Nevada Court Records | StateRecords.org

Are Nevada Court Records Public?

The Nevada Open Records Act is a series of state laws that guarantee public access to Nevada's public records. The Act was established in 1906 and amended last in 2003. Nevada citizens and residents have the fundamental right to access and copy public records from all government bodies in the State as stipulated by the Act. In the State, court records are considered public records and, as such, may be accessed by the general public.

How Do I Find Court Records In Nevada?

The first step to take when trying to obtain court records in Nevada is to locate the court where the court records are kept. In the State, it is generally the Court Clerks' responsibility to keep a record of information concerning court cases. To obtain court records, requesters may contact the Clerk of the Court where the lawsuit was filed. Requests for court records may be made in-person, via mail, email, or through an online portal.

A requester who wishes to obtain a court record in person may visit the Office of the Clerk of the Court in charge of the record. The procedures for obtaining court records may vary from one court to another or from one county to another. Below is a list of the directories for the State Trial Courts in Nevada. The directories contain the address and contact information for all the courts in their respective categories.

Requesters who wish to request court records via mail or email may also visit the directories listed above. The mail and email information for each trial court are displayed on their respective pages. Specific instructions on how to view and copy court records and documents via mail and email are best gotten from the Court Clerks. Most District, Justice, and Municipal Courts have databases where court records are maintained for online access. Requesters may obtain links to the online sources by contacting the Court Clerks or visiting their websites as listed in the respective directories.

To access court records in the Appellate Courts, interested entities may utilize the "Find A Case" page on the Supreme Court's website. The system requires that the user inputs the case number of the record and an optional case caption. If the requester does not have the case number available, the "Caption Contains" field may be filled with a party's name to the case. The search page then redirects to the Appellate Case Management System Portal for a more concentrated search. The website is user-friendly, so users may follow the prompts to complete the search process. Note that access to case information via the online portal is free of charge.

Alternatively, requesters may contact the Office of the Appellate Courts Clerk for directions on how to obtain appellate court records offline. The Nevada Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals are both situated in Carson city. They also have another courtroom in Las Vegas. The addresses and contact information for both courtrooms are as follows:

Carson City
201 South Carson Street,
Suite 201, Carson City, Nevada, 89701-4780
(775) 684-1600
Las Vegas
408 East Clark Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 486-9300
Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through traditional government sources and third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. To gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, parishes, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites compared to government sources.

How Do Nevada Courts Work?

The Nevada State Judiciary is the arm of the Nevada State Government that oversees the settlement of legal disputes in the State. It does so by interpreting and applying the State constitution, regulations, and statutes over both civil and criminal cases. Resolution of legal matters by the Judiciary is made to promote impartiality, efficiency, and accessibility. The Judiciary does not make or enforce statutory law in the State; those are the State Legislature and the State Executive's responsibilities, respectively.

In the State of Nevada, the Judiciary is made up of Appellate Courts and Trial Courts. The appellate courts consist of the Supreme Court of Nevada and the Nevada Court of Appeals. The trial courts are made up of the District Court, the Justice Courts, and the Municipal Courts. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in Nevada because it is the highest court in the State. Its fundamental responsibility is to review and decide cases appealed to it from the District Courts.

The Supreme Court does not conduct new hearings or consider new evidence in an appealed case. Instead, it reviews the appeal for possible legal reasons to either affirm, modify or reverse the decisions taken by the District Court from where the case was appealed. The Supreme Court's opinions are usually communicated via a written document, which generally captures the reasons for its decisions on the appeal. In a situation where the Supreme Court finds a legal error in the District Court's decision, the judgment may be reversed or modified. If the evidence proves sufficient to support the judgment, the Supreme Court affirms it.

The Trial Courts hear and decide cases based on the scope of their different jurisdictions over criminal and civil matters. In Nevada, the District Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction. Also, parties to a case through their legal representatives may appeal to the District Court for a review if the lower courts' decisions are not found satisfactory.

Appeals from the District Courts in the State of Nevada are directly sent to the Supreme Court. The Nevada State Court System runs a deflective model of appeals. This affords the Supreme Court the discretionary authority to direct appeals to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals decides the cases through a three-judge panel. In situations involving certain extraordinary cases, further appeals may be sent to the Supreme Court from the Court of Appeals.

What Are Civil Courts And Small Claims in Nevada?

Civil cases in Nevada are legal monetary disputes between entities. It may be between two individuals, an individual and an organization, or between an organization and another organization. Examples of civil cases include breach of contract, landlord-tenant cases, etc. The primary civil court in Nevada is the Justice Courts. They decide civil cases involving claims of not more than $15,000.

Small claims cases are civil cases with monetary claims of $10,000 or less. These cases are decided by Nevada Small Claims Courts, which are a small division of the Justice Courts. The parties in a small claims case may not need to hire an attorney to represent them. They are permitted by law to represent themselves, generally known as "in proper person" or "pro se." When a plaintiff wins a small claims case, the judge may award the claim, and vice versa.

What Are Appeals And Court Limits in Nevada?

An Appeal is a request sent by a court case party to a court with appellate jurisdiction to review a decision over a case. Appeals are sent by parties who do not find the judgment of a court over a case satisfactory. The request for an appeal is usually sent through a written document, often known as a brief. The brief contains possible legal reasons given by the appellant to persuade the court to consider the case review. In Nevada, cases appealed from the courts of limited jurisdiction are sent to the District Courts. Appeals made from the District Courts are heard and decided by the Supreme Court.

What Are Nevada Judgment Records?

Nevada judgment records are court documents containing the court's decision on a lawsuit, following the examination of case facts or a trial. The clerk of courts maintains this judgment record in the court archives, and the case parties will typically have a copy. Yet, these documents are public records, and interested members of the public may obtain copies per the Nevada Public Records Act.

Persons looking to obtain judgment records in Nevada must identify the courthouse where the trial happened. There, the requester will submit important case information, such as the case number and litigants' names, to aid the court administrative staff in searching for the judgment record. Providing the judge's name and the year of judgment can also help search faster. Furthermore, the requester must tell the court staff the exact documents needed — the entire case file or specific records.

Nevada judgment records contain information depending on the case type. Still, a typical judgment record contains information like the litigants' names, judgment date, a description of the lawsuit, and the court's final decision based on state laws.

What are Nevada Bankruptcy Records?

Nevada Bankruptcy Records is a term that describes the array of financial accounting data that is domiciled in the State’s Bankruptcy Courts. Bankruptcy records belong to parties who have filed for bankruptcy as a result of their inability to fulfill their financial obligations to their creditors. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada operates two offices that serve sixteen (16) counties. The county where the debtor resides, the principal place of business, or main assets determine where the case should be filed. To electronically file documents with the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Nevada, all regular filers must receive training and register with the Court. After completing the training and registration process, the filer is assigned an account.

Nevada bankruptcy records as well as related recordings - writs, judgments, foreclosures, and Nevada liens can be obtained by querying the record custodian in the judicial district where the petition or claim was filed. The requesting party may be required to furnish the custodian with information about the record of interest and cover the cost of copying (if applicable).

How Do I Find My Case Number in Nevada?

A Case Number is a unique identifier for a court case. It makes every case distinct from others. As such, no two cases numbers are the same regardless of how closely related both case information appears. A typical case number consists of vital information about a case, such as the case type, year of filing, and the officer assigned to the case. To find a case number in Nevada, interested persons may contact the particular court where the case was filed.

Can You Look Up Court Cases in Nevada?

Interested entities may lookup court cases in Nevada via an electronic search facility known as C-Track. The C-Track is a Content Management System (CMS) that runs on the browser and is managed by the Appellate Courts. It was provided by the Supreme Court to enable public users to gain easy remote access to court case information. Requesters may find case information on C-Track using two options; the Case Search and the Participant Search.

To look up case information via the Case Search option, follow the following simple steps.

Visit the C-Track website.
Click on the Case Search option at the top left corner of the Case Search window.
Fill out the form with the appropriate information. Required details include the case number and an optional caption.
Select the Court holding the case information being sought for
Click the Search button.

To obtain case information using the Participant Search option, requesters may follow the following steps.

Click on the Participant Search option on the C-Track website.
Input the name of the participant you're searching for. There are options for the last name, first name, and middle name.
Select the court handling the case and hit the Search button.

The search produces results on a case or a list of cases, depending on whether there was more than one case that matched the search. If the search returns a list of cases, the user may click on the number beside the desired case. The case information is accessed in a PDF file format. The user may decide to view, download, or print the case information.

Does Nevada Hold Remote Trials?

The Appellate Courts of Nevada have provisions for the remote hearing of a court case. This was captured in a statement released by the State Supreme Court on their official website on March 3, 2020. The decision was made to help minimize the health risks posed by the spread of COVID-19. The Supreme Court stated that attorneys are officially permitted to take part in oral arguments via video conference.

For this permission to hold, the participating attorneys must send a written request to the Office of the Supreme Court's Clerk. As stipulated, the request for approval must be sent at least three working days before the appointed date for the oral argument. The Supreme Court uses a videoconferencing system that requires computer internet access using a laptop or a desktop.

The computer system must have video (webcam) and audio features to aid better visual and oral communication among participants. The requester's internet capabilities must be compatible with that of the court to minimize possible network inconsistencies. Remote court proceedings in the Supreme Court are usually streamed live on the Supreme Court website. The live stream enables interested persons from different places to watch and listen to the arguments from their various locations' comfort.

What Is The Nevada Supreme Court?

The Nevada Supreme Court is the appellate court of the highest authority in the State. It is also the administrative head of the Nevada State Judiciary. The Supreme Court possesses discretionary appellate jurisdiction. This means that it may choose which of the appealed cases to assign to the Court of Appeals to decide. If the Court of Appeals ruling is still not satisfactory, such a case may then be ultimately determined by the US Supreme Court.

Apart from reviewing appeals from the District Courts, the Supreme Court oversees the activities of the State of Nevada's court system. It has the authority to define the policies and rules of administration used in all the State courts. Also, the Supreme Court supervises the activities and operations of the State Bar of Nevada. It possesses the right to define the rules of conduct of attorneys and judges in the State. It is also the Supreme Court's responsibility to appoint a Court Administrator to preside over the courts’ Administrative Office (AOC). The AOC offers support services for every State court.

Judges and court administrators from courts throughout the State all belong to the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council offers support and assistance to the Supreme Court by suggesting possible changes in the State's rules and policies. Their recommendations are based on the outcome of their researches conducted on different legal issues arising from the State.

In Nevada, the Supreme Court is presided over by the Chief Justice, who works with six associate judges. The six associate judges are usually divided into two panels of three justices each. One of the panels is traditionally based in Carson City, while the other is based in Las Vegas. It is the three-justice panels that sit over cases appealed to the Supreme Court. However, some exceptional cases may demand judgment from the meeting of all the seven justices (usually known as "en banc"). Such cases are either with remarkable precedent or have significant implications on public policy.

Nevada Court of Appeals

The Nevada Court of Appeals serves as the intermediate appellate court of the State. It hears and decides appeals that are assigned to it by the Supreme Court through a deflective model. This means that it does not directly receive appeals from the courts of lower jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is presided over by a Chief Judge who works together with two associate judges. These judges are elected statewide to six-year terms.

Nevada District Courts

The Nevada Justice Courts have limited jurisdiction and handle only minor cases. They hear and decide criminal and traffic misdemeanor cases, evictions, and small claims matters. They also decide other civil matters involving monetary claims of not more than $15,000. Also, they hear and preside over gross misdemeanor cases and felonies.

Justice Courts may also hold preliminary hearings to decide whether or not to conduct criminal trials at the District Court based on evidence. In Nevada, Justice Courts are presided over by Justices of the Peace, each elected to a six-year term by voting.

There are 40 Justice Courts across Nevada's townships, sharing over 60 Justices of the Peace among them. The number of Justices of the Peace a town has depends on its population, but each town must have at least one Justice of the Peace. Justice Courts are funded by the county they belong to.

Nevada Justice Court

There are 40 Justice Courts across the townships throughout Nevada, sharing over 60 Justices of the Peace among them. The number of Justices of the Peace a town has depends on its population, but each town must have at least one Justice of the Peace. Justice Courts are funded by the county they belong to.

Nevada Municipal Courts

The Nevada Municipal Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction at the city level in Nevada. They hear and decide matters of city ordinances violations involving traffic and misdemeanor cases. They also handle cases involving nuisance abatement and cases involving claims of not more than $2,500, with the city being the plaintiff. They may also hear civil matters involving the collection of unpaid utility bills.

The State of Nevada has a total of 17 Municipal Courts presided over by a total of 30 Municipal Judges. About 8 of the Municipal Judges also serve as Justices of the Peace. Justices are elected by city voting or appointed by the Mayor, as provided by the city ordinance, and in agreement with the City Council. Municipal Courts are funded by the city where they are in.

Nevada Specialty Courts

The Nevada Specialty Courts are special strategies crafted by the Administrative Office (AOC) of the Courts in Nevada for solving criminal related problems. Through these strategies, the AOC seeks to minimize the criminal activities in the Nevada State communities to the barest minimum. To achieve this goal, the Specialty Courts strive to carefully maintain a delicate balance between support, encouragement, and supervision while still maintaining authority where necessary. Specialty Courts leverage efforts and services from different government agencies to achieve their goal. Such agencies include the State courts, health agencies, law enforcement agencies, social and mental agencies, and child protection agencies.

The program of Specialty Courts includes rigorous activities which may include drug testing and frequent court appearances. They also help treat and recover their subjects through tightly regimented services. The Court provides an alternative to incarceration to offenders who abuse non-violent substances. In all, the efforts of the Specialty Courts are geared towards making the citizens more responsible, accountable, and generally law-abiding.

In Nevada, there are a total of 55 Specialty Court Programs found across both urban and rural areas of each county in the State. These programs consist of:

Four family Drug Courts
Seven DUI Courts
One Prostitution Prevention Court
Two Habitual Offender Courts
Four Juvenile Drug Courts
Two Medicated Assistance Courts
19 Adult Drug Courts
One Re-entry court
Three Community Courts
Seven Mental Health Courts