FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  July 14, 2005
NEWS FROM: Director's Office     05-007

ELECTRONIC CHECKS NOW A CHOICE ON DMV WEB SITE 

It looks like a check, it works like a check but it’s a paperless alternative to renewing your driver’s license or vehicle registration. It’s new to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles’ website and it’s new to state government.

“The Nevada DMV is the first state agency to implement this technology,” said department Director Ginny Lewis. “It’s a fast, safe and convenient way to handle payments. We hope that more customers will renew on line with this additional payment choice.”

It’s also cheaper for the state, according to Lewis. Credit card transactions, previously the only payment option on the website, can cost the state several dollars each. Electronic checks can be processed for less than a dollar. 

The department plans to offer electronic checks as a payment choice at self-service kiosks and office counters within the next few months.

The e-check service began on the department’s web site, www.dmvnv.com, Friday, July 1. It’s already proven a popular choice. 258 motorists chose it as a payment option the first day and more than 1,000 used electronic checks to pay their renewal fees in the first week.

Nevada motorists have completed more than 350,000 DMV transactions online over the past year and almost 1.5 million transactions since the first web services debuted in April, 2000. The DMV’s online and other alternate services now outperform any single branch office. The department encourages all motorists to visit its web site first for information and forms before visiting an office.

In a related development, the DMV has reduced the fees it charges for non-commercial driver’s licenses by 50 cents. The 2005 Nevada Legislature passed this measure to enable the DMV’s popular self-service kiosks in the offices to accept cash for driver’s license renewals, which were previously available only with credit or debit cards. 

-- 30 --