Nevada DMV Opts for Appointment-only, Walk-ins at Carson and Other Metro Offices to be Restricted

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles will, from Monday, August 15, stop most walk-in services and commence an appointment-only business model.

The move to do away with walk-in services at the DMV’s most prominent offices in Carson City has been prompted by increased customer demand and constant staff shortages. To compensate for the drastic changes, four locations in Henderson, Reno, Las Vegas, and Carson City are increasing their appointments by 4,000 per week.

Deputy director of DMV, Tonya Laney, said the department requires all stakeholders. Laney urged the public to seek services online rather than visit their physical offices.

“We have experienced a significant reduction in the use of our online services at a time when we are facing staffing shortages,” said Laney. “The decision to switch to appointments-only is part of our strategy to encourage the residents of Nevada to seek services online while simultaneously offering quality services to customers who must come.”

Starting August 15, the department will only serve customers with appointments in its six metro locations – from Monday to Friday. There will be a few exemptions for walk-ins, including driver’s license reinstatements, license plate drop-offs, vehicle movement permits, vehicle inspections, and kiosk transactions.

Saturday’s walk-in services will, however, remain unchanged. Offices available on Saturday will proceed with issuing return tickets for all transactions till full capacity is reached. The DMV’s rural offices are, however, not affected by these changes.

Statistics from the agency show that there has been a 2.4 percent decline in the use of online services between July 2021 and June 2021. The department estimates about 200,000 transactions annually that customers can perform online but instead choose to visit DMV offices physically.

Registration renewals and in-person vehicle registrations comprised most of last year’s unnecessary DMV visits. What many Nevadans don’t know is that most of the vehicles they buy from Nevada dealers can be registered online. Unfortunately, only 47% of those eligible use this service.

As a customer, you don’t have to wait for a renewal notice to book an appointment. You can start the renewal process 35 days before the expiry date. Additionally, driver’s licenses can be renewed six months earlier.

The DMV has told customers who will not be able to keep appointments to cancel them. This is because canceled appointments are immediately made available to other customers. DMV plans to roll out the new services gradually in the next few years.