A view of the Department of Motor Vehicles office at 8250 W. Flamingo Road, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020 | 2 a.m.
In an effort to keep about 75,000 Nevada motorists with licenses expiring this year away from DMV locations, and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, officials are offering extensions for seniors and announced that online and postal service renewals were coming later this year.
Officials first shuttered Department of Motor Vehicles locations in March and brought them back in a limited capacity in June.
Some motorists have been unable to schedule appointments as driver’s licenses continue to expire. Those 65 and older who are required to renew in person were granted a one-year extension.
Furthermore, this fall, the DMV will allow most Nevadans to renew ID cards and licenses online or through the mail.
If changes are made permanent, most Nevadans with Real IDs that expire every eight years, will only need to visit a DMV location for renewal every other time, meaning every 16 years.
Those with limited licenses — green card holders, those with medical conditions, senior motorists and sex offenders — will continue to renew in person every four years.
Gov. Steve Sisolak this week signed the emergency regulations that brought the changes. The DMV will participate in hearings to try to make the changes permanent.
“Enabling drivers to skip the trip to the DMV not only helps them, it will help the DMV serve those who need car registrations or other services much more quickly,” said DMV Director Julie Butler in a news release. “Alternate license renewals will also have a lasting impact on the DMV as about 100,000 Nevadans will be eligible each year.”
The one-year extension for senior drivers, which will void late fees, is to give them additional time to obtain an appointment, which they still must do as soon as possible.
Earlier in the pandemic, the DMV gave motorists a three-month extension to renew vehicle registration and licenses that expired from March 16 to April 30.
For the time being, DMV locations in the valley will continue operating with reduced capacity and with appointments, except for those acquiring movement permits, surrendering license plates or inspecting their vehicles.
