How car buyers, dealerships are being impacted by Nevada cyberattack

With a cyberattack shutting down much of Nevada state government, car buyers can’t get the required documents to register their new vehicles from auto dealers.

The Department of Motor Vehicles offices are closed until further notice, meaning dealers and customers cannot file the proper documents to register their cars if purchased from a Nevada dealer.

After purchasing a new or used vehicle from a Nevada dealership, customers have 30 days to register their car. But, with the statewide shutdown, Nevada dealers won’t be able to provide customers with an Electronic Dealers Report of Sale (EDRS) number, which is required to register with the DMV, alongside other documents such as proof of insurance, identification, a VIN inspection and vehicle registration application, according to the DMV and a local car dealership.

The Department of Motor Vehicles offices are closed until further notice, meaning dealers and customers cannot file the proper documents to register their cars if purchased from a Nevada dealer.

State offices entered their third day of closure Wednesday after a cyberattack that targeted the state of Nevada was discovered early Sunday morning. Officials confirmed Tuesday evening the “network security incident” that halted services was the result of a targeted cyberattack, though details about how the attack occurred are unclear.

Dealers obtain an EDRS number by submitting documents using the Motor Vehicle Industry Portal through the DMV, according to the government agency.

With all DMV services currently down, it is impossible for Nevada dealers to obtain this number, therefore car buyers cannot register their vehicle, said Rebecca Sisman, controller for Jerry Seiner Dealerships in Las Vegas.

She said there is currently no work around for this problem, saying it is one of the “biggest issues” they are having due to the shutdown.

“For customers this is going to be more aggravating because they cannot register their cars,” said Sisman. “Obviously, it is a pain for dealers, but it doesn’t stop us from completing sales.”

Andrew McKay, executive director of the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association, said issues with lenders and vehicle titles could “rear its ugly head.”

When a customer chooses to finance a vehicle, the financial institution will be assigned the title for the vehicle, which is recorded when the dealer files for the EDRS number through the DMV, he said. From there, the customer has 30 days to register their car with the DMV.

If this is not done within the 30 day time period, issues may arise between the lender and the customer, McKay said.

Both Sisman and McKay have not heard of any issues yet.

Sisman said she forsees delays with registration, funding and titles for customers if the shutdown persists.

“It could be an issue later on if we have to print thousands of EDRSs, which would lead to delays,” said Sisman.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.