Nevada Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Audit: Nevada Prisons Overcharging At Inmate Store, Paying Excessive Overtime

Disadvantaged prisoners in Nevada’s prisons may struggle with obtaining basic needs due to markups on goods in the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) system. A recent audit by the governor’s …

Costs and Consequences of Traffic Fines and Fees: A Case Study of Open Warrants in Las Vegas, Nevada

Nevada courts issue bench warrants for failure to pay fines or fees. Bench warrants allow police to take a person into custody and bring them before a judge. This report …

NV SB219

The Nevada legislature passed legislation to end the practice of suspending an individual’s driver’s license, or prohibiting an individual from applying for a driver’s license, due to a delinquent fine, …

Nevada AB 116

The Nevada Assembly approved legislation to decriminalize minor traffic violations and end the practice of issuing warrants when an individual can’t afford to pay the fines and fees imposed. You …

Nevada Assembly Bill 416: Authorizing courts to order community service in lieu of fees.

Nevada AB 416 clarifies that community service credits can be applied toward outstanding fines and fees, and provides that community service hours will be credited against debt at a rate of $10 per hour or the state’s minimum wage, whichever is higher.

Nevada Assembly Bill 434: Certain traffic offenses; payment of fines and fees; community service

Nevada AB 434 makes several changes regarding collection of fines, fees, and restitution. Previously, the law allowed courts to enter a civil judgment; garnish property or wages; suspend driver’s licenses; and incarcerate defendants for nonpayment.

Nevada Assembly Bill 439: Abolishes juvenile fees.

Nevada Assembly Bill 439 abolishes a wide variety of fees associated with juvenile courts in Nevada, instead providing that relevant services and facilities should be funded through federal, state, or county budgets.

Nevada Assembly Bill 110: Traffic ticket notification and bench warrants.

Nevada AB 110 makes changes to the notification process for traffic tickets and related court dates.

Monetary Myopia: An Examination of Institutional Response to Revenue From Monetary Sanctions for Misdemeanors

This study assesses the use of fines and fees for misdemeanor crimes in Nevada and Iowa to highlight the perverse incentives embedded in the practice of using courts as revenue centers. The article proposes the concept of “monetary myopia,” or a short-sighted focus on revenue at the expense of other concerns, to explain the states’ behavior.

Personal Narrative: Melissa Stephens

Melissa Stephens, a mother of three, was forced to move from Wichita, Kansas to Las Vegas, Nevada because of $8000 of traffic ticket debt.