The Nevada DMV is supposed to mail license-holders a letter informing them when and why the DMV will be suspending their license. The letter will also indicate how long the license holder has to request a DMV hearing to contest the license suspension.
If the license holder requests a DMV hearing in time, the license holder may continue driving pending the results of the DMV hearing. If the license holder does not request a DMV hearing in time (or at all), then the DMV will suspend the license on the date indicated in the letter.
Additionally, people can always call the Nevada DMV at (702) 486-4368 to check on their license status. Please read our article on how to avoid a driver’s license suspension in Nevada.
1. What is a Nevada DMV hearing?
DMV hearings are administrative trials where license holders contest the DMV’s decision to suspend their license. They occur at the DMV, and an administrative judge presides over the hearing.1
During a DMV hearing, the license holder (or his/her attorney) can present evidence and cross-examine the state’s witnesses. In most cases, the only state witness that appears is the police officer that originally cited or arrested the defendant for the traffic offense.2
In recent years, most DMV hearings can be conducted telephonically without either the defense attorney or state witness appearing in person.
Learn about DMV hearings in Nevada DUI cases.
2. What are some reasons for a license suspension in Nevada?
Many circumstances may cause the Nevada DMV to temporarily revoke a person’s driver’s license. These include:
- accruing 12 or more demerit points within a one (1) year time span,
- a misdemeanor DUI arrest (even if the driver never gets convicted of DUI in criminal court),
- street racing,
- not paying child support,
- not having car insurance,
- using graffiti,
- missing a traffic court appearance,
- habitual truancy,
- juvenile possession of drugs or alcohol,
- a juvenile using firearms,
- a third offense of failing to secure a child in a car seat properly, and
- perjuring oneself to the DMV.3
In addition, various medical conditions can cause the DMV to suspend a person’s license for safety reasons. Some of these include:
- blindness (or any vision impairment),
- deafness (or any other hearing impairment),
- the inability for the driver to reach the gas or brake pedals without assistance,
- diabetes,
- epilepsy,
- frequently recurring spells of fainting or dizziness,
- grave heart conditions such as myocardial infarction or thrombosis,
- vascular disease,
- lack of mobility, and
- psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, severe anxiety, severe depression, or hypomania.
3. Is it a crime to drive on a suspended license in Nevada?
Yes. In Nevada, it is a misdemeanor to drive while one’s driver’s license is suspended or revoked. The penalty includes:
- up to 6 months in jail, and/or
- up to $1,000 in fines.4
But if the reason for the suspension was a DUI arrest, then the penalties for driving on a suspended license is:
- at least 30 days of jail (or 60 days of home confinement) but no more than six months in jail, and
- a fine of $500 to $1,000.5
Learn more about the Nevada crime of driving on a suspended license under NRS 483.560.
4. How can a person reinstate a suspended or revoked Nevada license?
It depends on the type of case. Sometimes the driver has to take a written or vision test.
DUI defendants have to get an ignition interlock device installed.
And all drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked for more than a year have to take a driving skills test.
Either way, it is the responsibility of the driver (or driver’s lawyer) to contact the DMV and fill out the proper paperwork.6
For specific instructions, call the Nevada DMV headquarters at 775 684-4368. Note that drivers still have to go through the reinstatement process even if he/she gets cleared of all criminal charges.
See our related articles, Nevada Driving Record – How do I get it and what does it show?, How do I reinstate a revoked license in Nevada?, and Who reports seizures to the DMV in Nevada?
