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 hearings related to road traffic offenses committed 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 on account of 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.

Moving vs. Non-moving Traffic Violations

Moving violations include most road/traffic sign offenses, speeding violations, DUI and DWIs as well as reckless driving. Usually, moving violations pose greater danger to both the driver and other road users. However, 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 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 vehicles and vehicles in motion. 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 property damage and/or injuries result from such violations.

Infractions, Misdemeanors and Felonies

These classifications are for distinguishing 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 which 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

Anyone violating Nevada traffic laws may be issued traffic tickets by law enforcement officials. Tickets serve as official notices of traffic violations and are also referred to as citations. Most tickets contain information about observed violations, appropriate fine amounts, court of appearance and 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 tickets within 10 days.

Responding to a Nevada Traffic Ticket/Citation

One way to respond to a Nevada traffic ticket is agreeing to the alleged violation, paying the fine, and accepting 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 opt to contest them to 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 essentially waive their rights to challenge these tickets 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 mitigated successfully, the offender may be offered a fine reduction, an alternative of community service, or court-mandated therapy and/or an installmental 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

Where the motorist insists that the ticket has been issued unfairly, they may proceed to 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. 

How to Prepare for Traffic Court in Nevada

Before getting a 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 their ticket dismissed. However, where they are found guilty of the violation, the defendant may get 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 office of the court clerk, 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, as well as 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.

In accordance with 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 often serve as a starting point when researching a 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, providing 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, and 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.

For motorists requesting their record, requests can be made 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 requestor may be required to provide their license number, personal information, social security number, and the type of record being requested. Requestors are charged an $8 standard fee for the 3 or 10-year report delivered online.

Records are also available at the self-service kiosks in the various DMV offices across the state. 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. Each request should also be accompanied by the applicable fees. Requests can be submitted in person or via mail to the main DMV office in the judicial district where the subject is resident.

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 regulations governing traffic violations. One distinctive feature of Nevada's judicial process is the availability of traffic schools as a potential option for mitigating or dismissing certain traffic citations. Depending on the county, there may be variations in court procedures and the availability of diversion programs for traffic offenders.