FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  July 6, 2006
NEWS FROM: Directors Office     06-007

Six Las Vegas Taxi Companies Cited for Fraudulent Registrations

Six taxi companies doing business in the Las Vegas Valley were served notices of violations today by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles’ Compliance Enforcement Division for registering cabs with fraudulent emissions inspections. The companies used fake Vehicle Inspection Reports to register a total of 118 cabs from July of last year to January of this year.

The notices were the result of a nine-month long investigation by the division. The companies in violation and the numbers of cabs fraudulently registered are: Nellis Cab Company, 45; Western Cab Company, 34; Desert Cab, 26, Nevada Yellow Cab, 7, Nevada Star Cab, 4 and Nevada Checker Cab, 2.

The cab companies must by July 14 either return the fraudulent registration certificates and license plates to the DMV or request an administrative hearing to show why the registrations should not be cancelled. Hearings for companies that request them are scheduled for Aug. 1-4, 2006.

If a company does not request a hearing, the Department will cancel the registration of all the company’s fraudulently registered cabs effective as of the original date of the registration for each vehicle. The companies will have to obtain valid emissions test results and register each cab from the original date of registration.

Also as a result of the investigation, the Department has revoked the licenses of four emissions inspectors for issuing the fraudulent smog checks.

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