Running a stop sign in Las Vegas carries a $395 civil penalty as well as four (4) Nevada demerit points on the person’s Nevada driver’s license. But in the majority of cases, the judge may reduce the charge to a “non-moving” violation with no demerit points.
In this article, our Las Vegas traffic ticket attorneys answer frequently-asked-questions about the failure to obey stop signs in Clark County and throughout Nevada. We delve into such issues as defenses, punishments, demerit points, and other relevant information. Click on a topic below to jump directly to that section:
- 1. Is running a stop sign illegal in Nevada?
- 2. How do I fight the charges?
- 3. What are the penalties for running a stop sign in Las Vegas, Nevada?
- 4. Can I get the charge reduced to a non-moving violation?
- 5. How many points will go on my driver’s license?
- 6. Will my auto insurance rates to go up?
- 7. Do I have to do traffic school?
- 8. What happens if I ignore my ticket?
- 9. What will happen to my commercial driver’s license in NV?
- 10. What will happen to my out-of-state driver’s license?
- 11. When can I get my case sealed?
- 12. Will I get deported?
- 13. Should I fight the ticket or just pay?
- 14. Can I go to trial?
- 15. Do I need an attorney?
If you have been injured by a car that failed to stop, you may be entitled to hefty money damages. Contact our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys to learn more.
1. Is running a stop sign illegal in Nevada?
Yes. Drivers approaching the sign are required to come to a complete standstill before continuing to drive. The only exception is if a police officer is patrolling the intersection and directing traffic.
1.1. School Buses
Drivers must come to a standstill for school buses whenever students are boarding or departing and when the bus is displaying its flashing red lights. Traffic in both directions must come to a standstill unless the school bus is on a divided highway with a median or other physical barrier.1
2. How do I fight the charges?
Most cases can be resolved in the defendant’s favor without much litigation. Otherwise, it may be possible to fight the case on the merits with the following evidence (if available):
- surveillance video that shows the defendant came to a complete standstill or that there was no signage,
- photographs that show there was no signage, and/or
- eye-witnesses who saw the defendant come to a complete standstill.
3. What are the penalties for running a stop sign in Las Vegas, Nevada?
It varies by location, but the civil penalty for failing to obey the sign is $395 in the city of Las Vegas. And the amount is doubled if work zones or pedestrian safety zones.
Violating NRS 484B.257 is treated as a civil infraction in Nevada. This is different from California, which classifies it as an “infraction.” Nevada civil infractions carry a maximum punishment of up to $500.2
In practice, Nevada courts are amenable to reducing traffic tickets for moving violations (such as not obeying a traffic sign) to non-moving violations, which have a lesser sentence. Scroll down to learn more…
4. Can I get a traffic charge reduced to a non-moving violation?
Unless the defendant has a long history of traffic offenses, usually yes. Unlike many moving violations, non-moving violations carry no demerit points on the person’s driver’s license.
5. How many points will go on my driver’s license?
Four (4) demerit points. These demerit points would then stay on the person’s driver’s licenses for a full year.
In Nevada, a person’s driver’s license gets suspended for six (6) months if he/she accrues twelve (12) or more demerit points in a year period. The best way to avoid getting demerit points is to get traffic tickets lessened to a non-moving violation.3
If a person does find him/his driver’s license suspended in Nevada, he/she can demand a Nevada DMV hearing to contest the suspension. It is similar to a trial, and it is advised that the driver hire private counsel to appear at the hearing.4
Note that driving with a suspended license is a misdemeanor in Nevada. The penalty is up to six (6) months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines.
6. Will my auto insurance rates go up?
Most moving violations will cause a person’s insurance premiums to increase, sometimes by hundreds of dollars. That is why it is so vital to hire counsel to try to get the charge reduced to a non-moving violation.
7. Do I have to do traffic school?
Not usually. Though traffic school may knock a moving violation down to a non-moving one.5
8. What happens if I ignore my ticket?
Nevada law gives you 90 days to pay your civil infraction ticket. If you are late, you can be assessed an additional civil penalty and have your license suspended.6
9. How will my commercial driver’s license be affected?
As with regular driver’s licenses, running a stop sign will cause four (4) demerit points to go on the person’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Nevada. Remember that the license will get suspended for six (6) months if the driver ever collects twelve (12) or more demerit points in one (1) year period.
Commercial driver’s license holders have a duty to notify their employer within thirty (30) days of getting a traffic ticket, irrespective of the vehicle they were driving at the time.7
10. What will happen to my out-of-state license?
Out-of-state drivers are subject to their home state’s DMV demerit consequences for disobeying a stop sign, which may be more or less severe than Nevada’s. Out-of-state drivers are advised to hire counsel in their home states to look into this.
11. When can I get my case sealed?
Traffic infractions are civil and not criminal; therefore, they do not appear on your criminal record. (If you do not pay the monetary penalty, a civil judgment can show up on your record.)
Old misdemeanor-level convictions from before January 1, 2023 can be sealed one year after the case ended. Dismissed cases can be sealed right away.8
Infractions do appear on your driving record, which cannot be sealed.9
12. Will I get deported?
Most traffic violations are not deportable offenses. But in these uncertain political times, non-citizens charged with any offense are strongly advised to hire private counsel to handle their case.
13. Should I fight my traffic citation or just pay?
Fight the charge. In most cases, the prosecutor is willing to lower a traffic ticket to a non-moving violation. And this way, the defendant receives no demerit points and comes out with a cleaner driving record.
14. Can I go to trial?
Most traffic cases resolve without a trial, but defendants always have the right to a hearing to contest the citation.10
15. Do I need an attorney?
It is highly recommended that anyone charged with a traffic violation hire experienced counsel to represent them. The D.A. tends to offer better deals to defendants with lawyers. Defense lawyers are skilled in getting charge reductions and dismissals. And defendants with defense attorneys do not have to go to court, which is a huge benefit for people who live out-of-state or who work.
Facing charges? Call a Nevada traffic defense attorney…
If you have been charged with a traffic offense in Nevada, contact our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys for a consult.
If you received a ticket in California, please see our page on Vehicle Code 22450 VC.
If you were injured by someone ignoring a traffic sign in Nevada, you may be able to recover money for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Whether or not you were partly to blame for the incident, our Las Vegas car accident attorneys will fight to get you the highest financial reward possible.
Legal References:
- NRS 484B.257; NRS 484B.353; Nevada DMV Violation Codes; the Nevada DMV refers to running a stop sign as Violation Code 405 or ACD Code M15. And Las Vegas Municipal Court refers to running a stop sign as 509; North Las Vegas 10.20.200; Clark County Code 14.32.100; 14.32.090.
- NRS 484B.257; NRS 484B.130. AB 116 (2021).
- NAC 483.500; NAC 483.510.
- NAC 483.764.
- See, for example, Traffic School Information, North Las Vegas Municipal Court; Las Vegas Justice Court Traffic School.
- Nevada DMV Suspension. NRS 484C.7047.
- NAC 483.500; NAC 483.510.
- NRS 179.245. NRS 179.255.
- Nevada Official Driving Records Online, Nevada DMV
- Sixth Amendment.