Nevada Car Insurance

Nevada follows a Tort insurance system, which means that, should you be found at fault for causing a car accident, you have to reimburse the other parties for their material damages and, if necessary, cover their medical bills.

Minimum insurance requirements in Nevada

Drivers in Nevada must hold at least a 15/30/10 Liability policy:

• $15,000 to cover medical expenses of one injured passenger, but not more than $30,000 for the whole accident;
• $10,000 to cover property damages incurred by other parties.

Average insurance costs in Nevada

Nevada residents pay slightly more for car insurance than the rest of Americans. The average insurance rate in Nevada is of $1,755, while the national one is of only $1,678. Insurance is more expensive in major cities — like $1,904 in Henderson, $2,182 in North Las Vegas or $2,027 in Las Vegas — but you can find cheaper rates too. Averages in smaller cities are, for instance, $1,542 in Carson City, $1,449 in Reno or $1,566 in Sparks.

Cellphones and driving regulations

The state of Nevada doesn’t have any restrictions for using cell phones when operating a car. There was a bill proposed by the state Senate in 2009, but it failed. However, drivers are recommended not to engage in text-based communication when driving and also to wear hands-free devices when answering or making a call.

Teenage driving laws

Nevada uses a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system for teenage drivers. To get an instruction permit, aspiring drivers have to be at least 15 and a half years old, pass a legislation test and complete at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, including 10 hours at night. Several restrictions apply for provisional license holders:

• they must be accompanied by a licensed driver of at least 21 years old at all times;
• they may not carry any passengers within the first six months, except for immediate family members;
• they may not drive between 10pm and 5am, unless going to/from work or school

Violations of these restrictions may lead to the suspension of all driving privileges.

Penalties for driving uninsured in Nevada

The state of Nevada asks all motorists to maintain continuous liability insurance for all registered vehicles, or face an immediate suspension of the registration certificates followed by a reinstatement fee of $250.

If caught in traffic without valid insurance, penalties are even stiffer, as of July 1st, 2011:

• on a first offense, penalties are between $250 and $1,250, depending on how long before the insurance has lapsed;
• second-time offenders get charged between $500 and $1,500 and the judge may ask for a SR22 filing;
• upon a third offense, drivers will be fined between $750 and $1,750, will be asked to file a SR22 certificate and their driver’s license will be suspended for at least 30 days.