1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 484A.490, authorized emergency vehicles are vehicles publicly owned and operated in the performance of the duty of:
(a) A police or fire department.
(b) A sheriff’s office.
(c) The Department of Public Safety, for vehicles that are:
(1) Operated in the performance of the duty of the Capitol Police Division, the Investigation Division, the Nevada Highway Patrol Division, the State Fire Marshal Division, the Training Division and the Office of the Director of the Department of Public Safety; or
(2) Designated an authorized emergency vehicle by the Director of the Department of Public Safety.
(d) The Office of the Attorney General.
(e) The Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in responding to a fire.
(f) The Section for the Control of Emissions From Vehicles and the Enforcement of Matters Related to the Use of Special Fuel in the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(g) A public ambulance agency.
(h) A public lifeguard or lifesaving agency.
2. A vehicle publicly maintained in whole or in part by the State, or by a city or county, and privately owned and operated by a regularly salaried member of a police department, sheriff’s office or traffic law enforcement department, is an authorized emergency vehicle if:
(a) The vehicle has a permit, pursuant to NRS 484A.490, from the Department of Public Safety;
(b) The person operates the vehicle in responding to emergency calls or fire alarms, or at the request of the Nevada Highway Patrol or in the pursuit of actual or suspected violators of the law; and
(c) The State, county or city does not furnish a publicly owned vehicle for the purposes stated in paragraph (b).
3. Every authorized emergency vehicle must be equipped with at least one flashing red warning lamp visible from the front and a siren for use as provided in chapters 484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS, which lamp and siren must be in compliance with standards approved by the Department of Public Safety. In addition, an authorized emergency vehicle may display revolving, flashing or steady red or blue warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicle.
4. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a system or device that causes the upper-beam headlamps of the vehicle to continue to flash alternately while the system or device is activated. The driver of a vehicle that is so equipped may use the system or device when responding to an emergency call or fire alarm, while escorting a funeral procession, or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law. As used in this subsection, "upper-beam headlamp" means a headlamp or that part of a headlamp which projects a distribution of light or composite beam meeting the requirements of subsection 1 of NRS 484D.210.
5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, a person shall not operate a motor vehicle with any system or device that causes the headlamps of the vehicle to continue to flash alternately or simultaneously while the system or device is activated. This subsection does not prohibit the operation of a motorcycle equipped with any system or device that modulates the intensity of light produced by the headlamp of the motorcycle, if the system or device is used only during daylight hours and conforms to the requirements of 49 C.F.R. § 571.108.
6. A person shall not operate a vehicle with any lamp or device displaying a red light visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle except an authorized emergency vehicle, a school bus or an official vehicle of a regulatory agency.
7. A person shall not operate a vehicle with any lamp or device displaying a blue light, except a motorcycle pursuant to NRS 486.261 or an authorized emergency vehicle.
(Added to NRS by 1969, 1505; A 1975, 320; 1979, 1814; 1985, 26, 341, 1956; 1989, 1132; 2003, 402; 2011, 343; 2019, 1228; 2021, 669)—(Substituted in revision for NRS 484.787)
Structure Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 484A - Traffic Laws Generally
NRS 484A.005 - Purposes of chapters 484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS.
NRS 484A.015 - "Alley" defined.
NRS 484A.020 - "Authorized emergency vehicle" defined.
NRS 484A.025 - "Bicycle" defined.
NRS 484A.035 - "Bus stand" defined.
NRS 484A.040 - "Center" and "centerline" defined.
NRS 484A.045 - "City" defined.
NRS 484A.050 - "Combination of vehicles" defined.
NRS 484A.055 - "Commercial vehicle" defined.
NRS 484A.060 - "Controlled-access highway" defined.
NRS 484A.065 - "Crosswalk" defined.
NRS 484A.070 - "Divided highway" defined.
NRS 484A.075 - "Driveaway-towaway operation" defined.
NRS 484A.080 - "Driver" defined.
NRS 484A.081 - "Electric bicycle" defined.
NRS 484A.082 - "Electric scooter" defined.
NRS 484A.085 - "Explosives" defined.
NRS 484A.090 - "Funeral procession" defined.
NRS 484A.095 - "Highway" defined.
NRS 484A.100 - "House trailer" defined.
NRS 484A.105 - "Intersection" defined.
NRS 484A.110 - "Laned highway" defined.
NRS 484A.115 - "Local authority" defined.
NRS 484A.120 - "Manufactured home" defined.
NRS 484A.125 - "Moped" defined.
NRS 484A.130 - "Motor vehicle" defined.
NRS 484A.135 - "Motorcycle" defined.
NRS 484A.140 - "Nonresident" defined.
NRS 484A.145 - "Official traffic-control device" defined.
NRS 484A.150 - "Owner" defined.
NRS 484A.155 - "Park" and "parking" defined.
NRS 484A.160 - "Passenger car" defined.
NRS 484A.165 - "Pedestrian" defined.
NRS 484A.170 - "Person with a disability which limits or impairs the ability to walk" defined.
NRS 484A.175 - "Pole trailer" defined.
NRS 484A.180 - "Police officer" defined.
NRS 484A.185 - "Premises to which the public has access" defined.
NRS 484A.190 - "Private way" and "driveway" defined.
NRS 484A.195 - "Public authority" defined.
NRS 484A.200 - "Railroad" defined.
NRS 484A.205 - "Regulatory agency" defined.
NRS 484A.210 - "Right-of-way" defined.
NRS 484A.215 - "Road" defined.
NRS 484A.220 - "Roadway" defined.
NRS 484A.225 - "Rural area" defined.
NRS 484A.230 - "School bus" defined.
NRS 484A.235 - "Semitrailer" defined.
NRS 484A.240 - "Sidewalk" defined.
NRS 484A.245 - "Special mobile equipment" defined.
NRS 484A.250 - "Stand" and "standing" defined.
NRS 484A.255 - "Stop" defined.
NRS 484A.260 - "Stop" and "stopping" defined.
NRS 484A.265 - "Street" defined.
NRS 484A.270 - "Taxicab" defined.
NRS 484A.275 - "Through highway" defined.
NRS 484A.280 - "Tow car" defined.
NRS 484A.285 - "Traffic" defined.
NRS 484A.290 - "Traffic-control signal" defined.
NRS 484A.295 - "Trailer" defined.
NRS 484A.300 - "Traveled portion of highway" defined.
NRS 484A.305 - "Truck" defined.
NRS 484A.310 - "Truck-tractor" defined.
NRS 484A.315 - "Urban area" defined.
NRS 484A.320 - "Vehicle" defined.
NRS 484A.420 - Powers of local authority.
NRS 484A.440 - Local device for control of traffic.
NRS 484A.470 - Authority of Department to adopt regulations concerning special mobile equipment.
NRS 484A.620 - Citation filed with court deemed lawful complaint.
NRS 484A.660 - Issuance of citation at scene of crash.
NRS 484A.690 - Audit of records of traffic citations.
NRS 484A.7043 - Penalties. [Effective January 1, 2023.]
NRS 484A.710 - Arrest without warrant for certain offenses.
NRS 484A.720 - When person must be taken immediately before magistrate.
NRS 484A.740 - Arrest of nonresident.
NRS 484A.750 - Appearance before magistrate having jurisdiction.
NRS 484A.760 - Release of defendant when magistrate not available.
NRS 484A.770 - Procedure prescribed for arrest without warrant not exclusive.
NRS 484A.772 - Legislative findings and declarations.
NRS 484A.774 - Presumption for release of person arrested for traffic violation; exceptions.
NRS 484A.786 - Order in which installment payments must be applied.
NRS 484A.792 - Certain fines and forfeitures of bail must be paid into State Permanent School Fund.
NRS 484A.800 - Sponsor of special event to provide for control of vehicular traffic.