Why Are So Many Cars in Las Vegas without License Plates?

While visiting Las Vegas in February and again last week I noticed many cars without license plates and no temporary tags in the window. Do you know why?

First and foremost, perhaps, are drivers avoiding registering their cars intentionally. Registration costs in Nevada are high: a percentage of the vehicle's cost when new and a basic registration fee and governmental-services taxes. These certainly deter some owners from registering their vehicles, especially after spending thousands on buying a car or if it's a choice between keeping the car running with gas and repairs or handing a bunch of money over to the DMV.

This is particularly true if people believe enforcement is lax. During the pandemic, Nevada relaxed vehicle-registration enforcement, which led to a culture of non-compliance that has, to a certain extent, persisted. And enforcement hasn't fully rebounded, as the DMV readily admits.

Speaking of the DMV, the Nevada agency has faced significant backlogs over the past several years. We know one car owner (in Reno) who's still waiting for a September appointment after buying her car in June. Some residents view the DMV process as overly burdensome, leading to intentional or inadvertent non-compliance.

The DMV also recently reported an increase in counterfeit temporary tags sold online, often for out-of-state vehicles, which are harder for Nevada law enforcement to detect. Additionally, some drivers alter expired temporary tags to avoid registration fees, contributing to the issue.

Then there are all the stolen cars. Las Vegas has consistently been among the cities with the highest vehicle-theft rates (though it's been on a downward trend over the past 18 months). Thieves often remove license plates from stolen cars. Reprobates also do so to avoid detection during crimes.

Put them all together and a lot of cars here aren't registered, don't have license plates, and probably aren't insured. Unregistered and uninsured vehicles pose public-safety risks and increase insurance costs for drivers who do have both, as uninsured motorists contribute to higher accident-related liabilities. Fines for driving without registration can reach $1,000 and vehicles may be impounded, yet enforcement remains inconsistent.

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Tim Soldan Jul-23-2025

Enforcement not lax at Smith Center

I purchased a used vehicle this year from a private owner, and made an appointment with the DMV at first available to register and get plates. It was about 6 weeks away that was the soonest available to me. In the meantime, I had insured the vehicle and was driving on the previous owner's plates and unknown to me he hadn't renewed the registration. 

I went to a show at the Smith Center, parked in the garage and paid the parking fee. To my surprise when I came out to pick up the car I had gotten a ticket. So double whammy, not only paid to park but an additional $75 was my cost to park that night. 

I appealed the ticket, but the City of Las Vegas wanted their money all excuses be damned. It's bad enough to have to pay parking at the Smith Center which used to be free but to have the ticket on top was the straw that broke the camel's back. I will never go to the Smith Center again, just on principle. By the way, I've never gotten a parking ticket before.

Captain Jul-23-2025

And Rental Cars Too

Last three times I've been to Vegas, the rental cars have not had license plates, Just a little sticker on the front window on the passenger side.  The lot guy says it takes months to get a plate on a new car.

Jetpilotrick Jul-23-2025

Californians

Californians seem to be the biggest ones in non-compliance of this.  The California plates are all over the city and you KNOW they live here.  But, they just don’t follow the rules, they just don’t comply with the mandates.

Clinton Jul-23-2025

It doesn't have to be that way

Here in Arizona no one has to go to a DMV, let alone get an appointment. They have licensed out the work to third party providers, of which there are very many more than DMV offices, and they only charge a few more bucks for everything. I'm always mystified to hear stories like Nevada and from California. These lengthy backups are crazy to me because the government is just giving up free money by wasting months of not registering people.

John Dulley Jul-23-2025

Licensed vehicles

I’ve read and totally believe that about 35-40% of the vehicles in my city have expired tags. And like the QOD says it started during the pandemic. I even asked my wife a few months ago if we were being suckers for licensing our vehicles..

sunny78 Jul-23-2025

new rev stream

With this problem so common, you'd think the police would have a field day writing tickets and having a nice revenue stream as a result for the state and city. Goes without saying but ultra easy to spot a car with zero tags.

Gene Brown Jul-23-2025

Just Go Ahead and Try That in Florida!

What I am reading here today will never exist in Florida without suffering financially and legally. It’s like clockwork getting renewed and dealerships getting most new vehicles paperwork done. What it tells me is that registration is not a priority in the Silver State.

VegasROX Jul-23-2025

Time to start cracking down

Either open more DMV offices, or do like many other states do do "franchises" to 3rd party providers. 2nd, time for serious crackdown. Open a HUGE 3rd party holding/salvage yard. See a vehicle without a tag, pull it over and it is towed tuggt to the yard, right then. No insurance, same thing. They have 30 days to comply or the vehicles are auctioned off, without fail, every single month. Do a major crackdown, have a godliness where the lawbreakers can be reported to. In short order, this issue would be taken care of. It's not that complicated. GET IT DONE!!

Donzack Jul-23-2025

Many reasons

Fewer police officers on the street. Some municipalities  registration violations can be written on a parking violation but some won’t allow a traffic stop for registration violation.  I think more people now feel that they should try to get away with as much as possible.

[email protected] Jul-23-2025

It's...

...the wild wild west!

Lotel Jul-23-2025

Las Vegas may be dying

just another problem Las Vegs is facing. highest  unemployment, high crime , illegal immigrants. One in three Nevadans are covered by Medicaid,  a huge homeless population, less visitors, etc. not sure if LV can  recover with a likely economy cooling on the way

LynGHS Jul-30-2025

LOTS of Unemployable People

Vegas has unemployment, in part, because there are so many unemployable people! I have been trying desperately to hire someone to push simple paperwork for $1k a week, 40hrs a week, with 100% PAID excellent insurance for over 3 months; 90% of the applicants never show up for the interview.

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