DMV shows off new online look ahead of digital transformation

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles rolled out its newly redesigned website and logo Wednesday ahead of an ambitious four-year plan to add the majority of its services online.

The DMV Transformation Effort (DTE) is a $114 million project to bring the department into the 21st century, eliminating the need to make an in-person visit to conduct most transactions.

Along with the new look website and logo, the DMV changed its web address to dmv.nv.gov, to align the department with the style most other state government agencies use.

The digital move was already being considered, but the process was sped up largely by the issues that arose during the pandemic, DMV director Julie Butler told the Review-Journal late last year. Following a multi-month shutdown in 2020, the DMV had a severe backlog in transactions and many customers were unable to schedule an appointment in a timely manner.

The department is not building a new computer system to launch the expanded services online all at once. Instead, the DMV will gradually roll out new services, one-by-one, over the next four years.

“The transformation is already underway,” Butler said. “We’re cleaning up the DMV database to get it ready to move to the new platform… What we’re working on now is called the road map. The road map will outline the specific order and timeframe for each initiative.”

Butler expects the road map to be completed in the coming weeks.

The DMV brought in outside partners, Slalom and Mission Critical Partners, to help customize its online infrastructure and oversee quality assurance aspects of the program.

The DMV expects 25 senior employees to be promoted to work directly on the online service initiative.

As more services roll out online over the next four years, the time customers spend in DMV offices will continue to drop.

“You can expect to see wait times at DMV offices come down as new online services are introduced,” Butler said. “We will not be closing any of our offices. We will keep them open for those with complex transactions and for customers who just prefer face-to-face interaction.”

The move to an online-heavy operation won’t result in the reduction in the DMV’s workforce, Butler said.

“We will need everyone of our current employees,” she said. “If they’re not working at a counter they’ll be assisting customers online.”

Some transactions, such as obtaining a Real ID, will still require motorists to make an in-person visit. All U.S. citizens must obtain a Real ID by May 3, 2023 in order to travel domestically unless they have a valid passport.

The DMV is looking to mitigate the time a customer will spend in the office to conduct that transaction. The agency aims to allow the public to be able to preload required documents into the new system ahead of their DMV visit, to ensure everything they need to obtain the identification card is valid.

“They can interact with a DMV technician before they come to the office and make sure that they have the right documents before they can step foot in an office to make that visit successful on the first try,” Butler said.

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