HENDERSON, Nev. (KTNV) — Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles will have an important role in our lives as we continue to grow from Meadows to Metropolis.
With the population expected to increase by about a million people in the next decade, the DMV is funding a major effort to revolutionize how we utilize its services.
“We can’t build ourselves out of the population increase,” said Julie Butler, director of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. “It’s really got to be solved with technology.”
It is no secret — more people are moving to the Las Vegas Valley. The pandemic caused major backups at DMVs nationwide, and Nevada took notice.
“If, God forbid, the pandemic worsens or we have another wave or there’s a whole new pandemic or natural disaster or whatever — that we don’t find ourselves in a position again where we can’t deliver these essential services to Nevadans,” Butler said.
It's a change incentivized by the pandemic and population boom, sure, but also from the expectations of Millennial and Gen Z crowds, Butler said.
“They don’t want to come to the offices,” she said. “And yet, here we are, with this 1960s way of doing business where we require you to come in to get service. And they don’t want to be here in the first place. We need to meet that demographic and meet their needs.”
Those in rural areas are not being left behind. If you do not have access to reliable internet, the physical locations aren’t going anywhere — and the DMV will largely be a quieter place.
“Hopefully, we can get the bulk of people out of the offices,” said Kevin Malone, public information officer for the state DMV. “And those who do have to come in will have a very pleasant experience with a concierge and someone to guide you through the process.”
This $114 million transition will make all services accessible online, with title changes and transfers among the first services to go live.
“The timeline for the transformation project to move as much things online as possible is four years,” said Malone. “So, hopefully, four years from now, the DMV will be a much different place than it is today.”
MORE FROM THIS SERIES:
- Looking forward: The future of transportation in Las Vegas is already in motion
- How population growth affects public education in Southern Nevada
“My expectations as we move forward with this is that we become an Amazon-like experience where you have a cart or a menu of services and you check out and you go,” Butler said.
Employment opportunities will only increase with a population boom. If there is a 10% population increase in a certain area, the DMV would request more employment commensurate with that percentage — helping online or otherwise.
“I think that other states may be looking to Nevada DMV as a model for the nation as we move forward,” Butler said.
You can apply for any openings with the DMV here.
Our series, “Las Vegas: Meadows to Metropolis,” looks to answer pressing questions about how rapid growth is impacting Las Vegas. Tune in to 13 Action News at 6 p.m. throughout the month of November for in-depth reporting on the issue.
