Since the advent of restrictions due to the Coronavirus earlier this year, Nevada drivers have faced a confusing ever-changing set of extensions and revised due dates, due to state mandated closures of the DMV. The most recent changes are the announcement by DMV that as of August 15, DMV offices in Las Vegas and Reno will be closed on weekends, but will offer extended open hours Monday through Friday, of 7 AM to 6 PM.
The only exception to this weekend closure is Driving Skills Tests which are set by appointment only. Those with tests already scheduled will be able to take their tests on Saturdays. The press release indicates that DMV staff will continue to work on Saturdays to process backlogs. The changes only apply to Las Vegas and Reno offices of DMV. Rural and commercial DMV offices will maintain current hours but will only serve local residents.
Why the Change?
DMV is concerned that people lining up to wait for DMV’s to open on the weekends will break social distancing and possibly spread COVID-19. This early lineup is exactly what happened recently at the Henderson DMV office when, at 5 AM on a recent Saturday, almost 200 people were already lined up waiting for the office to open three hours later. Certainly, more people would show up during the remaining 3 hours. Julie Butler, DMV Director, stated, “We didn’t want people to show up in the middle of the night. Nevertheless, they were showing up in the middle of the night.”
What if I have a current appointment…will it be moved up due to extended hours?
Weekday visits to the DMV are currently done by appointment only. DMV officials indicate that Las Vegas is largely booked through November. With the addition of hours during the weekdays those with existing appointments will NOT find that their appointments are automatically moved up. In order to get an earlier appointment, you would need to cancel your existing appointment and rebook for an earlier date. Walk in services are only available for a limited number of services such as general information, document review, kiosk access, movement permits, surrendering a license plate, and drop off transactions for vehicle registration and vehicle inspections.
Online Services
“We would like to really remind people that there’s a lot of things that you can do online,” Ms. Butler said. “That message is still not really resonating with folks, and we’re still finding people that are coming in for things that they could have done online.”
In addition to the current online offerings, DMV plans to implement online Driver’s License and State ID renewals to begin sometime in the fall, although a start date for those services has not yet been established. Current deadlines for renewing expired documents, such as driver’s licenses are September 13, if your license expired between March 12 and July 15. For drivers 65 and older, who are required to renew in person, an extension of one year has been added to their expiration date. Those drivers should carry this letter in their vehicle in the interim.
Ticket Busters keeps you informed and, on the road
Keep checking our blog for additional changes to DMV requirements either due to COVID-19 or just changes in DMV policy. If you get a ticket in Las Vegas or surrounding Clark County Nevada, we will represent you with the court and negotiate your ticket. In many cases we can reduce your charges and save you money. If you got a ticket, call our office today at (702) 666-6666 or click the green button at the bottom of the page to text us your ticket.
Learn More:
https://dmvnv.com/news/20014-extended-hours-closed-saturday.htm
https://dmvnv.com/pdfforms/65-year-extension.pdf
https://www.ktnv.com/news/coronavirus/dmv-extends-office-hours-at-four-southern-nevada-locations
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/aug/14/dmv-cuts-saturday-hours-after-people-swamp-offices/
