DMV offering more online vehicle registration options

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is rolling out a new feature allowing required documents for most vehicle registrations to be uploaded online.

The new Rapid Registration system lets motorists upload documents to the DMV remotely via the DriveNV web portal, allowing for approval of registration applications without an in-office visit. Once approved, motorists still will need to make an appointment to pay for their transaction and to pick up their license plates at a DMV office.

“So when customers do come in to pay and pick up their plates, it is a guarantee that they are leaving with them because the application previously was approved online,” DMV spokeswoman Hailey Foster said in an email Monday.

The move could provide more options for DMV customers in Pahrump Valley who have been forced to travel to Las Vegas for some services since a fire destroyed the local office in late July. The Basin Avenue site has been closed since then and it remains unclear when the Pahrump DMV will reopen.

With the new feature in its infancy, only Home Means Nevada plate registrations are part of the initial rollout, with plate pickups only available at the Sahara Avenue and Elko offices.

Interested customers first must sign up for a free account on the DriveNV portal before they are able to upload their forms.

The DMV expects further updates to include more license plates available for registration and for every office in the state to participate in the Rapid Registration program.

Customers who are eligible to participate in the Rapid Registration program include:

Motorists who purchased a vehicle from an out-of-state dealership;

Motorists who purchased a vehicle from a private party;

Motorists who were gifted a vehicle;

New Nevada residents who haven’t yet registered their vehicle in the state;

Motorists who bought a vehicle from a private party with a lienholder;

The DMV already has an online system in place for motorists who purchased a vehicle from a Nevada dealership.

The agency is in the midst of modernizing its computer system, which includes a gradual rollout of online service offerings. Originally pegged as a $125 million project expected to be completed in 2026, the DMV said earlier this year that it will now cost $425 million and last until 2029.

The time and budget increase was attributed to the DMV not having the bandwidth for current operations as the new system is being implemented.

With Rapid Registration included, the DMV now offers more than two dozen transactions that can be carried out online, Foster said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.