Nevada Car Accident Laws: Your Legal Duty After an Accident

After a Nevada car crash, you must comply with legal duties like exchanging information, rendering aid, and reporting the accident.

Dealing with a car accident can be tricky, so it’s essential for Nevada drivers to know their legal rights and responsibilities. If you’ve been involved in a collision, you must know how to protect yourself and comply with the law.

This page outlines important Nevada car accident laws and provides guidance on what actions to take following a crash. For more information, you can also check out Chapter 484E of the Nevada Vehicles Code.

1. Nevada Driver Exchange of Information Law

After a car crash resulting in injury or death in Nevada, you must immediately stop your vehicle and remain at the scene until you provide identifying details to the other party and the police. This includes your name, address, and vehicle registration number. You must also show your driver’s license to the other driver and give it to the police upon request.

If no police officer investigates the scene, you must report the crash to the nearest police department or the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury or death shall immediately stop and shall remain at the scene of the crash until the driver has fulfilled the requirements of NRS 484E.030.

Every such stop must be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.

NRS 484E.010

The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle or other property which is driven or attended by any person shall:

  • Give his or her name, address and the registration number of the vehicle the driver is driving, and shall upon request and if available exhibit his or her license to operate a motor vehicle to any person injured in such crash or to the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in such crash.
  • Give such information and upon request manually surrender such license to any police officer at the scene of the crash or who is investigating the crash.

If no police officer is present, the driver of any vehicle involved in such crash after fulfilling all other requirements, insofar as possible on his or her part to be performed, shall report such crash to the nearest office of a police authority or of the Nevada Highway Patrol.

NRS 484E.030

2. Nevada Car Accident Injury Law: Duty to Render Aid

If you are involved in a car accident, Nevada law requires you to offer “reasonable assistance” to those who are injured.

This may include transporting the injured person to a hospital if they need it, or if requested by the injured person. You can also meet your obligation by arranging some other form of transportation for the injured person, such as calling an ambulance.

The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash shall render to any person injured reasonable assistance, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a hospital for medical treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary, or if such carrying is requested by the injured person.

NRS 484E.030

3. Nevada Law on Reporting a Car Accident to Police

Under Nevada Law, if a police officer is not present on the scene of an accident causing injury, death, or property damage, as an involved driver you must notify the local police or the highway patrol of the crash.

Additionally, if a collision results in injury, death, or property damage of at least $750, you must file a report with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days.

However, you do not need to submit a report to the DMV if a police officer investigated the crash and filed a report that included your insurance information. You are also exempt from this requirement if you are incapacitated and unable to make a report.

If no police officer is present, the driver of any vehicle involved in such crash shall forthwith report such crash to the nearest office of a police authority or of the Nevada Highway Patrol.

NRS 484E.030

The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash, if the crash results in injury or death or total damage to property of $750 or more, shall, within 10 days after the crash, forward a written or electronic report of the crash to the Department.

A report is not required from any person if the crash was investigated by a police officer and the report of the investigating officer contains:

  • The name and address of the insurance company providing coverage to each person involved in the crash;
  • The number of each policy; and
  • The dates on which the coverage begins and ends.

A crash report is not required from any person who is physically incapable of making a report. Whenever the driver is physically incapable of making a report of a crash and the driver is not the owner of the vehicle, the owner shall within 10 days after knowledge of the crash make the report not made by the driver.

NRS 484E.070

What if I Fail to Report an Accident in Nevada?

In Nevada, if you willfully fail to report an accident to the DMV, your driver’s license can be suspended for one year. Likewise, if you include false information on a crash report, you can be convicted of a gross misdemeanor offense.

If a person willfully fails, refuses or neglects to make a report of a crash, the person’s driving privilege may be suspended. Suspension action remains in effect for 1 year unless terminated by receipt of the report of the crash or upon receipt of evidence that failure to report was not willful.

Any person who gives information in electronic, oral or written reports as required in this chapter, knowing or having reason to believe that such information is false, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

NRS 484E.080

4. Nevada Car Accidents With No Injuries: Your Legal Duty

Even when nobody is injured in a Nevada car accident, you still must take action if any property was damaged. First, you must immediately stop your vehicle at the scene and move it off the roadway if you can do so safely. You also must provide your information to the other parties involved in the crash and the police.

The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting only in damage to a vehicle or other property which is driven or attended by any person shall:

  • Immediately stop his or her vehicle at the scene of the crash; and
  • If the driver’s vehicle is creating a hazard or obstructing traffic and can be moved safely, move the vehicle or cause the vehicle to be moved out of the traffic lanes of the roadway to a safe location that does not create a hazard or obstruct traffic and, if applicable, safely fulfill the requirements of NRS 484E.030.

NRS 484E.020

The driver of any vehicle involved in a crash resulting in damage to any vehicle or other property which is driven or attended by any person shall:

  • Give his or her name, address and the registration number of the vehicle the driver is driving, and shall upon request and if available exhibit his or her license to operate a motor vehicle to any person injured in such crash or to the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in such crash.
  • Give such information and upon request manually surrender such license to any police officer at the scene of the crash or who is investigating the crash.

If no police officer is present, the driver of any vehicle involved in such crash after fulfilling all other requirements, insofar as possible on his or her part to be performed, shall forthwith report such crash to the nearest office of a police authority or of the Nevada Highway Patrol.

NRS 484E.030

5. What if I Hit a Parked Car in Nevada?

When you hit a parked vehicle in Nevada and damage it, you must immediately stop your car. You must either locate the owner of the vehicle or leave a note with your name and address, as well as the name and address of your car’s owner if you don’t own it.

You must also immediately notify the local police or the Nevada Highway Patrol of the collision.

The driver of any vehicle which is involved in a crash with any vehicle which is unattended, resulting in any damage, shall immediately stop and locate and notify the owner of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle or attach in a conspicuous place a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the vehicle.

NRS 484E.040

The driver of a vehicle which is involved in a crash with any vehicle which is unattended, resulting in any damage to such other vehicle, shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such crash to the nearest office of a police authority or of the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving an immediate notice of a crash and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the crash capable of doing so, such occupant shall make or cause to be given the notice not given by the driver.

NRS 484E.050

Getting into a car accident is always distressing, but it is even worse if you don’t know what you should do. Failing to abide by your duties could result in legal consequences, so it’s important to understand your obligations as a driver should you find yourself in this situation.