RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A Reno couple is warning fellow drivers to check their vehicle registrations after both of their cars were mistakenly flagged with suspended plates—months apart and with no clear explanation.

“People should look into this because it can be a very expensive mistake,” said Cindy Waxman, who, along with her husband, Tom, recently found themselves dealing with a baffling DMV mix-up that left both their vehicles with surrendered plates.

Tom Waxman was the first to uncover the issue back in October when a coworker pointed out that his registration had expired. When he went to the DMV to investigate, he was stunned by what he learned.

“I told them I didn’t surrender my plates,” Tom recalled. “She asked if I was sure they weren’t stolen or something. I went to the parking lot, took a picture of the front and back of my plates, and the DMV employee said, ‘Oh, it must’ve been a clerical error.’”

Despite the mistake, Tom was forced to surrender his original plates and get new ones. Then, two months later, the same issue happened to Cindy.

“I was like, ‘Lightning has hit twice. I can’t believe this!’” Cindy said. “And my name is not on his vehicle, his name is not on mine. So it’s two different vehicles from two different accounts.”

After experiencing the error firsthand, Cindy turned to Reddit to share her story and quickly learned that she and her husband weren’t the only ones affected.

“I’m just wondering how many people did get pulled over for surrendered plates and got fined,” Tom said.

While Tom and Cindy avoided fines, other Nevada drivers may not be as lucky. Getting pulled over with suspended plates in the state can result in penalties ranging from $500 to $1,000—or even jail time in some cases.

“I was told this has happened quite a lot in the last year,” Cindy said. “They’re not sure if it’s a glitch in the system, clerical errors, improper training, but there are any number of scenarios that could’ve caused this.”

The couple is now urging others to check their vehicle registrations to avoid potential fines. They hope as more drivers report similar issues, the DMV will address the problem before more unsuspecting motorists find themselves in a costly situation.

KOLO 8 reached out to the DMV but have not heard back at this time. If you’d like to check on your own registration, you can do so, here.

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