LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — If you've driven on Nevada roadways long enough, you've no doubt seen a stark number of vehicles without plates or registration. This is an issue the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles tells us they've been battling for years — and now they're asking for your help in reporting it.
Through their new Registration Spotter form on the DMV website, Nevadans can report vehicles with invalid or no registration. You can also report vehicles with illegal out-of-state plates.
The DMV says this form is one step towards a solution over concerns they've been getting for years. In fact, we've covered the issue in a December "Darcy, what's the deal?" segment after you reached out to us.
WATCH | Why are there so many vehicles without Nevada license plates?
It's no secret that vehicle registration costs in Nevada are high. Many people have trouble affording their renewals or insurance, giving rise to the reason so many are driving without valid documentation.
But J.D. Decker, the Chief of the Compliance Enforcement Division, says driving without registration is more than just a compliance issue — it makes costs go up for everyone else, including rule-followers.
"For all of us that are paying for registration and insurance, our rates go up because these people aren't paying premiums and they aren't getting in fewer accidents," Decker told us back in December. "Having uninsured motorist insurance is important. We see so many accidents where the at-fault party doesn't have insurance."
This is issue ranks high among the problems you've told us about in the past and the concerns Decker says come into the DMV regularly.
In an email sent to us Friday, Decker touched more on the new spotter system, saying, “I think this report form is so beneficial in so many ways. We get so many calls, inquiries, and complaints daily about civilians noticing unregistered vehicles on the roads and what can be done about it and now we finally have a solution.”
Once you submit a report, the Compliance Enforcement Division will review the data and then send it to law enforcement. However, the DMV says the form is not meant for abandoned vehicles, traffic and parking violations, unsafe driving, stolen vehicles, or other DMV-related issues.
“Nevada is one of the first states to really have this form come to fruition and now civilians can help others by ensuring all motorists stay safe on our roads,” Decker concluded.