DMV asking for leniency toward motorists ahead of Sept. 13 deadline

Facing a Sept. 13 deadline to renew expired documents at Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle offices, some motorists are finding open appointments aren’t available until October.

The DMV requires all motorists to set an appointment to conduct an in-person visit, or try their luck on Saturdays when they allow walk-in customers between 8 a.m. and noon.

“As of earlier today the first appointment you could get was October 5,” Las Vegas resident Curtis Pollard said in a recent email. “However the grace period for expired documents ends September 13. For any expirations from July 16 forward they must be renewed on time. That leaves the Saturday line as the only option.”

When the DMV reopened June 15, motorists were given until Sept. 13 to bring their expired documents up to date without penalty from law enforcement. The DMV said it is working with law enforcement agencies to ensure they’re lenient with those motorists who have an expired document after Sept. 13, but have a future appointment set.

“For customers who are unable to renew on time and are not covered by the extension, the DMV is instructing them to make the appointment, print out the confirmation and carry that document with them,” said Kevin Malone, DMV spokesman. “We have notified law enforcement and asked them to show leniency to customers in this situation as the DMV works on a longer-term solution to this problem.”

The DMV also is trying to assist those with immediate needs by adding new appointments when it can. It’s also asking people to cancel their appointments if they know they can’t make it.

“We have had 606 no shows for appointments that could have gone to other motorists,” Malone said. “We have been opening new appointment slots. We have been doing everything possible to configure the offices to allow more windows to open while maintaining social distancing and the building capacity limit or 50 percent.”

Between the DMV’s six metropolitan offices — three in Las Vegas, and one each in Henderson, Carson City and Reno — 62,318 customers have been served between June 15 and Wednesday. Of those, 33,502 had appointments and 28,816 were walk-in customers.

The four Las Vegas valley offices and Reno are each able to process about 500-600 customers per day, not including drive tests, business services and back office transactions, Malone said.

“These figures are for customers checked in to the lobby management system for driver’s license and vehicle registration,” Malone said. “They do not include drive tests, drop-off transactions, registration services, dealer services, business licensing, fleet services, handwritten movement permits, or any title and registration mail-in transactions that staff continue to complete behind the scenes.”

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