Skip trip to DMV and visits these 4 places instead

This story is sponsored by dmvnv.com, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles official website.

With so much entertainment in Nevada, there is simply an abundance of options to use the time you save by not spending it in line at a Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Most people expect long lines at the DMV. After all, the department handled 8.6 million transactions in fiscal 2015. But with MyDMV and 38 DMV in a Box kiosks throughout the state you can skip the trip to the DMV and take of your business online.

However, the DMV estimates only about 25% of transactions are actually taken care of online. That's too bad because if more people used these tools, they could use the time they saved to do something more fun than standing in line. Here are some places to consider spending that extra time.

Hoover Dam

More than 1 million visitors tour this hydroelectric marvel every year and millions more drive across the dam. That's a fraction of the number of transactions the DMV officials handle each year, but the tally is still impressive. The dam was dedicated in 1935 — the same year the government approved the Social Security program. Tours began in 1937 and have been going ever since.

Springs Preserve

Many visitors, and even locals don’t realize there is an oasis just west of downtown Las Vegas. Springs Preserve is a complex of springs that provided clear water to the area’s first settlers long before the DMV even existed. Today, the site features beautiful gardens, displays of desert wildlife, the Nevada State Museum and historical displays. It is a great attraction for children or adults, and a cool spot to visit when southern Nevada weather is hot.

Valley of Fire

This scenic state park could be one of Nevada’s hottest attractions — literally. On summer days the temperature can approach a scorching 120 degrees. A state park since 1935 and a national natural landmark since 1968, the Valley of Fire provides spectacular rock formation and breathtaking images of the Silver State. The unique scenery has been used as a backdrop for several motion pictures including “Transformers.”

Lake Tahoe

With that newfound spare hour, take a trip to the beautiful Lake Tahoe. Not far from Carson City, it is the second-deepest lake in the country at more than 1,600 feet. Water sports and water skiing are the most popular activities, but even if you just drive around the lake and gawk at the beautiful scenery, you will be well-rewarded.

With so much to do and see in the great state of Nevada the people who work at the DMV would rather you spend your time exploring those state treasures, not waiting in line. That is why they try to make it easy for most drivers to take care of the basic transactions without setting foot inside a DMV office.

Using MyDMV, one of 38 DMV in a Box kiosks, or mail, you can renew a driver’s license, renew a vehicle registration, handle an address change, get a duplicate driver's license, get an ID card or more almost anytime day or night. In fact, more than two-dozen services can be done online and the DMV is regularly adding more.

So instead of automatically heading to a DMV office, check My DMV first to see if what you need can be done online. Then use the time you save to do something fun.