Alcohol slows brain function, information processing and hand-eye coordination. Driving over the legal limit of .08 can make a crash 5 to 30 times more likely. Nevada DUI penalties come from both the DMV and the courts.
Share of 2016 Nevada roadway fatalities in which alcohol-related crashes were a factor
Handbook p. 79 ↗Know the rule
Drugs — medicine or illegal substances — can greatly affect motor skills and your ability to think and react. Don't drive under their influence.
Handbook p. 79 ↗Know the rule
Marijuana is legal in Nevada, but you may not drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle with more than 2 nanograms of marijuana per milliliter of blood (5 ng/ml for marijuana metabolite).
Handbook p. 79 ↗Illegal per se limits
| Driver | Limit |
|---|---|
| Any driver | 0.08% alcohol, or any detectable controlled substance |
| Commercial license holder | 0.04% or more (but less than 0.08%) |
| Under age 21 | 0.02% (but less than 0.08%) |
Administrative penalty
Action the Nevada DMV takes against a driver, regardless of what the court finds.
Handbook p. 79 ↗Know the rule
Administrative (illegal per se) action: your license is revoked for 185 days, you may have to file an SR-22, and criminal penalties may also be imposed.
Handbook p. 80 ↗Criminal DUI penalties
| Offense | License | Jail / prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Revoked at least 185 days | 2 days–6 months, or 48–96 hrs community service | $400–$1,000 |
| Second within 7 years | Revoked 1 year | 10 days–6 months + 100–200 hrs service | $750–$1,000 |
| Subsequent within 7 years | Revoked 3 years | Prison 1–6 years | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Causing death or serious injury | Revoked 3 years | Prison 2–20 years | $2,000–$5,000 |
A first offense also brings:
- Payment of tuition for DUI school (average cost $150)
- A possible order to attend treatment when your BAC was .08% or more
Repeat offenses may also bring:
- Possible vehicle registration suspension (second and later offenses)
- Second offense: treatment, or clinical supervision by a treatment facility for up to one year
- Subsequent offense: treatment for a minimum of 3 years
Know the rule
A court's revocation period may include time already served in the administrative revocation, at the judge's discretion.
Handbook p. 80 ↗Know the rule
CDL holders: any detectable alcohol can affect your driving privilege, and DUI penalties include lifetime disqualification from commercial driving.
Handbook p. 80 ↗Know the rule
DUI offenders can be reinstated immediately with a license restricted to ignition interlock, once a device is installed — at their own expense — in any vehicle they drive.
Handbook p. 80 ↗Put it into practice
A 25-year-old tests at 0.09% on a first offense. The DMV revokes the license for 185 days; in court the driver faces 2 days to 6 months in jail (or 48–96 hours of community service), a $400–$1,000 fine and DUI school.