Nevada · DUI
Nevada DUI laws and penalties
Nevada's legal BAC limit is 0.08%. For a first offense, Nevada's statute provides jail of 2 days to 6 months, a fine of $400 to $1,000, and a license suspension of 185 days. The license hearing, the ignition interlock rule and the statute behind every figure are below.
Figures read from official pages on .
Nevada DUI laws at a glance
- Legal BAC limit
- 0.08%
- Standard US limit
- Enhanced penalty BAC
- 0.16%
- Where the penalties step up
- Zero tolerance (under 21)
- 0.02%
- Limit for drivers under 21
- Lookback period
- 7 years
- Prior DUI offenses that count
License hearing: no fixed request deadline
No number of days: you can ask the DMV for a hearing in writing at any time while you are not eligible to drive after the revocation order. The temporary license the officer issues lasts only 7 days.Higher BAC level. At 0.16 or more a first offender must attend a treatment program; the jail range, fine range and offense class do not change. The line was 0.18 until 2025.
Ignition interlock. 185 days after a first conviction, as a condition of an interlock privilege.
01Penalties
Nevada DUI penalties
| Penalty | 1st offense | 2nd offense |
|---|---|---|
| Jail (minimum) | 2 days | 20 days |
| Jail (maximum) | 6 months | 6 months |
| Fine (minimum) | $400 | $750 |
| Fine (maximum) | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| License suspension | 185 days | 1 year |
Statutory ranges only. Actual outcomes vary by county, judge, and attorney. Does not include court fees, surcharges, or program costs.
02Compare
How Nevada compares
Of the 49 states with a confirmed BAC limit, 48 (Nevada among them) use 0.08%; Utah has 0.05%.
On this site's reading of the statutes, of the 49 states with a confirmed rule, 21 require an ignition interlock after every first conviction, 18 in some cases and 8 leave it to the judge; 2 do not require one. Nevada requires one after every first conviction.
| State | BAC limit | Hearing request | Interlock, first offense | Jail, first offense | Fine, first offense | License, first offense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 0.08% | 30 days | Required | 10 days to 6 months | $250 to $2,500 | 90 days |
| California | 0.08% | 10 days | At the judge's discretion | 96 hours to 6 months | $390 to $1,000 | 6 months |
| Idaho | 0.08% | 7 days | Required | Up to 6 months | Up to $1,000 | 30 days absolute suspension, then 60 to 150 more days |
| Nevada (this page) | 0.08% | No fixed deadline | Required | 2 days to 6 months | $400 to $1,000 | 185 days |
| Oregon | 0.08% | 10 days | Required | 48 hours to 364 days | $1,000 to $6,250 | 1 year |
| Utah | 0.05% | 10 days | Required | 2 days to 6 months | $700 to $1,000 | 120 days |
Every figure is the statute's own, read from the same kind of page. See DUI laws and penalties for all 50 states.
03The process
How a DUI case moves through the system in Nevada
Arrest and booking
Police arrest a driver on suspicion of DUI and take the person to the local jail, where booking records the arrest, the charge and the times.
Release
A person is released after posting bail, on their own recognizance, or after a hold. Amounts and timing differ by county.
License action
No number of days: you can ask the DMV for a hearing in writing at any time while you are not eligible to drive after the revocation order. The temporary license the officer issues lasts only 7 days.
Arraignment
The first court appearance, where the charge is read and a plea (guilty, not guilty or no contest) is entered.
Pretrial resolution
A case can end in a plea to a reduced charge, in a diversion or deferred program where the state has one, in a trial, or in a dismissal, depending on the state and the facts.
Sentencing or trial
For a first offense, Nevada's statute provides jail of 2 days to 6 months, a fine of $400 to $1,000, and a license suspension of 185 days. See the penalties table above.
04Sources
Where Nevada's figures come from
- Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.110(1) (leg.state.nv.us)Main statute · BAC limit, age 21 and over · Higher BAC level · Lookback period · License hearing request · Ignition interlock, first offense · First offense: jail, minimum · First offense: jail, maximum · First offense: fine, minimum · First offense: fine, maximum · Second offense: jail, minimum · Second offense: jail, maximum · Second offense: fine, minimum · Second offense: fine, maximum
- Nev. Rev. Stat. § 483.461(1) (leg.state.nv.us)BAC limit under 21 · First offense: license · Second offense: license
Show the exact words behind each figureHide the exact words
- Main statute
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.110
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.110(1)
It is unlawful for any person who: (a) Is under the influence of intoxicating liquor; (b) Has a concentration of alcohol of 0.08 or more in his or her blood or breath; or
- BAC limit, age 21 and over
0.08%
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.110(1)(b)-(c)
Has a concentration of alcohol of 0.08 or more in his or her blood or breath; or (c) Is found by measurement within 2 hours after driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle to have a concentration of alcohol of 0.08 or more in his or her blood or breath
- Higher BAC level
0.16%
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(a)(4); § 484C.030
If the person is found to have a concentration of alcohol of 0.16 or more in his or her blood or breath, order the person to attend a program of treatment for an alcohol or other substance use disorder pursuant to the provisions of
- BAC limit under 21
0.02%
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 483.461(1)
shows that a person less than 21 years of age had a concentration of alcohol of 0.02 or more but less than 0.08 in his or her blood or breath at the time of the test, the person’s license, permit or privilege to drive must be suspended for a period of 90 days.
- Lookback period
7 years
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(b), (2)
(b) For a second offense within 7 years, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
- License hearing request
No fixed deadline
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.230(1)
At any time while a person is not eligible for a license, permit or privilege to drive following an order of revocation issued pursuant to
- Ignition interlock, first offense
Required after a first conviction
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.460(1)(a); § 484C.210(3)
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 5, a court shall order a person to install, at his or her own expense, an ignition interlock device in any motor vehicle which the person operates as a condition to obtaining an ignition interlock privilege pursuant to NRS 483.490 to reinstate the driving privilege of the person: (a) For a period of 185 days if the person is convicted of a first violation within 7 years of NRS 484C.110.
- First offense: jail, minimum
2 days
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(a)(2)
Sentence the person to imprisonment for not less than 2 days nor more than 6 months in jail or residential confinement for not less than 2 days nor more than 6 months, in the manner provided in
- First offense: jail, maximum
6 months
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(a)(2)
Same passage as above.
- First offense: fine, minimum
$400
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(a)(3)
Fine the person not less than $400 nor more than $1,000; and
- First offense: fine, maximum
$1,000
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(a)(3)
Same passage as above.
- First offense: license
185 days
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 483.460(1)(a)
(a) For a period of 185 days, if the offense is a first violation within 7 years of
- Second offense: jail, minimum
20 days
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(b)(1)
Imprisonment for not less than 20 days nor more than 6 months in jail; or (II) Residential confinement for not less than 20 days nor more than 6 months, in the manner provided in
- Second offense: jail, maximum
6 months
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(b)(1)
Same passage as above.
- Second offense: fine, minimum
$750
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(b)(2)
Fine the person not less than $750 nor more than $1,000, or order the person to perform an equivalent number of hours of community service; and
- Second offense: fine, maximum
$1,000
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 484C.400(1)(b)(2)
Same passage as above.
- Second offense: license
1 year
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 483.460(1)(b)(5)
(b) For a period of 1 year if the offense is:
05Related
Related pages
- CalculatorDUI License-Hearing WindowThe hearing request window listed for each state, counted from a date you enter.
Note: This page summarizes state statutes and published figures. It is general information, not legal advice, and it may be out of date or incomplete. Penalty ranges are statutory ranges; actual outcomes depend on the case. See the Disclaimer.