Car accidents in Nevada: what to do and who pays

At the scene and reporting a crash in Nevada

Always stop and help anyone who is hurt. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in every state.

When to call the police

If anyone is hurt or killed, or the crash happened on a highway, and no officer is at the scene, report it right away to the nearest police office or the Nevada Highway Patrol. If you hit a parked car or other unattended property, you must leave a note with your name and address and also tell police right away.

Damage amount

$750

Report to the state

If anyone is hurt or killed, or damage to any vehicle or property looks like $750 or more, send form SR-1 (Report of Traffic Crash) to the Nevada DMV within 10 days. Attach a repair estimate or total-loss statement, and a doctor's statement for each person injured in your vehicle; the form also asks for proof of insurance. You do not need an SR-1 if a police officer investigated and the police report lists each driver's insurance company, policy number and coverage dates. If you willfully fail to file a required report, your driving privilege can be suspended; the suspension lasts 1 year unless the DMV receives the report or proof that the failure was not willful (NRS 484E.080).

Deadline for your report

10 days

Law

NRS 484E.030, 484E.040, 484E.050, 484E.070, 484E.080

Official text

Read the official text

First 24 hours after a crash in Nevada

Tick the boxes as you go, or print the list and keep it in your glove box.

Insurance system in Nevada

Nevada is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

System

Fault (tort)

PIP, benefits and when you can sue

No PIP is required. The driver who caused the crash (and their liability insurance) pays for other people's injuries and damage. Medical payments (MedPay) and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage are optional coverages you can buy.

Law

NRS 485.185 (liability insurance for tort liabilities); Nevada Division of Insurance, Understanding Auto Insurance

Official text

Read the official text

Compare every state in the no-fault states table.

Who pays: comparative fault in Nevada

Rule

Modified (51% bar)

What it means

In Nevada, your damages are reduced by your share of the fault, and you can't recover at all if you were more than 50% at fault (51% or more).

Law

NRS 41.141 — you can recover if your share of fault is not greater than the other side's; your damages are cut by your share

Compare every state's rule in the comparative negligence table.

Who pays in Nevada: fault and payout explainer

If both drivers share the blame, your state's comparative-fault rule decides whether you can recover and how much. Enter your share of the fault and your total damages to see what the rule means. This is an illustration, not a prediction: insurers, juries and judges decide the percentages.

Minimum insurance in Nevada

Liability minimum

25/50/20

Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM)

Insurers must offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage equal to your bodily injury limits, on a form approved by the Commissioner. You may turn it down; it is not required (NRS 687B.145).

Official text

Read the official text

Numbers like 25/50/25 mean $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage. Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

Getting the police report in Nevada

For crashes worked by the Nevada Highway Patrol, request the report online through the NHP Crash Report Request page (it links to CRASHDOCS.org). You need the crash number (starts with "NHP"), a last name and the crash date. Reports are ready 7-14 days after the crash and cost $10. Fatal crash reports and photos ($5) come from the NHP regional offices. For crashes worked by a city police department or sheriff (for example Las Vegas Metro), ask that agency. Official page: https://nhp.nv.gov/crashes-citations/crash-report-request/

You can also ask by mail with our free police report request letter.

Filing a claim and insurer deadlines in Nevada

How fast insurers must act

NRS 690B.012: your own insurer must approve or deny a casualty claim within 30 days after it gets the claim, and pay within 30 days after approval, or pay interest. If it needs more information or time, it must tell you within 20 days and every 30 days after that. NRS 686A.310 lists unfair claim practices, such as not acknowledging claims promptly or not settling fairly when liability is reasonably clear.

Put your claim in writing. Our free insurance claim letter lists your damages and asks for a written answer.

If the other driver has no insurance in Nevada

Driving without the required insurance is a misdemeanor with a fine of $600 to $1,000 (cut to $100 for a first offense if you buy a policy by sentencing) (NRS 485.187). The DMV checks coverage electronically and says Nevada has no grace period: even a one-day lapse can lead to registration suspension and a reinstatement fee/fine of $250 to $1,750, and the DMV page also mentions a 3-year SR-22 and license suspension. If an uninsured driver hits you, you can claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage if you bought it, or sue the driver.

Read what to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

Deadlines to sue in Nevada

Property damage (your car)

3 years

Injury

2 years

Notes, including claims against a government

Claims against the State of Nevada go to the Attorney General; claims against a city, county or other local government go to its governing body. Under NRS 41.036 the claim is filed within 2 years, but filing it is not required before you sue.

Law

NRS 11.190(3)(c) (injury to personal property, 3 years); NRS 11.190(4)(e) (personal injury or death, 2 years)

The deadline is the statute of limitations. Insurance claims and talks with an adjuster don't stop it. Compare every state in the deadlines table.

Deadline to sue in Nevada

Every state limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car crash. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see the usual deadline and the last day to file. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Small claims for property damage in Nevada

Small claims limit

$10,000 for people and businesses, money only.

Nevada small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Small claims court can be a way to recover the cost of repairs from the driver who caused the crash. Read how to use small claims for car damage.

Insurance complaints in Nevada

If an insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the state insurance regulator:

• Nevada Division of Insurance, Consumer Services Section · (888) 872-3234

Free help in Nevada

• Nevada Division of Insurance, Consumer Services · (888) 872-3234
• Nevada DMV, insurance requirements and reinstatement · (702) 486-4368
• Nevada Highway Patrol, crash report request · (702) 668-4100

Good to know in Nevada

• You can have your car fixed at the licensed body shop you choose, and the insurer must tell you this when you first contact it about car damage (NRS 690B.016).
• A private SR-1 crash report sent to the DMV is confidential and cannot be used as evidence at trial (NRS 484E.070(6)-(7)).
• The Division of Insurance warns that it sees more complaints with wrong information taken from AI tools, and asks people to check details against official sources.

Free letters

Questions about car accidents in Nevada

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