Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 534 - Underground Water and Wells
NRS 534.1405 - Well drillers: Petition for review of criminal history to obtain license; requirements; fee; report.


1. The State Engineer shall develop and implement a process by which a person with a criminal history may petition the State Engineer to review the criminal history of the person to determine if the person’s criminal history will disqualify the person from obtaining a license to drill pursuant to NRS 534.140.
2. Not later than 90 days after a petition is submitted to the State Engineer pursuant to subsection 1, the State Engineer shall inform the person of the determination of the State Engineer of whether the person’s criminal history will disqualify the person from obtaining a license. The State Engineer is not bound by his or her determination of disqualification or qualification and may rescind such a determination at any time.
3. The State Engineer may provide instructions to a person who receives a determination of disqualification to remedy the determination of disqualification. A person may resubmit a petition pursuant to subsection 1 not earlier than 6 months after receiving instructions pursuant to this subsection if the person remedies the determination of disqualification.
4. A person with a criminal history may petition the State Engineer at any time, including, without limitation, before obtaining any education or paying any fee required to obtain a license from the State Engineer.
5. A person may submit a new petition to the State Engineer not earlier than 2 years after the final determination of the initial petition submitted to the State Engineer.
6. The State Engineer may impose a fee of up to $50 upon the person to fund the administrative costs in complying with the provisions of this section. The State Engineer may waive such fees or allow such fees to be covered by funds from a scholarship or grant.
7. The State Engineer may post on its Internet website:
(a) The requirements to obtain a license from the State Engineer; and
(b) A list of crimes, if any, that would disqualify a person from obtaining a license from the State Engineer.
8. The State Engineer may request the criminal history record of a person who petitions the State Engineer for a determination pursuant to subsection 1. To the extent consistent with federal law, if the State Engineer makes such a request of a person, the State Engineer shall require the person to submit his or her criminal history record which includes a report from:
(a) The Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History; and
(b) The Federal Bureau of Investigation.
9. A person who petitions the State Engineer for a determination pursuant to subsection 1 shall not submit false or misleading information to the State Engineer.
10. The State Engineer shall, on or before the 20th day of January, April, July and October, submit to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau in an electronic format prescribed by the Director, a report that includes:
(a) The number of petitions submitted to the State Engineer pursuant to subsection 1;
(b) The number of determinations of disqualification made by the State Engineer pursuant to subsection 1;
(c) The reasons for such determinations; and
(d) Any other information that is requested by the Director or which the State Engineer determines would be helpful.
11. The Director shall transmit a compilation of the information received pursuant to subsection 10 to the Legislative Commission quarterly, unless otherwise directed by the Commission.
(Added to NRS by 2019, 2942)

Structure Nevada Revised Statutes

Nevada Revised Statutes

Chapter 534 - Underground Water and Wells

NRS 534.010 - Definitions.

NRS 534.0105 - "Aquifer" defined.

NRS 534.011 - "Area of active management" defined.

NRS 534.0115 - "Area of hydrologic effect" defined.

NRS 534.012 - "Artesian well" defined.

NRS 534.0125 - "Augmentation" defined.

NRS 534.013 - "Domestic use" and "domestic purposes" defined.

NRS 534.0135 - "Percolating waters" defined.

NRS 534.014 - "Person" defined.

NRS 534.0145 - "Project" defined.

NRS 534.015 - "Recharged water" defined.

NRS 534.0155 - "Storage account" defined.

NRS 534.016 - "Stored water" defined.

NRS 534.0165 - "Waste" defined.

NRS 534.017 - "Well driller" defined.

NRS 534.0175 - "Well drilling" and "drilling a well" defined.

NRS 534.020 - Underground waters belong to public and are subject to appropriation for beneficial use; declaration of legislative intent.

NRS 534.025 - Removal of underground waters to alleviate hazards caused by secondary recharge is beneficial use.

NRS 534.030 - Administration by State Engineer: Petition by appropriators in basin; hearing in absence of petition; certain artesian water, underground aquifers and percolating water; advisory services of governing bodies of water districts and water...

NRS 534.035 - Groundwater boards: Establishment; number, appointment, terms and expenses of members; officers; meetings and quorum; duties; dissolution.

NRS 534.037 - Groundwater management plan for basin designated as critical management area: Petition; hearing; approval or disapproval; judicial review; amendment.

NRS 534.040 - Employment and compensation of well supervisor and assistants; levy, collection and distribution of special assessment; exception.

NRS 534.050 - Permit to appropriate water required before sinking well in designated groundwater basin; requirements in undesignated areas; waivers; penalties.

NRS 534.060 - Conditions for sinking wells; casings and appliances; repair of defective wells; liens; sealing of wells; use of abandoned wells to monitor groundwater.

NRS 534.065 - Replacement well: Application to change place of diversion not required in certain circumstances; notice.

NRS 534.070 - Waste of water from artesian well unlawful.

NRS 534.080 - Appropriation of underground water for beneficial use from artesian, definable aquifer or percolating water: Acquisition of rights under chapter 533 of NRS; orders to desist; dates of priority.

NRS 534.090 - Forfeiture and abandonment of rights.

NRS 534.100 - Recognition of existing water rights; classification of water in definable aquifer or percolating water by State Engineer; adjudication of vested underground water rights.

NRS 534.110 - Rules and regulations of State Engineer; statements and pumping tests; conditions of appropriation; designation of critical management areas; restrictions; limit to restrictions on domestic wells.

NRS 534.120 - State Engineer authorized to make rules, regulations and orders when groundwater is being depleted in designated area; preferred uses of water; temporary permits to appropriate water; revocation of temporary permits; restrictions placed...

NRS 534.125 - State Engineer to file notice related to temporary permit.

NRS 534.130 - State Engineer, assistants and Artesian Well Supervisor authorized to enter premises to investigate and carry out duties.

NRS 534.140 - Well drillers: Annual licenses; fees; continuing education; regulations for well drilling; licensing by State Contractors’ Board.

NRS 534.1405 - Well drillers: Petition for review of criminal history to obtain license; requirements; fee; report.

NRS 534.141 - Application for renewal of license must include certain information regarding state business license; grounds for denial of renewal.

NRS 534.142 - Payment of child support: Statement by applicant for license to drill; grounds for denial of license; duty of State Engineer. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish...

NRS 534.144 - Suspension of license for failure to pay child support or comply with certain subpoenas or warrants; reinstatement of license. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish...

NRS 534.146 - Application for license to include social security number of applicant. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish procedures for withholding, suspending and restricting...

NRS 534.150 - Well Drillers’ Advisory Board: Appointment; terms of members; vacancies; compensation; duties.

NRS 534.160 - License required to drill well; revocation of or refusal to reissue license; order to plug well; penalty for allowing unlicensed person to drill.

NRS 534.170 - Well driller to keep log and records; contents; information to be furnished to State Engineer; report of test.

NRS 534.180 - Applicability of chapter to wells used for domestic purposes; registration and plugging of wells used for domestic purposes; wells for accessory dwelling unit of single-family dwelling.

NRS 534.185 - Waiver of certain requirements for domestic wells by State Engineer; exceptions.

NRS 534.190 - Penalties.

NRS 534.193 - Additional penalties.

NRS 534.195 - Injunctive and other relief.

NRS 534.250 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Permit required; issuance, contents, modification and assignment of permit; monitoring requirements.

NRS 534.260 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Contents of application for permit.

NRS 534.270 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Review of application for permit; notice of application; protests; hearing; determination; judicial review.

NRS 534.280 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Annual report to State Engineer.

NRS 534.290 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Permit for recovery well; recovery limited to designated wells; designation of person entitled to recover water; use or exchange of recovered water.

NRS 534.300 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Storage account to be established; limit on amount of water recovered.

NRS 534.310 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Annual fee for permit; disposition of money received by State Engineer; employment of consultants by State Engineer.

NRS 534.320 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Revocation or suspension of permit; orders to cease and desist; injunction.

NRS 534.330 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Penalties.

NRS 534.340 - Project for recharge, storage and recovery of water: Designation of areas of active management.

NRS 534.350 - Requirements for certain public water system to receive credits for addition of new customers to system.

NRS 534.360 - Water Rights Technical Support Account: Creation; administration; uses.