How Does the Nevada Municipal Court Work?

In Nevada’s judiciary, the Municipal Courts are one of the two limited jurisdiction courts in the state. Like the Justice Courts, the Nevada Municipal Courts are established under Article 6 of the Nevada Constitution to hear specific criminal, civil, and traffic legal matters. However, the two courts differ in the jurisdiction. While the Justice Courts’ jurisdiction is broader, the Municipal Courts’ jurisdiction is significantly more limited than the Justice Courts and constrained to the incorporated municipalities. The cities fund the Municipal Courts. Pursuant to NRS 5.050, below are the case types handled by these courts:

• Ordinance violations (misdemeanors or other)
• Traffic and parking violations
• Misdemeanor criminal cases
• City civil actions up to or less than $2,500 in dispute, including tax collection suits, liens, personal property actions, breach of bonds, etc
• Actions seeking orders under NRS 441A.195

Civil and criminal procedures in Municipal Courts are similar to those of the other Nevada courts (Justice and District Courts). Civil proceedings in the courts are conducted under Rule 1 and 3 through 87 of the Justice Courts Rules of Civil Procedure, while criminal proceedings typically follow the Criminal Procedure in Nevada’s Courts. Under these rules, a civil action commences once a complaint is filed against an individual or business in a Municipal Court. On the other hand, a criminal case begins when a defendant is arraigned before the court for a misdemeanor offense.

In the court, the maximum sentence for misdemeanor offenses is six months in jail and a fine not above $1000 (plus administrative assessments). Under the law, parties arraigned for misdemeanors have no right to counsel or right to a jury trial, unless the crime for which the defendant is charged involves a jail sentence. Where the criminal case is outside the bounds of the Municipal Court’s jurisdiction, the court may transfer the case to another Municipal, Justice, or District Court under NRS 5.0503 and NRS 5.0505.

There are set timings for certain civil or criminal processes, such as the maximum length of time a defendant may be brought to trial, or timings to submit certain documents. However, there is no aggregate timeframe under Nevada’s statutes when a criminal or civil case may be resolved in the court. Nevada’s law provides post-adjudication relief in the form of appeals for parties who want to petition a Municipal Court’s decision or judgment to a higher court as a result of a legal or procedural error. In the state, the Municipal Courts’ appeals are under the Nevada District Courts’ exclusive jurisdiction. Usually, the appeals process begins with filing a notice of intention to appeal in a Municipal Court (NRS 5.080). According to the Nevada Judiciary Annual Report, 50,985 non-traffic cases and 143,057 traffic and parking cases were resolved by the Municipal Courts.

NRS 5.020 outlines the qualifications for Municipal Court judges in Nevada. According to this law, municipal judges are chosen from qualified electors of cities where the Municipal Courts are located. Also, a judge must be a citizen of the state and resident for not less than a year prior to an election. Furthermore, the candidate must not have been removed or retired from a judicial office. Municipal Court judges are elected by city voters and serve terms set by ordinance or charter of the cities. The judges may also be approved by the city council and selected by the mayor. A chief municipal judge is chosen when there is more than one municipal judge in a court and is responsible for authorizing the court’s hours, assigning cases to judges, and managing court operations, among other obligations prescribed by law (NRS 5.021). In Nevada, there are 30 Municipal Court judges. However, some cities appoint their municipal judges from serving Justices of the Peace. As of June 2019, eleven of the municipal judges were also Justices of the Peace.

Docket information of the Municipal Courts may be obtained by searching online dockets provided on the courts’ individual websites. Case information and activities may be viewed by inputting a case number and the party’s name in a case. The courts also provide online calendars to view the status of cases free of charge. Users may locate a local Municipal Court’s website via the Find A Court web feature.

Interested persons may find Nevada’s Municipal Courts at the following addresses:

Boulder City Municipal Court
Clark County
501 Avenue G
Boulder City, VNV 89005
Email: courts@bcnv.org
Phone: (702) 293–9278
Fax: (702) 293–9345

Caliente Municipal Court
Lincoln County
100 Depot Avenue
PO Box 1006
Caliente, NV 89008
Email: court@cityofcaliente.com
Phone: (775) 726–3131
Fax: (775) 726–3370

Carlin Municipal Court
Elko County
101 South Eighth Street
PO Box 789
Carlin, NV 89822
Email: carlincourts@elkocountynv.net
Phone: (775) 754–6321
Fax: (775) 754–6893

Carson City Municipal Court
Carson City County
885 East Musser Street
Suite 2007
Carson City, NV 89701
Phone: (775) 887–2121
Elko Municipal Court

Elko County
571 Idaho Street
Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 738–8403
Fax: (775) 738–8416

Ely Municipal Court
White Pine County
1785 Great Basin Boulevard
Ely, NV 89301
Phone: (775) 289–4838
Fax: (775) 289–8225

Fallon Municipal Court
Churchill County
55 West Williams Avenue
Fallon, NV 89406
Phone: (775) 423–6244
Fax: (775) 867–2378

Fernley Municipal Court
Lyon County
595 Silverlace Boulevard
Fernley, NV 89408
Phone: (775) 784–9870
Fax: (775) 784–9999

Henderson Municipal Court
Clark County
243 Water Street
Henderson, NV 89015
Phone: (702) 267–3300

Las Vegas Municipal Court
Clark County
200 Lewis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89101
PO Box 3950
Las Vegas, NV 89127
Phone: (702) 382–6878

Mesquite Municipal Court
Clark County
500 Hillside Drive
Mesquite, NV 89027
Email: municipalcourt@mesquitenv.gov
Phone: (702) 346–5291
Fax: (702) 346–6587

North Las Vegas Municipal Court
Clark County
2332 Las Vegas Boulevard North
Suite 100
North Las Vegas, NV 89030
Phone: (702) 633–1130
Fax: (702) 399–6296

Reno Municipal Court
Washoe County
1 South Sierra Street
Reno, Nevada 89501
PO Box 1900
Reno, NV 89505
Email: renomunicourt@reno.gov
Phone: (775) 334–2290
Fax: (775) 334–3824

Sparks Municipal Court
Washoe County
1450 C Street
Sparks, NV 89431
Phone: (775) 353–2286
Fax: (775) 353–2400

Wells Municipal Court
Elko County
1510 Lake Avenue
PO Box 297
Wells, NV 89835
Email: jpwells@elkocountynv.net
Phone: (775) 752–3726
Fax: (775) 752–3363

West Wendover Municipal Court
Elko County
1111 North Gene L. Jones Way
PO Box 2300
West Wendover, NV 89883
Email: wwmunicipalcourt@elkocountynv.net
Phone: (775) 664–2305
Fax: (775) 664–2979

Yerington Municipal Court
Lyon County
102 South Main Street
Yerington, NV 89447
Email: courtclerk@yerington.net
Phone: (775) 463–3511
Fax: (775) 463–2284