Las Vegas Traffic Ticket Lawyer

Receiving traffic tickets or being arrested for a traffic offense in Las Vegas can be a serious problem if handled incorrectly. A guilty plea or verdict can result in a fine and jail time, as well as the loss of driving privileges and an increase in auto insurance rates. If you were in a car accident and injured someone, you could be sued. However, you are not alone. Get a traffic lawyer in Las Vegas, NV on your side.

The Las Vegas traffic ticket lawyer at Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law can help you assess your legal options and outline a strategy for fighting the violations you’re accused of. We may be able to have the traffic charges against you reduced or dropped. And if necessary, we can present your side of the story to the court with the goal of avoiding severe penalties.

The police almost never have all the facts when they arrest a driver or issue Las Vegas traffic tickets. Our dedicated Las Vegas traffic ticket lawyers have more than 30 years of combined experience saving Nevada residents and visitors from the fines and jail sentences regularly imposed on those who go to court without proper representation.

Call today and schedule a free consultation to discuss your traffic ticket or arrest for a moving violation with an understanding Las Vegas traffic attorney from Adras and Altig, Attorneys at Law.

How Our Traffic Ticket Lawyers in Las Vegas Fight Traffic Violation Charges

We understand if you have been pulled over, ticketed, or arrested for a traffic offense in Las Vegas or the greater Clark County area. We know people make mistakes ─ including mistakes on the part of arresting officers. But we will take your side and fight for you.

At Adras & Altig, our Las Vegas traffic ticket lawyers will investigate the circumstances of your charge and the alleged evidence against you to evaluate your options. As a result, we can often have traffic charges reduced or dismissed without our clients ever appearing in court. Contact us for a free consultation.

If it is necessary to go to court, our traffic ticket attorneys will prepare a solid defense for you. Remember, the state must prove its charges beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction. We always make sure this legal responsibility is a true burden for the prosecution.

Many traffic offense cases are dismissed because the defendant’s attorney has identified flaws in the prosecution’s case. Other charges are dropped or reduced in favor of probation or other alternatives because the trial can be persuaded it is in the best interest of justice. Finally, some traffic offense charges can be dismissed or reduced to lighten the court’s caseload.

It is not unusual for traffic offenses to be dismissed because of:

  • Lack of probable cause
  • Failure to advise of Miranda rights in an arrest, or other police misconduct
  • Weak evidence or lack of evidence
  • Mistaken identity
  • Unreliable or unavailable witnesses, which is common in a tourist town like Las Vegas
  • The defendant’s lack of a criminal record and/or good standing in the community/school
  • Evidence that supports the defendant’s exoneration

Don’t accept the fine and hardship of Las Vegas traffic tickets you do not deserve or the potentially harmful consequences of more serious traffic offense charges. Don’t let a mistake, a misunderstanding, or an unwarranted arrest damage your future. Our Las Vegas traffic ticket lawyers can help.

a cop talking to a female driver about traffic violation

What Are the Traffic Violation Penalties in Nevada?

It is important to remember that having a driver’s license is a responsibility, not a right. Violating the rules of the road can result in a broad range of penalties, including losing your driving privileges and freedom. In addition, even the most minor traffic offense can cost you money.

In most cases, traffic violations in Nevada are misdemeanors. This means they can be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, by a fine of up to $1,000, or by both fine and imprisonment. Traffic tickets also carry penalties, which vary based on the type of offense.

Certain traffic crimes ─ such as driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, or driving with a suspended driver’s license ─ require that the driver be arrested. In addition, a police officer may arrest a driver for other offenses if they believe the driver will not appear in court or pay the traffic ticket.

Nevada may also impose other requirements on licensed drivers who are convicted of violations, including:

  • Court and administrative fees
  • Community service
  • Drug and alcohol counseling
  • Attending a victim impact panel
  • Attending (and paying for) a driver safety class, or “traffic school”

If you do not pay your traffic tickets or appear in court, the Las Vegas Township Justice Court will issue an arrest warrant. An additional warrant fee of $150 and a late fee of $100 will be added to the unpaid traffic ticket. In addition, to warrant fees and penalties, all unpaid traffic tickets are reported to national credit reporting agencies.

Understanding Nevada’s Driver’s License Point System

Nevada’s DMV uses a demerit point system in which all traffic law violations are assigned a point value. When the court notifies the DMV of a conviction, the offense is entered on your driver record, and points are assigned.

In Nevada, your license will be suspended if you receive 12 or more points within 12 months.

In addition to threatening your driving privileges, points on your license are used by auto insurance companies to justify higher premiums.

The following is a partial list of traffic violations and demerit points the Nevada DMV can assign to your driving record:

Reckless driving
Careless driving
Failure to give information or render aid at the scene of an accident
Following too closely
Failure to yield the right-of-way
Failure to yield to a pedestrian
Disobeying a traffic signal or stop sign
Impeding traffic or driving too slowly
Failure to dim headlights
Speeding — 1-10 mph over the posted limit
Speeding — 11-20 mph over the posted limit
Speeding — 21-30 mph over the posted limit
Speeding — 31-40 mph or more over the posted limit
Speeding — 41 mph or more over the posted speed limit
Prima facie speed violation or driving too fast for the conditions

 

Points are not charged if your license is suspended for a major traffic offense, such as DUI.

For those who hold a Nevada Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), there are additional penalties for some traffic violations, which may result in different demerit points.

If you accumulate 3 and 11 points, you may have 3 points removed by completing a traffic safety course at a school approved by the DMV. You may attend traffic school only once in 12 months to remove points from your record.

The DMV will notify you if you have accumulated enough points to threaten your license.

Reasons Your License Can Be Suspended or Revoked in Nevada

You can lose your Nevada driving privileges and license under certain circumstances, including a conviction on several driving charges or other criminal offenses. Licenses are not automatically reinstated following suspension or revocation. Instead, you must reapply and prove you have met all reinstatement requirements, which includes completing any sentence or penalty handed down by the court.

A Nevada driver’s license may be suspended or revoked for:

  • Point suspension if you accumulate 12 or more demerit points against your license in 12 months
  • Driving under the influence if breath, blood, or urine tests reveal you are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if you are convicted of DUI
  • Collision with a bicyclist or pedestrian
  • Failure to appear if you receive a traffic ticket and do not pay the fine on time or fail to appear as required
  • Lack of liability insurance if an accident occurs with more than $750 in damage (personal injury or property damage)
  • Failure to maintain insurance
  • Juvenile crimes involving alcohol and drugs, if a juvenile is found guilty of buying, drinking, or possessing alcohol or using, possessing, selling, or distributing any controlled substance.
  • Firearms, if a juvenile is found guilty of certain firearms-related offenses.
  • Street racing, if you are found guilty of participating in or organizing an unauthorized speed contest on a public highway.
  • Child support, if you are in arrears in court-ordered child support payments.
  • Graffiti, if you are found guilty of a graffiti violation.

Contact our criminal defense law firm if you have been accused of a traffic offense and are worried about having your driver’s license suspended or revoked. Our dedicated traffic ticket attorneys can provide a free consultation and discuss your options.

What are the Most Common Traffic Law Violations in Nevada?

There are numerous traffic law offenses prescribed by Nevada law, most of which are misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors on a first offense that does not involve bodily harm to another person.

Among the most commonly charged traffic law violations in Las Vegas are:

  • Driving under the influence (DUI): It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with 0.08 percent blood alcohol level or higher (0.02 if under 21 and 0.04 if driving a commercial motor vehicle) or any detectable amount of a controlled substance. Your driver’s license will be revoked for at least 90 days upon arrest for DUI, and your vehicle may be impounded. Being convicted of DUI in Nevada may also mean jail time, a fine, loss of driving privileges, community service, mandatory alcohol education classes, and mandatory attendance before a DUI victim impact panel.
  • Texting while driving and cellphone use: Texting, accessing the Internet, and using a handheld cellphone while driving are all illegal in Nevada. Fines are $50 for the first offense in seven years, $100 for the second, and $250 for the third and subsequent offenses. Fines are subject to doubling if the offense occurs in a work zone. A second or subsequent offense carries 4 demerit points.
  • Speeding: Nevada has a basic rule for driving at reasonable and proper speeds. This means that in addition to any posted speed limits, drivers must consider the amount and type of traffic, weather, road conditions, and other factors. They may be within a proper speed, considerably less than the posted limit. A speeding ticket carries a fine plus demerit points based on speed beyond the posted limit. The penalty may be doubled for speeding in a crosswalk or work zone.
  • Reckless driving/racing: Operating a motor vehicle in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of people or property, or “in an unauthorized speed contest” on a public highway, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or $250 to $1,000 and/or up to 6 months in county jail. If police allege that reckless driving caused substantial physical harm or death to another person (e.g., in a collision or by causing a crash), the charge is a felony punishable by 1 to 6 years in prison and/or a fine of $2,000 to $5,000. Penalties for reckless driving can be doubled if it takes place in a work zone. In addition, reckless driving charges are often filed as added charges in cases of running a stop sign or red light; speeding more than 25 miles over the speed limit; running onto the curb, shoulder, or median of the road; fleeing police; and car accidents.
  • Hit-and-run accident: Not stopping for a “fender bender” car accident in which only property damage is a misdemeanor, which could bring up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, plus 6 demerit points on your driver’s license. It is also a misdemeanor to fail to report an accident to the police or to fail to notify the owner of an unoccupied car (by finding them, leaving a note, etc.). Failing to stop for an accident in which someone is injured or killed is a felony in Nevada, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of $2,000 to $5,000.
  • Car seat and seat belt violations: In Nevada, children younger than 6 years old and weighing less than 60 pounds in a moving motor vehicle must be secured in a properly installed car seat appropriate for their size and weight. Drivers and passengers must wear seat belts when cars are in motion. A car seat violation is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500 or 10 to 50 hours of community service. A seat belt violation carries a penalty of up to $25 or hours of community service as determined by the court.
  • Passing stopped school buses: Drivers must stop for school buses when students are boarding and departing and when a bus is displaying its flashing red lights. On divided highways with a median or other physical barrier, traffic moving in the opposite direction does not have to stop. Illegally passing a stopped school bus is punishable by a fine of $250 to $500 on a first offense, the same fine plus revocation of driver’s license for six months on a second offense, and a fine of up to $1,000 and revocation of driving privileges for one year on a third offense.

Other potential traffic offense charges we can assist you with include but are not limited to:

  • Running a stop sign
  • Running a stoplight / “right on red” violations
  • Failure to yield
  • Following too closely (tailgating)
  • Driving too slowly
  • Illegal U-turn
  • Driving on the wrong side of the road (i.e., left of center, crossing the centerline)
  • Violating carpool rules
  • Failing to move over for an accident or emergency vehicle
  • Teenage driving curfew violations
  • Driving while license is suspended or revoked

These charges may be filed as part of a car accident investigation alone or with other traffic offenses.

It is appropriate to challenge any legal charge filed against you to seek exoneration (dismissal or a not-guilty verdict) or to obtain a lesser penalty than the original charge.

Contact our Las Vegas traffic ticket lawyers today to discuss your options.

Call Now to Talk to Our Las Vegas Traffic Ticket Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a traffic offense related to operating a motor vehicle in Las Vegas, Nevada, do not face the potentially costly consequences on your own. Instead, contact our seasoned motor vehicle crime and traffic ticket lawyers about protecting your rights in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas traffic ticket attorneys of Adras & Altig treat clients with respect and provide an aggressive legal defense against traffic ticket charges of all kinds. Contact our law office to set up a free legal consultation about how we can help you.