What are Nevada Traffic Court Records?

Nevada traffic court records are official documents generated by the state's traffic courts containing information regarding the court's judicial processes. These records describe trials and trial hearings on road traffic offenses within state limits. Traffic court records include traffic tickets issued by law enforcement officials and motions, orders, citations, and trial transcripts resulting from contested tickets.

Nevada traffic violations and infractions are primarily handled by the state's Municipal Courts, which have jurisdiction in most municipalities. However, Nevada traffic offenses may also be prosecuted in the state's Justice Courts, especially if the offense is considered a felony due to its severity. Thus, Nevada's Municipal and Justice courts maintain and provide access to records generated during traffic court hearings.

Nevada Traffic Violations

In Nevada, traffic offenses are categorized based on the severity of the resulting damage or the nature of the violation. Most traffic violations can be classified as either moving or non-moving. Generally, moving violations involve vehicles in motion, while non-moving violations describe offenses in stationary vehicles. However, there are exceptions. Violations may be further designated as infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies.

Nevada Traffic Ticket Lookup

Nevada traffic tickets are generally processed in Justice Courts or Municipal Courts, depending on jurisdiction. The Nevada Supreme Court's case search portal provides access to traffic and criminal cases statewide, allowing searches by party name or case number.

Many counties, including Clark and Washoe, offer online ticket lookup and payment systems. For example, Clark County's Eighth Judicial District Court allows payment through its traffic portal. Tickets not resolved may result in license suspension by the DMV under NRS 483.475.

Moving vs. Non-moving Traffic Violations

Moving violations include most road/traffic sign offenses, speeding violations, DUIs and DWIs, and reckless driving. Usually, moving violations pose greater danger to the driver and other road users. In severe cases, such as Felony Overspeeding in Nevada, excessive speed combined with reckless conduct that causes severe injury or death may elevate the violation to a felony-level offense. The designation or penalties ascribed to these offenses are usually determined by the damage or injury caused by the violations. Where a speeding violation does not result in a road accident, the driver may be issued a ticket and a fine. However, if an accident occurs and results in casualties, the driver may face manslaughter or vehicular homicide charges.

On the other hand, non-moving violations can involve stationary and moving vehicles. Examples include distracted driving, driving without a seatbelt, parking offenses, driving without a valid license, and driving with faulty/unavailable vehicle equipment/parts. These offenses attract less severe penalties unless such violations result in property damage and/or injuries.

Infractions, Misdemeanors, and Felonies

These classifications distinguish between similar traffic violations of varying severity. While felony is the most serious offense, 'misdemeanor' and 'infraction' are less serious and sometimes used interchangeably.

Infractions/misdemeanors are considered minor traffic offenses that pose minimal danger. They include offenses such as seat belt and traffic sign violations, as well as failure to signal appropriately or obey traffic signs. On the other hand, felonious traffic violations are criminal traffic offenses that often result in severe injury or damage to property. They include violations resulting in property damage, injury, or death.

Getting a Traffic Ticket in Nevada

Law enforcement officials may issue traffic tickets to anyone violating Nevada traffic laws. Tickets serve as official notices of traffic violations and are called citations. Most tickets contain information about observed violations, appropriate fine amounts, court of appearance, due date of court appearance, and possible penalties based on the Nevada Demerit Point System.

Traffic and speeding tickets also serve as court summons. After receiving citations, offenders are required to pay the associated fine amounts and/or submit their pleas at the courthouses named on the tickets within 10 days.

Responding to a Nevada Traffic Ticket/Citation

One way to respond to a Nevada traffic ticket is to agree to the alleged violation, pay the fine, and accept other associated penalties (including license suspension). Alternatively, the offender may refute the allegations and contest the ticket by requesting a mitigation or hearing. However, while paying the ticket is considered the less tedious option, it is also an admission of guilt. To avoid the penalties associated with paying traffic tickets, offenders may contest them, renegotiate the penalties, or prove their innocence.

How Do I Pay a Traffic Ticket in Nevada?

Motorists who opt to pay their traffic tickets without contest waive their right to challenge them later in court. Nevada allows ticketed motorists to pay their fines online, by phone, and at the courthouses listed on their tickets.

Online ticket payments can be made using the payment system provided by the applicable court. Visit the Pay a Ticket page of the Nevada Courts website to find links to the online payment pages of the various Municipal and Justice Courts in the state. When paying their tickets online, offending motorists may be required to provide their full names, ticket numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers.

To pay a Nevada traffic ticket in person or by mail, visit or call the court listed on the ticket to ask for information regarding the process. Details of court addresses and contact information can be obtained using Nevada's Find A Court tool for Justice Courts and Municipal Courts.

How do I Request a Mitigation or Contested Hearing in Nevada?

Motorists who admit to their alleged offenses but seek to negotiate the terms/amounts of their traffic tickets may do so by requesting a mitigation hearing. On the other hand, contested hearings allow alleged offenders to plead not guilty to the violation and contest the hearing. While the verdict of a contested hearing can be appealed at a higher court, offenders can not appeal judges' decisions following mitigation hearings.

Where a ticket is successfully mitigated, the offender may be offered a fine reduction, an alternative of community service, court-mandated therapy, and/or an installment payment plan for the fine. To mitigate a ticket, the alleged offender may contact the office of the Municipal or Justice court clerk in the jurisdiction where the citation was issued. The first contact with the court should be made no more than three weeks after receiving the ticket.

Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Nevada

If the motorist insists that the ticket has been issued unfairly, they may request a contested hearing. This can be done by sending the applicable Justice or Municipal court a plea of "not guilty" using the assigned citation/ticket. To successfully negotiate a mitigation hearing or contest a ticket, the alleged offender may contract the services of a traffic ticket attorney.

Nevada Driving Record Check

The Nevada DMV maintains records showing demerit points, traffic convictions, suspensions, revocations, and reinstatement dates.

Two types are available:

• 3-year history: $8.00
• 10-year history: $8.00

Requests may be made:

• Online: Through the DMV website.
• By Mail: Using Form IR002 (Application for Motor Vehicle Record), mailed to:

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711

• In Person: At DMV field offices.

Obtaining Another Person's Driving Record

The DPPA and NRS 481.063 govern the release of another driver's record. A requester must provide a permissible purpose (e.g., insurance, employment with consent, litigation). Form IR002 must be completed with details of the subject and the legal basis for the request.

Free DMV Driving Records in Nevada

Nevada does not provide free DMV records. Court websites, however, may show traffic convictions at no cost. These records are not official DMV abstracts and cannot substitute for certified histories.

How to Prepare for Traffic Court in Nevada

Before trial, the defendant may be required to make a pre-trial payment to cover the cost of the citation. If acquitted, they may receive a refund of the initial payment and have their ticket dismissed. However, if they are found guilty of the violation, the defendant may receive additional penalties and may owe the court additional fees.

Where to Find Nevada Traffic Court Records

Nevada traffic court records are primarily generated and managed by the court clerks' offices in the Justice and Municipal courts where the cases were heard. Most Nevada courts provide traffic court records to interested members of the public in person or via mail.

Contact the court clerk's office in the jurisdiction where the ticket was issued for information regarding the record retrieval process and the necessary requirements of that judicial district. In most cases, these requirements may include the defendant's personal information, the date and place the citation was issued, and the case number of the record. Other common requirements include providing a copy of a government-issued ID and paying applicable fees to cover search/copy costs. Addresses and contact information of courthouses and offices of court clerks that manage Nevada traffic court records are available on Nevada's Justice Courts and Municipal Courts directories.

Per the Nevada Public Records Law, publicly available traffic court records are accessible from some third-party websites. These websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability and can serve as a starting point when researching specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties may be required to provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites; record availability may differ from official channels.

How Do I Look Up My Nevada Driving Record?

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles maintains the driving records of motorists registered in the state. Residents can only access their own driving records. Third-party requestors, including current or prospective employees and insurance companies, may only access these records after getting approved by the Nevada DMV.

Motorists can request their records online, in person, or via mail. Online requests may be processed using the Nevada Official Driving Records Online tool. To submit a request using this tool, the requester may be required to provide their license number, personal information, social security number, and the type of record requested. Requestors are charged an $8 standard fee for the 3- or 10-year report delivered online.

Records are also available at the various DMV offices' self-service kiosks. An in-person request costs $8 plus a processing fee of $1. For a mail-in request, the requesting party may be required to complete the Application for Individual Record Information (IR 002) form, which should be sent along with the $8 fee as a cheque or money order.

Third-party requestors may also have to obtain notarized authorizations from the subjects of the records requested and submit these along with completed forms available on the Public Records Access page of the DMV website. The applicable fees should also accompany each request. Requests can be submitted in person or via mail to the main DMV office in the judicial district where the subject resides.

How to Prepare for Traffic Court in Nevada

In Nevada, preparing for traffic court requires a thorough understanding of the state's traffic laws, including speed limits, right-of-way rules, and specific traffic violation regulations. One distinctive feature of Nevada's judicial process is the availability of traffic schools as a potential option for mitigating or dismissing specific traffic citations. Depending on the county, there may be variations in court procedures and the availability of diversion programs for traffic offenders.