The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has created a program that will benefit a variety of charities throughout the state.
The program came into fruition due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
As noted in a press release, the agency is now offering Nevadans a choice of specialty license plates when they get an original vehicle registration online.
Motorists who purchase their vehicle from a Nevada dealer have been able to register it online since 2009, but their only choice for new plates has been the standard Nevada plate style, according to a news release.
“The DMV’s online registration service now offers 16 specialty plates that support a charitable cause such as Animal Appreciation, Las Vegas Commemorative, Organ Donation, Pyramid Lake, Raiders, Reno Air Races, and United We Stand,” the release stated. “More plates will be added each month until the DMV offers all 35 unrestricted specialty plates online.”
A big win
DMV Department Director Julie Butler called the new program a “win all the way around.”
“The charities should see more revenue, the motorist has more choices, and the DMV benefits from increased usage of online services,” Butler said. “The DMV has seen record usage of the online registration due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we want to make those gains permanent and move as many online transactions as possible.”
The release went on to state that historically, only about 30 percent of motorists eligible to use online registration have taken advantage of the service.
The COVID-19 factor
The number one reason, according to customers and Nevada auto dealers, has been the lack of choice in license plates.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, online registration has increased to about 50 percent of those eligible,” according to the release. “At the same time, Nevada dealer vehicle sales have rebounded and passed 2019 levels. In real numbers, 91,787 online registrations were completed in fiscal year 2019 out of 316,035 eligible vehicles. In fiscal year 2021, 165,141 registrations were completed online out of 323,353 eligible.”
Additionally, Butler noted that even with 51 percent usage, there were still about 158,000 motorists or 13,000 per month who were eligible but did not use the online registration.
“If you buy a car, truck, or motorcycle from a Nevada dealer, you should register it online and avoid the trip to the DMV,” Butler said. “It’s fast, easy, and now you have a choice of plates.”
The DMV began offering some plate styles online in June and July.
As of Aug. 13, 2,423 motorists have ordered a specialty plate with an online registration.
For more information, along with a listing of the new license plates, visit the DMV website at dmvnv.com.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes