What to Do If You Have a Nevada Speeding Ticket

If you get a speeding ticket in Nevada, your insurance rates could go up by an average of 26%. After you pay your fine, shop for new rates to fight the increased cost.
Written by Holden Easterbrook
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
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If you get a ticket in
Nevada
, you can pay online or in person—some jurisdictions may also allow you to pay over the phone or through the mail. Also, be prepared for your
car insurance
rates to go up an average of 26% at your next renewal.

How to deal with a traffic ticket in Nevada

Step 1: Check your ticket to see if you’re required to appear in court.
As of January 2023, most moving violations in Nevada are civil infractions—meaning they can be resolved without going to court. But if you see a box marked “Court Mandatory,” it means you’ve been issued a criminal traffic ticket, and you’ll have to appear in court to handle it.1
Most speeding tickets in Nevada are classified as civil infractions under Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), but if you were going 30 mph or more over the speed limit when you were ticketed, it’s considered a misdemeanor, and you’ll need to appear before a judge.
Step 2: Decide whether to pay the ticket or fight it.
If you believe you were ticketed improperly, you can plead not guilty to the infraction at your court appearance—but you’ll need to make a strong case before the judge, so make sure you can back up your not-guilty claim with evidence.
Step 3: Shop for car insurance before your policy renews.
After a traffic citation, your car insurance rates won’t typically go up immediately—but you probably will see an increase in your premium the next time your policy is renewed. Comparing rates from different providers can help you keep your rates affordable even after a speeding ticket.

How to pay your Nevada speeding ticket

You have 90 days to resolve your ticket after the citation is available in Nevada’s online system. Here’s how you can take care of it:

Option 1: Visit nvtrafficticket.com to pay your ticket online

To pay your Nevada traffic ticket online, visit the
Nevada Civil Infraction Citations Portal
and click “Get started.” Then, select the court listed on your ticket from the drop-down menu and enter your citation number in the second box. 
From there, follow the prompts to pay your fine with a valid debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Discover).

Option 2: Pay in person at the courthouse

Look for the court that’s listed on the bottom of your ticket, then check that court’s procedures for making a payment in person. Most courts will accept payments like cash, debit cards, credit cards, money orders, cashier’s checks, or personal checks—but verify that with the court that issued the citation before you appear in person.2
Some courts require you to pay your fine online or in person, while others will allow you to mail in your payments or make a payment over the phone. For instance, you can pay over the phone if you get a ticket in Las Vegas, but not if you’re ticketed in nearby Clark County.

Option 3: Pay the fine at your court date if you’re required to appear 

If you’re ticketed for a misdemeanor speeding violation (typically speeding 30 mph or more above the posted limit), you’ll have to appear in court. At your court date, you’ll be able to plead guilty, no contest, or not guilty. 
If you enter a guilty plea or plead no contest, the court will give you instructions on how to pay your fine—you can typically settle with the municipal court clerk after your hearing.

How to get your ticket dismissed in Nevada

If you believe you shouldn’t have received a violation, you can appear at your court date and plead “not guilty” to the ticket. You’ll typically be given a second hearing, at which point you can make a case for why you believe the ticket should be dismissed. 
Here are the most common reasons you might get a ticket dismissed:
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Defective radar or officer error: It can be hard to prove that a law enforcement officer made a mistake or that their radar wasn’t working correctly, but if you have evidence that you weren’t speeding, your ticket could be thrown out.
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Defective speedometer: If you can prove that your speedometer was broken at the time of your violation and that you didn’t know about it at the time, it could work as a valid defense.
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Medical emergencies: The court may dismiss your speeding charge if you were en route to a genuine emergency, like heading to the hospital for a medical event.
If you have a
clean driving record
—meaning no recent speeding tickets or other traffic violations—you have a better chance of having your traffic ticket dismissed.
If you accumulate between 3 and 11 demerit points in a 12-month period, you can take a DMV-approved traffic safety course to have three points removed from your license (as long as the course isn’t required as a condition of a plea bargain). You can only take the course once in any 12-month period.
You can see a list of traffic safety courses approved by the Nevada DMV
here
.
You may also have better luck fighting a speeding ticket if you hire a traffic ticket attorney, or at least consult one for legal advice. But unless you have solid evidence that you weren’t speeding, it’s probably cheaper to simply pay the fine.
The judge won’t dismiss your ticket because you didn’t know the speed limit where you were driving—even if you’re from out of state.

What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Nevada?

The cost of a speeding ticket in Nevada will vary depending on the city and county where you were pulled over, but for civil infractions, the fine will be capped at $500.
Note that you may receive additional fines depending on the circumstances of your ticket, like if you were speeding in a school zone or construction zone, you ran a stop sign or red light, or you were also cited for a more serious offense like DUI or reckless driving.
Nevada operates on a point system, so you will likely receive demerits on your driver’s license after a speeding ticket. The points you get will vary depending on how fast you were going over the posted speed limit: 
  • 1–10 mph over limit: 1 point
  • 11–20 mph over limit: 2 points
  • 21–30 mph over limit: 3 points
  • 31–40 mph over limit: 4 points
  • 41 mph or more over limit: 5 points
The points will remain on your record for 12 months after the infraction. If you get 12 or more points within a 12-month period, you’ll receive a six-month
driver’s license suspension
.
You were likely ticketed for a Prima Facie speed violation, which means you were driving too fast for the road conditions, regardless of the speed limit. For instance, you’re expected to slow down on icy roads, as driving the speed limit could be dangerous.
You’ll receive 2 points on your license for a Prima Facie violation.

Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it

In Nevada, you can expect your car insurance costs to go up by about 26% after a speeding ticket, although your rate likely won’t be affected right away.

1. Compare car insurance quotes close to your renewal date

A few weeks before your insurance policy renews, your insurance company will pull your updated
motor vehicle report (MVR)
, which includes your full history of violations, traffic accidents, and more. Your insurer will use the information on your MVR—including your recent Nevada speeding ticket—to calculate the premium for your new policy. They’ll then send you a renewal notice with your new rate.
Once you get your renewal notice, request insurance quotes from at least 3–5 different providers to make sure you’re not paying more for your auto insurance than you have to. 
app screenshot
The easiest way to compare multiple car insurance quotes quickly is with an
insurance shopping app
like
Jerry
. After you fill out your driving profile (including recent violations), you’ll be able to browse personalized quotes. If you see a price that’s lower than your renewal quote, you can switch right in the app.
Check for new rates before each renewal. If you don’t get any more tickets, your insurance rates will gradually start to come back down. Each time your policy is set to renew, double-check whether any insurance companies will offer you lower rates.
app screenshot
If you buy car insurance through Jerry, you can turn on automatic reshops, and you’ll be notified before your policy renews if another insurer has a better offer.

2. Attend driving school 

If you’re over the age of 50, you may see a reduction in your car insurance rates if you take a state-approved driver safety course. However, if you’re court-ordered to take the court, or you take it as a way to reduce points on your license, the course typically won’t qualify you for insurance savings.

3. Take advantage of discounts

A ticket will likely raise your insurance premium, but you may be able to help offset that with
car insurance discounts
, such as:
  • Military discount
  • Bundling your homeowners’ insurance (or renters’ insurance) with your auto policy
  • Loyalty discount
  • Safety equipment discount
  • Paid-in-full discount

When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?

The state of Nevada won’t notify your insurance company about your ticket—your provider will learn about it when they run your motor vehicle report (MVR) before your insurance renews.

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Nevada

There’s no single car insurance company that offers all Nevada drivers low rates after a speeding ticket. Each insurer rates drivers differently based on factors such as their age, the vehicle they drive, where they live, their driving history, and more.
That said, here’s how speeding tickets affect rates for some of the major insurers in the US:
Insurance company
Average rate increase after a speeding ticket
Allstate
15%
USAA
17%
American Family
22%
Nationwide
26%
State Farm
26%
Farmers
31%
Auto-Owners
36%
Travelers
37%
GEICO
38%
Progressive
43%
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Where’d we get these numbers? Jerry’s editorial team researched the average rate increase after a speeding ticket for these 10 insurance companies using expert sources from Forbes, NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, WalletHub, Liberty Mutual, The Zebra, and CarInsurance.com. Our data shows the average of the data shared by these sources.
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FAQs

How much is a speeding ticket in Nevada?

The exact fine will vary based on where you got the ticket, but a civil speeding infraction can not exceed $500.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Nevada?

Depending on how fast you were going, you could receive anywhere from 1–5 points for a speeding ticket in Nevada.

How much over the speed limit is a felony in Nevada?

You can be charged with reckless driving for going 50 mph or more over the speed limit in Nevada. If someone was injured or died as a result of your reckless driving, it’s considered a felony.

Can I just pay my ticket and not go to court in Nevada?

Yes, unless your ticket is marked “Court Mandatory,” you can pay your fine online or in person and you won’t have to go to court.

How do I avoid points on a speeding ticket in Nevada?

You can take a traffic safety course to have 3 points removed from your driver’s license. If you have less than 3 points on your license, you’ll have a point credit that can be used for future tickets.

Should I fight or pay my Nevada speeding ticket?

It’s usually easier to pay a speeding ticket in Nevada, but if you have solid proof that you didn’t commit the infraction, it may be worth fighting the ticket.

How do I fight a speeding ticket in Nevada?

Appear at your court date and plead “Not guilty.” Do not pay your fine—that’s considered an admission of guilt. 

How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record in Nevada?

The demerit points you get from a ticket will fall off of your driving record after 12 months, but the history of your infractions is part of your permanent record in Nevada.

What are Nevada’s new speeding ticket laws in 2023?

Nevada has reclassified most speeding tickets as civil offenses rather than criminal offenses, meaning you do not have to appear in court. If you had a bench warrant for a previous traffic offense, it should have been dismissed as of January 2023.
SOURCES
1.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nyecountynv.gov/340/Traffic-Department&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1701371915932638&usg=AOvVaw1RBaGFwnAwZdVPuILEqjOe
2.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/justice_courts/jurisdictions/henderson/divisions/traffic.php&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1701371915934982&usg=AOvVaw1zrufpXh9GlXP4zQOsEdx6

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