free up thousands of appointments each month for Nevadans who require in-person assistance."
“We realize that not every transaction can be completed online,” Laney stated. “However, if we are able to redirect the majority of people to go online, it makes a significant impact on reducing wait times and improving access for those who need in-person services.”
Nevadans can create an account and access online services for MyDMV and DriveNV by visiting dmv.nv.gov.