Citations

Criminal Citations

If you have received a citation that says CRIMINAL on the top, you have received either a criminal traffic citation or a criminal misdemeanor citation. The court holds arraignment hearings for criminal citations every Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. You must check-in no later than 8:15 a.m. If you are late, you will be re-scheduled for the next session. YOU WILL BE RE-SCHEDULED ONE TIME ONLY. If you are late more than once or fail to appear for your arraignment, a bench warrant may issue for your arrest.

If you have received a criminal traffic citation that is not marked "Court Mandatory" and you do not wish to appear before a Judge to contest the citation, you may pay your fine and assessments in full before your appearance date to satisfy the judgment. If you choose to pay your fine without seeing a judge, you may pay by cash, cashier's check, money order, personal check or credit card (see below).

Arraignment

When you receive your citation, the citing agency will provide you with a court date and time for your arraignment. Misdemeanor arraignments require a mandatory appearance in person. You must contact the court before your scheduled arraignment date if you need an extension. Failure to contact the court or appear at your court date may result in a bench warrant for your arrest.

Constitutional Rights

At your arraignment, the Judge will go over the charge(s) against you and will explain your constitutional rights to you. Your constitutional rights include the rights to:

Require the State to prove the charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt
A speedy trial
Representation by an attorney
Confront and question any witnesses brought against you
Subpoena witnesses and compel their testimony
Remain silent and not testify against yourself

Pleading

After the Judge goes over your constitutional rights with you, the Judge will ask you to enter a plea. There are a number of plea options in Nevada:

If you plead not guilty, you are exercising the constitutional rights explained above. In this case, the court will set your case for a speedy trial. You may waive the right to a speedy trial in order to attend a Mandatory Status Conference with the Deputy District Attorney to see if your citation can be resolved without going to trial. If the citation is not resolved at the Mandatory Status Conference, a trial date will be set, and you will be required to appear for trial on that date.
If you plead guilty, you are waiving the constitutional right to require the state to prove the charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt and admitting that you committed the crime that you have been accused of. If the court accepts your plea, you will likely be sentenced at that time.
If you plead no contest, you are also waiving your constitutional rights, but you are not admitting that you committed the crime. If you plead no contest, you are not making an admission of guilt that can be used against you. If the court accepts your plea, you will likely be sentenced at that time.
Although less common, Nevada also recognizes pleas of guilty but mentally ill and not guilty by reason of insanity. You may want to consult with an attorney if you believe one of these options applies to you.

Correctable Traffic Offenses

If you have been cited for a correctable traffic offense (e.g., proof of insurance, registration, or driver's license), you may submit proof that you either failed to have the document on you at the time of the stop or that you have corrected the offense since the time of the stop. Proof of documentation and/or correction may result in a dismissal of the charges or a reduced fine.

Proof of documentation at the time of the stop may result in dismissal with a $30 processing fee.
Proof of correction after the stop may result in a reduced fine.
Proof may be submitted by fax, email, or in person. Proof via email must be in PDF format.
Proof should be submitted before your court date so that the Judge has a chance to review it.

Civil Traffic Citations

If you have received a citation that says CIVIL on the top, you have received a civil traffic infraction. You have ninety (90) days of the date the citation was issued to respond to the infraction by selecting one of the following options:

(1) Pay the citation in full, thereby assuming liability and closing the case; or

(2) File a Request for Review, seeking:

A contested hearing;
A payment plan;
Community service; or
Traffic School

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD FOR CIVIL INFRACTIONS. If you do not contact the Court by the response date, an Order will be entered finding that you have committed a civil infraction. A Judgment will be entered against you for the civil penalty, administrative assessments, and a collection fee. Additionally, your driving privileges could be suspended. You cannot appeal the Order or Judgment if you fail to respond.

Contested Civil Traffic Infraction Hearings

If you request a hearing, you will be required to post bail in the full amount of the citation unless you are granted a waiver for financial hardship. Once bail is posted or the waiver is granted, the court will set a date for the contested hearing. Contested civil infraction hearings are held every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

Because these hearings are civil in nature, the state must prove the infraction by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., that it is more likely than not that it happened). This is a lower standard than a criminal case. The court may consider any evidence that is relevant to resolving the matter, including law enforcement's in-person testimony or a sworn written statement in lieu of personal appearance. It is the defendant's responsibility to prepare for the hearing by issuing a subpoena for any body-cam footage or other evidence required prior to the hearing date.

Traffic School

You may be eligible for traffic School if you have received a civil infraction. To qualify for traffic school, the following statements must apply to you:

Your citation has only 1 moving violation that does not carry more than 4 demerits.
You have not attended traffic school within 1 year from the date this citation was issued.
You have not had a traffic related offense within 1 year from the date this citation was issued.
Your citation does not involve an accident.

If you meet this criteria, you may request traffic school in your Request for Review. If the court approves your request, the Certificate of Completion of Traffic School is due 30 days from the date the request for traffic school was approved. Please note that:

The fine will remain the same as stated on the citation.
There is a $25.00 administrative fee to be paid to the Court to sign up for traffic school.
Traffic school must be approved by the Nevada DMV.

Paying Your Fine

At the Court

You may pay your fine without seeing the judge by visiting the Incline Justice Court at 855 Alder Avenue, Incline Village, Nevada, during normal court hours. You may pay by cash, cashier's check, money order, personal check or credit card.

By Mail

If you are sending a check by mail, please make it out to "Incline Justice Court" and mail it to 855 Alder Avenue, Incline Village, Nevada. Please be advised that third-party checks cannot be accepted by the Court.

Online

To pay your citation online, click HERE.