The personal auto policy itself (Parts A through F, insureds, covered autos and exclusions) is covered in the national Personal Auto Policy guide. Nevada is a tort (at-fault) state with modified comparative negligence. This guide covers the Nevada rules: compulsory insurance and electronic verification, required policy terms, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, medical payments, and protections for insureds. Citations are to the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) and Administrative Code (NAC).

Compulsory insurance: 25/50/20

Every owner of a vehicle registered or required to be registered in Nevada must continuously carry liability insurance from an insurer licensed in Nevada (NRS 485.185):

• Penalty: driving without insurance is a misdemeanor with a fine of $600 to $1,000. For a first violation, the fine drops to $100 if the person buys a policy by sentencing (NRS 485.187).
• Proof in the car: the owner must keep evidence of insurance in the vehicle and show it on demand. Insurers may provide it electronically for display on a phone (NRS 690B.023). A permanent card is issued within 60 days after coverage starts (NAC 690B.030).
• Electronic verification: the DMV checks coverage electronically with insurers. If it can't verify coverage, the owner has 15 days to respond, and registration is suspended if coverage still can't be verified 10 days after a suspension notice. The plates must be returned (NRS 485.313 to .317).
• Proof of financial responsibility for the future can be shown by an insurer's certificate filed with the DMV. The insurer gives the DMV 10 days' notice before that policy ends (NRS 485.307, .308).
• After a crash with injury, death or more than $750 of damage to any one person's property, the DMV may suspend licenses if a release or judgment isn't on file within 20 days, unless security is deposited (NRS 485.190).

Required policy terms

• An owner's policy covers the named insured and anyone using the vehicle with express or implied permission, anywhere in the United States and Canada (NRS 485.3091).
• Once covered injury or damage occurs, the insurer's liability for the required coverage is absolute. A later cancellation or a policy violation by the insured doesn't defeat it.
• Operator's policy: covers the named insured's own driving. It's available only if the household owns more vehicles than it has licensed drivers and each licensed household member has one. It doesn't cover others driving the vehicle and isn't available to dealers, fleets or business employers (NRS 485.186).
• Named household member exclusion: allowed unless the insured rejects it after full disclosure. The excluded names must be handwritten by the insured on an approved form, followed by the insured's signature, and the insurer discloses the exclusion and the right to reject it at each renewal (NRS 687B.147).
• Permissive drivers: a policy may reduce limits to the state minimums when someone other than the insured drives, with a required notice (NAC 690B.245).
• Which policy pays first: when a car is being serviced, repaired, parked or sold by a business, the business's policy is primary. When a garage lends a car to a customer during repairs, the customer's policy is primary, and the garage must say so (NRS 690B.025).

Uninsured and underinsured motorists

• UM is included unless rejected in writing on the insurer's form (NRS 690B.020(1)). Limits are at least $25,000/$50,000 (NRS 690B.020(2)).
• Insurers must offer UM and UIM equal to the bodily injury limits sold, on an approved form. A copy of the offer goes with each renewal (NRS 687B.145(2)).
• Hit-and-run: an unknown driver's car counts as uninsured if there was physical contact and the crash was reported on time to the police, sheriff or Highway Patrol (NRS 690B.020(3)(f)).
• An insured car whose insurer becomes insolvent at the time of the crash or within two years after counts as uninsured (NRS 690B.020(4)).
• Subrogation: after paying UM, the insurer can recover from the at-fault driver. After paying UIM, it has no subrogation against the underinsured driver (NRS 687B.145(4); 690B.020(5)).
• UM/UIM doesn't have to be offered on commercial general liability, umbrella or excess policies (NRS 687B.145(5)).

Medical payments

Insurers must offer, on an approved form, medical payments coverage of at least $1,000 for reasonable medical expenses from a crash (NRS 687B.145(3)).

Protections for insureds

• Not-at-fault claims: an insurer may not refuse, cancel, nonrenew or raise the premium on private passenger or commercial auto coverage because of a claim where the insured wasn't at fault, a claim with no payment, or a mere inquiry about coverage (NRS 687B.385).
• Prohibited reasons: an auto policy can't be canceled or nonrenewed solely because of age, residence, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or occupation (NRS 687B.390). The age protection doesn't cover people under 25 (NRS 687B.400).
• Age 55 and older: a premium reduction for three years after an approved traffic safety course, if the driver had no at-fault crashes, violations or DUI convictions in the prior three years. A course ordered because of violations doesn't qualify (NRS 690B.029).
• Rating plan notice: insurers explain how incidents raise premiums and, at least 30 days before expiration, tell the insured they can ask why a premium went up (NAC 690B.240).

Claims

• An insurer must pay a repair shop (or the shop and insured jointly) within 30 days after getting the bill for completed repairs (NRS 686A.300).
• An insurer can't require repairs at a particular shop, though it may suggest shops (NAC 686A.680).
• Total-loss values can be based on the average of two or more comparable cars available in the local market within the past 90 days (NAC 686A.680).

Comparative negligence

An injured person whose negligence was not greater than the defendants' can still recover, reduced by their share. At 51% fault or more, recovery is barred (NRS 41.141).

Common exam traps

• 25/50/20. Property damage is $20,000.
• UM is included unless rejected in writing. UM and UIM must be offered up to the bodily injury limits.
• No subrogation after UIM, but subrogation is allowed after UM.
• Medical payments must be offered at $1,000 or more.
• Not-at-fault claims and inquiries can't be used against the insured.
• "Not greater than": 50% fault still recovers; 51% is barred.