DMV--CA does it better than NV

[DonTom]

The Reno, NV DMV has been at a new, MUCH larger location with a parking lot three times the size as the old one that was much closer to my house.

The new DMV even has free EV charge stations to use in the parking lot while we wait. When this DMV first opened, all 50 windows were manned, no appointed required just walk in, no waiting.

I assume they had a lot of money left over just after it was built, but that is just my WAG of why they hired so many people in the beginning.

And then they must have run out of money and laid off around 90% of the staff. They went from the very best possible to the very worst possible in every way. Now, we can only go in by appointment and they changed the rules. We can no longer go to other counties to be served better.

Not only that, when a new vehicle is purchased, we cannot register it online in NV. I had to do this with my newer RV and I am having it again, but a lot worse with the new motorcycle I purchased last week. We must go to our full-service DMV in our own county and by appointment only. My temporary paper license plate expires in three weeks. The earliest appointment I could make was September 25. That is how NV DMV now does it. I am not sure what happens after my expiration date, but I assume all I need is the paper that I made an appointment with the DMV.

No doubt when they are this far behind, it will continue to get a lot worse with time if they do not make some changes. Will the appointments later be years away instead of months? Where does it end?

In California, when buying a new vehicle, all I would need to do is wait and the plate will come in the mail automatically in a couple of weeks. CA is MUCH better to deal with than NV DMV. I think the next time I buy a new vehicle, (if I ever do again) I will buy it in CA. Much less hassle.

I don't know if NV ran out of money or what, but with registration fees like the one I just paid for my 2022 RV, I wouldn't think they would have a money problem:

Vehicle Make: JAYCO, INC.
Vehicle Year: 2022
Vehicle Model: VISION
Registration Expiration Date: 9/21/2024
Transaction Confirmation Number: 169460074
Payment Confirmation Number: 6903091333866764103087
Amount Paid: $1,859.80

I have no clue what the registration fee will be on my new motorcycle, I will not know that until my appointment. I am finding most vehicle fees are lower here in CA than they are in NV, even though CA adds a hundred bucks onto my electric car and motorcycle registrations for CA road Tax that is not paid at all in NV (at least not yet).

Around half of my vehicles are registered in CA and half in NV.

I know many people like to complain about CA, but there are some things CA does a lot better than in NV and the DMV is now one of them.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Ex-Calif]

My temporary paper license plate expires in three weeks. The earliest appointment I could make was September 25.

Seems weird that you have to go to the DMV for a dealer purchased vehicle. Everywhere else I know of the dealer issues the temp paper plate while also filing for the permanent plates and then the permanent plate arrives in the mail.

As for the RV registration fee? Try transferring to FL. I think I paid almost $800 for plates for my 30 year old RV. Not sales tax. Just registration and plate fees. I think I spent over $3,000 for all my vehicles when I came down here.

 

[Seilerbird]

In Florida I have never waited more than 5 minutes at the DMV. And for the last few years I have done it all online.

 

[Isaac-1]

This is happening everywhere, government offices went to appointment only scheduling during Covid, and now they use it as an excuse to not do their jobs. It is not just the DMV, though they are probably the agency that most people have exposure to.

 

[Seilerbird]

This is happening everywhere, government offices went to appointment only scheduling during Covid, and now they use it as an excuse to not do their jobs. It is not just the DMV, though they are probably the agency that most people have exposure to.

Not happening in Florida.

 

[Isaac-1]

Maybe not with the DMV, but I suspect it is going on with some other offices, such as the USDA

 

[Tulecreeper]

Not happening in Florida.

Or Arkansas.

 

[Kodiak34SS]

I was shocked by CA's DMV. I bought a car down there and registered it in California so I could have use of it for the 2 months while I was down there. It was very streamlined and easy. Cheaper to register down there than in some parts of WA State. I had a bunch of questions about titles and registration since I wasn't technically a resident of CA. The main office was easy to reach and the person answered all my questions over the phone.

Everything is in-person and has been a while here in Washington State at the licensing/registration offices. Let me tell you how much fun it is to wait in line and talk to the disgruntled employees who typically run those places. The vehicle registration offices are actually privately-run businesses up here. Let me tell you, that doesn't help matters AT ALL.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As for the RV registration fee? Try transferring to FL. I think I paid almost $800 for plates for my 30 year old RV. Not sales tax. Just registration and plate fees. I think I spent over $3,000 for all my vehicles when I came down here.

You are mostly talking about the substantial impact fee Florida charges for adding additional vehicles to the state's highway system, which you would pay when you first register the vehicle in the state. Florida tag fees are relatively low and there is no vehicle property tax. The actual tag fee for a motorhome is only $47.50.

 

[DonTom]

As for the RV registration fee? Try transferring to FL. I think I paid almost $800 for plates for my 30 year old RV. Not sales tax.

My Nevada Sales Tax was already paid at the dealer. They take that at the dealer but the reg fees for new vehicles are paid at the local full-service DMV in Nevada. And no other way to pay it.

For my 2023 Zero DSR/X motorcycle I already paid the $1,692.67 NV Sale Tax at the dealer. Cheap compared to whatever the sales take was on my 165K$ RV was, but I do not recall that amount. But I assume around 10K$ as it cost around six times more than my new bike.

Here is what I just paid for NV state sales tax on my new motorcycle (does NOT include the reg fee that I will have to pay at the DMV in September):

Cash Price: $25,990.00
Trade:- 6,000.00
Net Sale: $19,990.00
NV Sales Tax 1,682.67
Reg Fees 28.25
Doc fees 369.00
Sub total: $22,069.92
Rebate: 4,500.00
OTD price: $17,569.92

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

In Florida I have never waited more than 5 minutes at the DMV. And for the last few years I have done it all online.

I always do my registration online, when I can. NV does not allow that with new vehicles, but all is normal after the first year.

I have no idea why they do it this way, as when I log-in to the NV DMV website, my new motorcycle is listed for registration. But if I click on it to register, it says " must register only at a full-service DMV". That is also what the paperwork says as well as what the dealer told me just after the sale was completed. It was the same with my 2022 RV. But that was during the time DMV had all 50 windows manned and no appointment was necessary.

I have no idea why we cannot do it online when they already have all the info. Perhaps only done this way in Nevada (but only with new vehicles).

I wouldn't mind so much, but even a long wait with the appointment is the norm these days. But I will be sure to get my full EV charge at their parking lot. I will make sure I am not too charged up before leaving home. Nice thing about a long wait when I am using a slow charger is the longer the wait, the better free charge I get at 6.6 KW on my new bike. That is as much as this charge station can handle. In fact, slightly over, but the pilot signal will reduce my charge level to the charge station's max, 6.48 KW.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

It was very streamlined and easy.

Yep. And even the way they do it at the very crowded CA DMV offices near San Francisco are very efficient. They give you a time window to be back in and you can get paged on your cell. No need to wait at all.

I got spoiled by the CA methods they do not have in NV. But NV DMV was great for a short while, just after the move. And that was when I registered my 2022 RV in September 2021, just walk in, done in minutes, but still could not be done online. I do recall it cost me more than 2K$ to register that, and the sales tax was already paid at the dealer.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Florida tag fees are relatively low and there is no vehicle property tax. The actual tag fee for a motorhome is only $47.50.

Wow! What a difference between FL and NV. It is almost like NV owns my new paid for in full RV at the cost of around $155.00 per month just for that property tax.

And only used a couple of times per year. Perhaps I average four RV trips per year, but two of them will be in my Y2K RV.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Ex-Calif]

I have no idea why we cannot do it online when they already have all the info. Perhaps only done this way in Nevada (but only with new vehicles).

In Florida out of state vehicles need to be presented at the BMV for verification of the VIN number. Alternately it can be attested to by a notary. In state purchases do not require this.

Maybe in NV they have to verify the vehicle or something for first time registration?

It was a PITA when I first got here. I drove the RV towing 2 motorcycles. Then drove my jeep dolly towing my Sonoma - LOL...

I will parrot others in that the BMV process here was always quick and painless with plenty of windows open.

 

[DonTom]

In Florida out of state vehicles need to be presented at the BMV for verification of the VIN number

Same in Nevada for any vehicle from any other state to be registered for the first time in Nevada. NV smog test certificate is also required.

But NOT any of this with vehicles purchased new in Nevada. I do NOT have to even take the new vehicle to DMV, I only have to be there with my paperwork.

I can even view my VIN number of my new motorcycle when I login to the NV DMV website. I do not understand why new vehicles need have this done when they seem to already have all the required info. and do NOT need to see the new vehicle.

At least no smog test required on new vehicles for the first few years. I did not have to drive my 2022 RV back to Reno this year just for the smog test. But no motorcycles need a smog test.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

I can review my mail coming to each of my houses later today via USPS Informed Delivery. But I can only see the envelopes, not read what's inside from here.

BTW, I also view my mail this way during my RV trips.

I see this below is being mailed to my Reno house later today, but I will not be able to open it until I get back to Reno. I just now checked online and still cannot register my new motorcycle online. But I see nothing else this could be about. Makes me wonder if I will be able to register it by mail instead of dealing with their BS at the Reno DMV. Perhaps I will be able to cancel that appointment in September.

I will find out in a day or so when I head back to Reno.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Ex-Calif]

I can review my mail coming to each of my houses later today via USPS Informed Delivery. But I can only see the envelopes, not read what's inside from here.

BTW, I also view my mail this way during my RV trips.

I get informed delivery eMails as well but I delete them. I only have one mailbox.

I have grown quite mail lazy in retirement. I empty the mailbox every couple of days but don't open the mail. This time I got 3 months behind in opening mail. There were probably 100+ items.

After spending 1 1/2 hours opening the mail there were exactly 2 pieces of mail I needed to action

Even after selecting paperless from my CU I was still getting paper so there are about 20 statements that need shredding. I did call the CU and talked to a human who swears the paper will stop - So that was a pretty busy retirement day - LOL...

 

[DonTom]

View attachment 166460
I will find out in a day or so when I head back to Reno.

This was my 2K$ registration sticker for my 2022 Class A. Had nothing to do with the new bike.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

This is all about my day today.

My 2013 Zero DSR/X temp plate expired yesterday on the 13th. Online, it says I can get a new temp paper plate at any non-full serve DMV without an appointment.

Since I shouldn't now be riding that bike, I took my 2023 Energica Experia to the Virgina City Courthouse to see if they could help me. First, I connected up to a free charge here. I did not leave home with a full charge, but around 75% SOC.

I had a nice, weird experience with the Court House in Virgina City Courthouse. I saw signs all over that said "we can only serve Storey County residents." Signs inside and out, including in the section where they handle some DMV stuff. The place was quite crowded when I arrived. But since I am getting my free slow charge (at 3 KW) , I decided I will wait and just see what happens.

By the time I got to the DMV window, I was the only person there. Everybody else has already been served and left. Nobody else to be served other than me. I told the gal there at the window I was from Reno which is in Washoe County, not Storey County. She asked how many people are waiting in the waiting room. I answered, "none at all". Then she said, "okay then, how can I help you?". I told her the situation and I had many papers with me, as well as the license plate from the bike I traded in, my Moto Guzzi. In NV, lic plates must be removed when a vehicle is sold, traded in, transferred, or junked, AFAIK, no exceptions.

I thought this was going to be something that only would take a few seconds, but she was interested in many of the papers I brought in and then she goes to a telephone and dials some number. 30 minutes go by, she is still one the phone. I assume with Carson City, and I assume it's all about my needs.

I also expect this to be free because it's not my fault they schedule me after the expiration date for the Reno DMV. Reno DMV is a "full-service DMV" which is required for my permanent plate, as it says in writing on my paperwork.

So now I am walking around reading some of the history of Virgina City, including how the county got its name. Storey was killed by the Indians in year 1860.

"Storey County was created in 1861 and named for Captain Edward Farris Storey, who was killed in 1860 in the Pyramid Lake War. It was the most populous county in Nevada when organized in 1861. Virginia City is the county seat."

What I was reading also mentioned some great grandkids from this family are still living, all in southern California today.

Okay, now she is off the phone and the first words out of here mouth were "three hundred and eighty-three dollars, please. "

Huh?

Then she explained she was able to get my new bike fully registered! She printed out a registration sticker to put on my Moto-Guzzi Plate that she transferred to my new bike. I just now cancelled my appointment online with Reno DMV for the afternoon of September 25.

So the entire thing is over with.

Was a very nice ride to VA City. From there I rode down Six Mile Canyon and went to USA Parkway for a very late lunch. I got more free charge there too. Here. I ate at the Chinese place right across the street from the charge station.

That is around a mile from the Tesla Battery Factory. Another hundred miles of free riding today, but my new Zero would have charged up twice as much at these same charge stations, as it has a 6.6 KW AC charger, my Energica only has a 3KW AC charger (but unlike my new Zero the Energica can do 25 KW on a fast DC charger).

After I had my meal, it was pouring rain, wind, thunder, lightning and I had to ride 23 miles to get home from there in it. Rained hard all the way home, mostly on the freeway (I-80) but I did not get wet with all the motorcycle gear I had on--all waterproof stuff. It wasn't the first time I rode a motorcycle in such conditions, and it is unlikely to be my last. Lightning, thunder, hard wind, brush flying across the road made it an interesting ride. But nothing I have not done a few hundred times in the past.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Ex-Calif]

My 2013 Zero DSR/X temp plate expired yesterday on the 13th. Online, it says I can get a new temp paper plate at any non-full serve DMV without an appointment.

Since I shouldn't now be riding that bike, I took my 2023 Energica Experia to the Virgina City Courthouse to see if they could help me. First, I connected up to a free charge here. I did not leave home with a full charge, but around 75% SOC.

So which bike got registered????

Color me confused - LOL...