Licensing Requirements

Becoming a motor vehicle dealer in the state of Nevada requires quite a bit of paperwork, but the process is also straightforward. In Nevada, a vehicle dealer is defined as a person who sells, exchanges, buys, or offers for sale a vehicle that is required to be registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It's also someone who is engaged in the business of selling vehicles, as well as buying or taking as trade-ins vehicles for the purpose of reselling them.

In other words, if you sell vehicles for profit, you need a dealer license issued by the Nevada DMV. (You don't need a license to sell your personal vehicle privately, of course.) The license is the same whether you're going to sell new or used vehicles, or both―but those selling new cars will also have a franchise agreement with the automaker.

Licensing Requirements

To apply for a dealer license, bring the following to your local DMV business licensing office:

• Application for Business License completed and signed by just one company principal.

• Personal History Questionnaire to be completed by each company principal listed on the above application.

• Authorization for Release of Information signed by each principal in the presence of a notary or authorized DMV representative.

• Two sets of fingerprints from each principal. Fingerprinting must be done at the DMV or a local law enforcement agency, on a card obtained at the DMV.

• Child Support Information form completed by each principal.

• Licensee/Registrant Acknowledgement form signed by one principal.

• Vehicle Industry Business License Bond in the amount of $50,000. Dealers of motorcycles and tent, horse, or utility trailers will need a surety bond of only $5,000. A deposit can be made for both amounts in lieu of the bond.

• Certificate of Insurance with the following minimum liability policy amounts: combined aggregate liability total of $100,000, or bodily injury $15,000 per person, bodily injury
  per accident $30,000, and property damage $10,000.

• Personal business documents, including county or city business license, fictitious name filing, and certificates of incorporation.

• Two color photos of the established place of business. The property must have an enclosed building large enough for an office and space to show one vehicle. A display sign is also required (and must be visible in the photos), with the lettering at least eight inches high. The sign must be clearly readable from the center of the facing street.

• Applicable fees: $125 nonrefundable application fee plus $45 fingerprinting fee for each principal. The fingerprinting fees are for running the prints through the state's and FBI's crime databases. Some law enforcement agencies may also charge a fee when you get the fingerprints initially.

• Franchise letters from a manufacturer (new vehicle dealers only), giving permission to be an authorized dealer for that automaker.

A note about child support information: Here in Nevada, the issue of nonpayment of child support is serious. An individual who is not complying with his or her child support payment orders will be barred from many other, seemingly unrelated legal activities―including obtaining a vehicle dealer license.

Annual Renewal

You've obtained your dealer license, but now what? It needs to be renewed annually, and the state of Nevada has made it very simple.

You should receive a renewal notice about 45 days before your license expiration date. On that notice you'll see an access code that allows you to renew quickly online. Use an electronic check or credit card, and your information will be updated immediately.

Within two business days, the Carson City DMV office will send the new license, plate registrations, or plate decals to you. The renewal fee is $50.