Nevada License Upgrade Delays at Airport Will End Soon for Casino Visitors and Others

Posted on: September 15, 2021, 09:48h. 

Last updated on: September 15, 2021, 12:03h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Possible delays at Nevada airports caused by recent state-issued driver’s licenses are expected to end soon. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reported Tuesday the licenses are largely now scannable by high-tech equipment after a technology adjustment.

TSA scanners in the Eastern time zone will be updated this week
A recent example of a Nevada driver’s license, pictured above. A recent upgrade to the license may have led to delays at airports because they sometimes need to be manually reviewed. Now, thanks to system upgrades, the license should be scannable. (Image: Driving-Tests.org)

Earlier this summer, new licenses were given a redesigned bar code. As a result, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents sometimes had to inspect them manually when they were presented as forms of identification. This is because the new license could not be scanned successfully using the TSA’s CAT  system.

We received notification from our driver’s license vendor this morning that the problem has been resolved in most of the US,” Nevada DMV spokesman Kevin Malone said in an email Tuesday to Casino.org.

The rest of the country’s scanners have been updated, except for East Coast states. TSA scanners in the Eastern time zone will be updated this week, Malone further explained.

When the new licenses first appeared, the CAT system was not ready for them, Malone explained last week. But even without the upgrade, Nevadans with a valid government-issued ID can be screened through TSA security checkpoints, he said.

“[They will] be allowed to travel. The TSA will conduct a manual inspection of any photo ID that is not recognized.”

New Design, Security Features

The state’s new driver’s licenses have enhanced security features and an updated design. The new license either meets or exceeds national security standards.

They follow the latest security standards set by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Malone adds. The standards were updated just last year, Malone said. The rollout of the new Nevada licenses began July 12. Many state residents have yet to receive them.

Licenses that have the older design remain valid until they expire or information on the ID needs to be updated.

“Nevadans with a valid government-issued photo ID will be screened through the security checkpoint and be allowed to travel despite any suggestions to the contrary,” Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the TSA, told Casino.org last week.

The Nevada DMV last week suggested to travelers to allow “extra time to complete airport security screening.”

Other Reasons For Tourist Delays

Other unrelated issues recently have caused traveler delays at airports. Lyft and Uber drivers were slow to pick up passengers at such airports as McCarran International in April.

The delays were blamed on the shortage of ride-sharing service drivers. The companies were adjusting payments to encourage more drivers to return to work.

Also, casino-bound vehicles are facing delays on and near the Las Vegas Strip because of ongoing construction to improve the roadway.