LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In August, the Nevada DMV transitioned to an appointment-only system with the goal of shortening wait times.
Two months later, officials say they still haven’t been able to operate as efficiently as they’d like to.
“The staffing shortage, like many businesses, is the biggest problem that we face," said Kevin Malone, the Public Information Officer for the Nevada DMV. "We have 56 openings in Southern Nevada, we just released a training class of about 35 onto the windows and we’ve got another training class starting at the end of October, but we just can’t keep up. We can’t fill the positions."
KTNV reporter Alyssa Bethencourt received several messages from people who were frustrated with the new system. Many of them shared that they couldn’t book an appointment less than a month out. Others said they couldn’t get through to an employee when they’d call an office for help.
“This is the largest staffing shortage we’ve experienced. Now, following the pandemic, like a lot of businesses were facing a staffing shortage where we can’t get quality applicants and keep quality applicants as well,” Malone said.
The Nevada DMV added 4,000 new appointment slots per week at locations across the valley when they made the switch to the new system, but Malone said it’s been a struggle to schedule each one because of the staffing shortages.
Plus, with Election Day approaching in Nevada, the DMV has also recently begun allowing walk-ins again, but only for new Nevada residents. Those seeking to transfer out-of-state licenses and apply for vehicle registration will be welcome without an appointment until Election Day on Nov. 8.
It's a heavy workload, but one DMV officials are determined to shoulder.
"No legal voter should be kept away from the polls because they couldn’t get a DMV appointment," said DMV Director Julie Butler. "We offered this same service for new residents in 2020 and it worked very well."
The Nevada DMV is currently hiring for multiple positions. For people that would like to apply, follow this link.
