Introduction to Nevada County Courts
Jurisdiction
District Courts*
General
No. of
Courts
17
Justice Courts*
Limited
43
Municipal
17
Court
Municipal Courts
How Organized
© This introduction is
provided by BRB
Townships
Publications, Inc. and cannot
17 Incorporated be reproduced without direct
permission from BRB
Cities/Towns
Publications, Inc.
www.brbpublications.com
9 Districts
CIVIL
Tort
Contract
District Courts*
X
Justice Courts*
X
Court
Min.
Claim
10,000
Max.
Claim
No Max
Small
Claims
X
Real
Estate
X
X
X
$0
$10,000
$5000
(to be
$7500
07/2011)
Estat
e
X
Eviction
Domestic
Relations
X
X
Municipal Courts*
CRIMINAL
Felony
Misdemeanor
DWI/DUI
X
X
X
Justice Courts*
X
X
Municipal Court*
X
Court
District Courts*
Preliminary
Hearing
Juvenile
X
X
* = Profiled in this Sourcebook.
Administration
Supreme Court of Nevada, Administrative Office of the Courts, 201 S Carson St #250, Carson City, NV, 89701; 775-684-1700, Fax: 775684-1723. http://www.nevadajudiciary.us/
Court Structure
Note that Nevada does NOT have a unified court system.
The District Courts are the courts of general jurisdiction. Probate is handled by the District Courts, as are divorce records. The judges also
hear appeals from Justice and Municipal Court cases. The Justice Courts are generally named for the township of jurisdiction. Due to their
small populations, some townships no longer have Justice Courts. The Justice Courts handle misdemeanor crime and traffic matters, small
claims disputes, evictions, and other civil matters less than $10,000, raised from $7,500 on Jan 1, 2005. Effective July 1, 2011 the
maximum amount for Small Claims was increased from $5,000 to $7,500. The Justices of the Peace also preside over felony and gross
misdemeanor arraignments and conduct preliminary hearings to determine if sufficient evidence exists to hold criminals for trial at
District Court.
The Municipal Courts manage cases involving violations of traffic and misdemeanor ordinances that occur within the city limits of
incorporated municipalities. Generally they do not oversee civil matters.
The primary constitutional function of the Supreme Court is to review appeals from decisions of the District Courts.
Online Access
Some Nevada courts have internal online computer systems, but only Clark and Washoe counties offer online access to the public. A state
sponsored court automation system is being implemented. The Supreme Court website gives access to opinions. Search by name or case
number. See http://caseinfo.nvsupremecourt.us/public/caseSearch.do
Searching Tips, Fees, and Other Guidelines
Many Nevada Justice Courts are small and have very few records. Their hours of operation vary widely and contact is difficult. It is
recommended that requesters call ahead for information prior to submitting a written request or attempting an in person retrieval. Fees will
vary; many Justice Courts charge $1.00 per name per year to do a name search.