This award is presented to a new program or initiative to enhance/ensure integrity of products/services in a jurisdiction, such as facial recognition systems, security features to a vehicle title, implementation of ALPR, address verification software, etc.
This is a motor vehicle agency OR law enforcement agency award and is awarded at the international level.
Each agency may submit only ONE entry.
Criteria for selection:
- Project/program/initiative decreases fraud or fraud risks
- Definitive/measurable outcomes
2026 Winner
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
Nevada DMV Compliance Enforcement Division
In Nevada, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) oversees emissions inspections to promote cleaner air and vehicle safety. In Clark and Washoe Counties, these inspections are mandatory for vehicle registration, and data from these tests is stored in the Vehicle Identification Database (VID), which is used to track emissions compliance and identify unsafe or stolen vehicles. However, a growing wave of emissions fraud threatened both public safety and environmental integrity.
The DMV’s Compliance Enforcement Division (CED) uncovered a criminal network exploiting “emulators” to manipulate testing equipment, allowing vehicles that should fail emissions tests to pass. Fraudulent services, marketed on social media, targeted vulnerable communities, charging upwards of $250 for a fake passing smog certificate—far exceeding the DMV’s capped fee of $66.50. The process for identifying fraud was labor-intensive and retrospective, leaving CED struggling to respond in real time.
In response, CED requested upgrades to the VID system to detect anomalies in real time. This upgrade enabled immediate alerts with detailed vehicle information, including VIN numbers, license plates, and test locations. Officers identified patterns, discovering that fraud was concentrated in certain parts of the city, often occurring in back-to-back tests before being moved to nearby locations. This data allowed CED to create a heat map highlighting the most active areas for fraud.
In late 2024, armed with predictive data, CED detectives acted on an alert about a fraudulent test in progress. They identified a vehicle leaving a test facility that matched the description in the alert and conducted a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, officers found an emulator hidden in a child’s pants. The driver was arrested and charged with forgery, concealing evidence, and issuing counterfeit compliance certificates. This arrest underscored the urgency of addressing a critical gap in Nevada law: the possession and use of emissions tampering devices was not yet a crime.
Determined to close this loophole, CED proposed Senate Bill 80 (SB80) in 2025, which made the use of emulator devices and tampering with emissions systems a criminal offense. SB80 also addressed illegal street racing, where modified cars often bypassed emissions regulations. The bill passed with industry support and became law in June 2025, taking effect on October 1.
CED’s innovative use of data, coupled with enhanced enforcement and legislative action, dismantled emissions fraud rings, led to landmark legislative changes, and strengthened statewide emissions control. Through these efforts, CED not only protected Nevada’s air quality but also set a new standard for combating emissions and consumer fraud and ensuring vehicle safety.