TRANSPORTATION / MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION
Driver License & Vehicle Registration
The State of Nevada allows 30 days after residency to register vehicle(s) and to obtain a Nevada driver license at the Department of Motor Vehicles. INFOLINK at 702-486-4DMV may save you valuable time at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. This telephone system not only offers recorded messages but allows you to set up a specific appointment time.
To avoid long lines at the DMV, visit the office in the middle of the day, the week and the month. Other good times are the last day before a holiday, avoiding the first day after a holiday. Arriving at the DMV office prepared with necessary information and paperwork will facilitate your visit. Review the website for information on your specific needs or use it to send the main office an email message. You can also call the DMV office for answers to questions.
It is possible to download, print and complete forms in advance from the DMV website. You may also use the Online Registration Fee Estimates page of the website to obtain free quotes on fees.
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
702-486-4368
877-368-7828
www.dmvnv.com
Driver License Requirements
You must provide verification of your Social Security Number (Social Security Card, W-2 form, printed payroll check with name and number, or old income tax return). You must also surrender your out-of-state driver license and pass a vision test. The written exam and practical road test may be waived for newcomers who are age 25 or older with no special restrictions and hold a valid license from another state. To waive these tests, the department also requires that the license you hold is the same classification and type as the one you are applying for, and you have had no more than two moving violations and no suspensions, revocations, cancellations, or license denials in the past four years.
If you have never been licensed or have an expired Nevada license over one year, or have lost your out-of-state license, you must take both a written and a driving test and eye exam. First-time applicants are required to have a certified copy of their birth certificate from the Department of Health and Vital Statistics where they were born. Photocopies of birth certificates are not acceptable. Applicants under the age of 18 years must are required to have the signature of a parent or legal guardian.
•Vehicle Registration Requirements Items that you will need in order to register and title your vehicle(s) include:
•Your valid, state-issued driver’s license. If your license is expired, suspended or revoked, call the DMV for instructions.
•Proof of your Social Security number. If your social security number is not printed on your drivers license, you will need to bring your social security card or other proof of your number.
•Nevada proof of liability insurance card. Out-of-state insurance cards do not meet this requirement. Also, the name(s) on the insurance and registration must be an exact match.
•Nevada smog check certificate if required. Exemptions include vehicles based in rural areas, motorcycles, vehicles 1967 and older, alternative fuel vehicles and new vehicles registered less than two years.
•Your current vehicle registration.
•Vehicle title(s) unless held by lien holder. You have the option of retaining your out-of-state title, although the DMV strongly recommends a Nevada title if this is possible.
•VIN Check(s). Vehicle Identification Number inspections are completed at DMV offices. Larger offices may require you to drive to an inspection station outside the main office.
•Your out-of-state license plates. Remove the old plates and bring them into the DMV office.
Registration and titling fees can be paid by cash, check, money order, Discover, MasterCard, American Express or Visa. Use the online fee quote service or call for an estimate of registration fees, which are partially based on vehicle value.
Have your VIN ready and contact:
Fees Inquiry
702-486-4368
www.dmvnv.com
Once registration is complete, the Nevada license plates that will be issued to you are not transferable to any individual or company other than to your spouse. When selling a vehicle, you must remove your license plates by state law. You may then transfer them to another vehicle belonging to you, with credit (if applicable) or turn them into the Department of Cancellation.
No refund can be given on license plates, and credit can only be given at the time of vehicle registration.
Insurance Requirements
As a Nevada driver, you must maintain Nevada-approved vehicle insurance from a Nevada-licensed insurance agent in the minimum amounts of $15,000, $30,000 and $10,000 on the vehicles that you are operating (liability & collision). Proof of minimum insurance coverage must be carried in the vehicle at all times and must be presented to the DMV when registering a vehicle. Possessing current registration and plates without valid insurance is against the law and could result in a substantial reinstatement fee.
If you cancel or allow your vehicle liability insurance to expire because the vehicle is inoperable, you must turn in your license plates to the DMV unless the license plates have already expired. If your plates have not yet expired and you may want to transfer them to another vehicle at a later time, obtain a receipt from the DMV (suspending value). At the time you transfer to your next vehicle, you will receive a credit toward the registration fees.
Emissions Control
Clark County requires an emission control certificate for vehicle registration. Exempt vehicles include those that are older than 1968, alternatively fueled, diesel vehicles over 8,500 GVW, motorcycles, and new vehicles registered less than two years.
For current test stations, contact:
DMV Emissions Lab
702-486-4981
www.dmvnv.com/emission.htm
Safety Regulations
Nevada imposes a seatbelt law that requires a lap-type belt for all vehicles that are 1968 model or newer. All 1970 models or newer must have shoulder harnesses for the front seats. The driver and any passengers who are age five or older must wear safety belts if the vehicle is equipped with them.
Children under age five who weigh less than 40 pounds must be secured in an approved safety seat. These seats are often categorized as infant (up to 20 pounds), booster (40 to 60 pounds) and convertible (children from birth to 40 pounds). Check the car seat label for verification that it has been crash tested and manufactured after 1981. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual for installation. Never hold a child on your lap, buckle yourself and a child into a single safety belt, or buckle two children into a single safety belt. For more details on car seat and safety belt regulations or answers to questions on safety, contact:
Office of Traffic Safety
775-684-7470
http://ots.nv.gov/
Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety
775-684-7479
http://ots.nv.gov/
Safe Kids Clark County
702-731-8666
www.safekidsclarkcounty.org
Motorcycle Safety
800-889-8779
https://nevadarider.com/
DMV Office Directory
www.dmvnv.com/locat.htm