DMV revamps remote check-in system in Las Vegas area

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has revamped its remote check-in system, saying that it’s much better than the initial Dash Pass used in 2015 that drew long lines and left frustrated motorists waiting for hours.

For proof, the DMV points to the system’s successful — and popular — implementation in Northern Nevada late last year.

The system allows those who make an appointment to bypass lines, with effectively a “zero wait time,” DMV spokesman Kevin Malone said Wednesday, the day the Southern Nevada program restart was announced. Those who make appointments can skip the usual line entirely and get help at a separate window, Malone said.

Appointments can be made up to 30 days in advance. Motorists can schedule them from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

“I had to wait 4½ last year just to get inside the building,” said Ely Perefitte, 46, on Wednesday in front of a DMV office in North Las Vegas.

Perefitte used a DMV kiosk to renew his registration Wednesday, which he said took minutes, but added that scheduling appointments for situations where you can’t use the kiosks would be helpful.

“That wait last year was in the summer, in the heat,” he said.

The pilot program was restarted in Reno in November, Malone said. It was then expanded to Carson City. It expanded to the Las Vegas Valley on March 21.

The original Dash Pass system that upset motorists — and was later discontinued — allowed motorists to check wait times on their cellphones and estimate when to show up and head to the front of lines. The appointment system is “a different feature altogether,” Malone said.

Since the Dash Pass restart, Malone said, several scams have been reported in which third parties can try to charge for appointments. In some cases they have tried to charge hundreds of dollars, he said.

Malone said the appointments are always free and should be made only through the DMV website, which can be done on a smartphone.

“We hope people don’t get taken advantage of,” Malone said.

Each DMV office can accommodate 228 appointments a day, six days a week, making 5,472 appointments possible per week in Las Vegas.

Malone said the number of appointments made will likely increase if the program gains popularity. Until then, if the appointments for a given day are filled, drivers will have to schedule for another day or wait in line.

Directions for using the Dash Pass for remote check-ins are at http://dmvnv.com/dashpass.htm.

Contact Christian Bertolaccini at cbertolaccini@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @bertolaccinic