Car Registration in Nevada

SUMMARY: How to Register Your Vehicle in Nevada

Nevada vehicles can be registered in person or online, depending on whether you purchased it from a dealer, and whether that dealer was in or out of state. All applicants will need to provide the vehicle's title, proof of insurance, and payment for your registration fees and sales tax. Depending on your vehicle's age and whether you're a new resident, you may be asked to provide additional paperwork and inspection forms, listed below.

You are required to register your vehicle with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to legally drive it on NV roads and highways. We can help you learn how to register your vehicle for the first time, whether you are a resident who just purchased a car, or you are new to Nevada.

If you are looking for information about renewing your registration in Nevada, visit our guide on Registration Renewal in Nevada.

New to Nevada?

If you are moving to Nevada, you will need to get a Nevada driver's license and register your vehicles with the NV DMV within 30 days of establishing residency.

Before you register, you must obtain the following:

Then go to your local NV DMV office and submit:

You will be issued a new registration certificate and license plates before you leave.

Just Moved?

Find all the information you need to finish your moving requirements with the DMV.

Registering a Vehicle in Nevada

All NV residents who purchase a vehicle must register it with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 30 days of purchase, or before the expiration of the temporary movement placard issued by a dealer.

The process is slightly different depending on whether you purchased your vehicle from an in-state dealer, an out-of-state dealer, or a private individual.

NOTE: You may be eligible to register your vehicle online. Go to the “Electronic Dealer Report of Sale" section below to see if your vehicle is eligible.

Make sure you have an active car insurance policy when registering your vehicle.

Compare rates and buy your policy online: Visit the Insurance Center >>

Vehicles Purchased from an NV Dealer

Go to your local NV DMV office before the expiration date on the temporary tag issued by the dealer and:

  • Show your Nevada Evidence of Insurance Card (insurance must be issued by a Nevada-licensed agency).
  • Present the green copy of the Dealer Report of Sale.
  • Submit the Nevada Emission Vehicle Inspection Report, if required (see the below section on “NV Vehicle Inspections.")
  • Complete and submit the Application for Vehicle Registration (Form VP-222).
  • Pay the registration fees (vary based on your vehicle's value?estimate your fees with Nevada's Online Registration Fee Estimate.)

Electronic Dealer Report of Sale (EDRS)

Some dealers in Nevada participate in the EDRS program. If you purchase a car from one of these dealers, you may be able to register your vehicle online. If so, your Dealer Report of Sale will be marked "EDRS" and will have a control number printed on it.

Set up an account for MYDMV:

You can set up an account with Sign Up for MyDMV. While this is not required to register your car, it is a useful tool to get electronic notices from the DMV, change your address, and renew your license and/or vehicle registration.

To set up your account, you will need your:

  • Nevada driver's license.
  • Date of birth.
  • Social Security number.
  • Email address.

Register your vehicle online:

  • Go to MyDMV Online Vehicle Registration.
  • On the home page, do one of the following:
    • Sign in to your account.
    • Create an account.
  • Follow the instructions in the online system. You will need:
    • The control number from your EDRS.
    • The last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN).
  • Pay your registration fees via electronic check or credit card.

Your registration and stickers will be sent to you. License plates (if needed) will be sent separately. They will arrive in 20 days.

Vehicles Purchased from an Out-of-State Dealer

If you have purchased a vehicle from a neighboring state, you must register in person; you cannot register online. Go to your local NV DMV office within 30 days of sale or before the expiration date on the movement permit, and:

  • Present the Bill of Sale from the dealer.
  • Show your Nevada Evidence of Insurance Card (insurance must be issued by a Nevada-licensed agency).
  • Show the Odometer Statement on used vehicles if required by law.
  • Submit one of the following:
    • Vehicle title.
    • Vehicle lease agreement.
    • Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin.
    • Security agreement from loan/lienholder.
    • Purchase order.
  • Submit the Nevada Emission Vehicle Inspection Report, if required (see the "Vehicle Inspection" section below).
  • Present the Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Form VP15).
  • Complete and submit the Application for Vehicle Registration (Form VP-222).
  • Pay the difference in sales tax between Nevada and the state where the vehicle was purchased.
  • Pay the registration fees (vary based on your vehicle's value—estimate your fees with Nevada's Online Registration Fee Estimate.)

Vehicles Purchased or Gifted from a Private Individual

Used vehicles, whether purchased directly from the owner or given as a gift, must be registered with the Nevada DMV within 30 days of receiving the vehicle. You must also have the title properly signed off to you—a bill of sale will not suffice.

Visit our Title Transfers in Nevada page for more information on how to complete a transaction with a private party.

To register the vehicle:

  • Submit a Nevada Evidence of Insurance Card (insurance must be issued by a Nevada-licensed agency).
  • Present the vehicle title or security agreement from loan/lienholder.
  • Submit the Nevada Emission Vehicle Inspection Report, if required (see the "Vehicle Inspection" section below).
  • Present the Vehicle Inspection Certificate (Form VP15) if the vehicle was not previously registered in Nevada.
  • Show the odometer statement on used vehicles if required by law.
  • Complete and submit the Application for Vehicle Registration (Form VP-222).
  • Pay sales tax determined by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
  • Pay the registration fees (vary based on your vehicle's value—estimate your fees with Nevada's Online Registration Fee Estimate.)

Cancelled or Transferred Registrations

If you cancel your vehicle registration, or transfer that registration from another vehicle in your name, the Nevada DMV will credit the unused portion of the amount you paid on the previous registration. You can use this credit toward your fees due for EITHER:

  • A new registration on a new vehicle.
    OR
  • A renewal on another vehicle's registration that's also in your name.

As of 2016, these credits no longer decline on a monthly pro-rata basis. Note that you will be charged a $6 fee for this credit transfer.

This credit will be available until the expiration date of the previous registration, or until you choose to use it on a new vehicle/renewal.

Nevada Vehicle Registration for Military

Nevada residents who are military members stationed outside of Nevada can get an original registration for their vehicle by e-mailing the Nevada DMV.

The e-mail should include:

  • Vehicle identification number (VIN).
  • Where the vehicle was purchased (state/city).
  • How the vehicle was purchased (loans, cash, dealer, non-dealer).
  • Price of the vehicle.
  • Taxes paid on the vehicle.

The NV DMV will send an e-mail back to you with the estimated fees and further instructions on how to complete your registration and get your Nevada license plates.

Non-resident military members stationed in Nevada are not required to register their vehicle with the NV DMV, but you must keep your registration current in your home state.

Importing Vehicles from a Foreign Country

Vehicles purchased in another country by military personnel that are titled with a Form AE 190-1A may be imported if they were built to U.S. standards of safety and emissions. These vehicles do not require shipping papers or DOT/EPA releases.

You will need to follow all registration requirements listed under " New to Nevada?" above.

Vehicles not built to U.S. standards will need to get clearances from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Nevada Vehicle Registration Fees

All Nevada residents pay vehicle registration fees and governmental services taxes. You may be required to pay a supplemental governmental services tax in some counties.

Some of the standard vehicle registration fees are:

  • Nevada title: $28.25.
  • Passenger car: $33.
  • Low-speed vehicles: $33.
  • Golf cart: $10.
  • Motorcycle: $33.
    • Motorcycle safety fee: $6.
  • Travel Trailers: $27.
  • Trailer with unladen weight over 1,000 lbs.: $24.
  • Semi-trailers with unladen weight up to 1,000 lbs.: $12.
  • Registration credit transfer fee: $6.

Truck fees are based on weight:

  • Less than 6,000 lbs.: $33.
  • Between 6,000 and 8,499 lbs.: $38.
  • Between 8,500 and 10,000 lbs.: $48.
  • Between 10,001 and 26,000 lbs.: $12 each 1,000 lbs.
  • Between 26,001 and 80,000 lbs.: $17 each 1,000 lbs.
  • Maximum fee is $1,360.

Tax Rates

Nevada taxes vehicles based upon a calculation of the vehicle's original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), age, and depreciation of value. You can find an example of the calculation to estimate your taxes on the Nevada DMV site.

If you buy the vehicle out of state and register it for the first time in Nevada, you will be required to pay any difference between the Nevada sales tax and the sales tax of the state where you purchased the vehicle.

Some counties do charge a supplemental governmental services tax on top of the rest of the fees. Contact your local NV DMV office to see if your county charges this tax.

Tax Exemptions

The following may be granted an exemption to some taxes on the vehicle:

  • Veterans with specific dates of service.
  • Disabled veterans and/or spouses.
  • Residents who are blind.

Exemptions must be applied for at the time you register your vehicle. Nevada does not allow for refunds after a vehicle is registered.

Contact your local NV DMV office to see if you qualify for these exemptions.

NV Vehicle Inspections

Most vehicles, 1968 or newer, need to get an emissions test prior to being registered in and around the cities of Las Vegas and Reno. Brand new vehicles are exempt for their first 3 registrations, and hybrid vehicles are exempt for the first 5 model years.

New residents must get an inspection, even if you recently had one in your previous state.

Your inspection station will issue a Nevada Emissions Vehicle Inspection Report, which is good for 90 days. Your results are electronically reported to the DMV.

New Residents

As stated above in New to Nevada, in addition to an emissions test (if required), new residents to Nevada will need to have a vehicle safety inspection performed upon registration, which can be done at the DMV office.

Nevada License Plates

Residents of Nevada will get license plates when registering their vehicles for the first time.

License plates are registered to Nevada residents and not to specific vehicles. If you change vehicles, you must keep the license plates to put on your new vehicle.

If you get rid of a vehicle, you have must transfer your plates to a new car or surrender them to the DMV. Generally, you have a window of 60 days for standard sunset plates OR 30 days for special plates.

Forms

VP-222
Application for Vehicle Registration
Department of Motor Vehicles application to register your vehicle in Nevada.
VP15
Vehicle Inspection Certificate
If required, submit this completed VIN verification inspection form when titling your vehicle. Must be completed by a DMV-approved inspector.
DMV.ORG BBB Business Review