Hiring a Lemon Law Lawyer in Nevada
The Nevada lemon law for new cars, the rules for used cars, where to file a complaint, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Nevada: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Nevada Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in writing, signed by the client, and must state in boldface type at least as large as the largest type in the agreement: how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; whether expenses are deducted from the recovery and whether before or after the fee is calculated; whether the client owes expenses regardless of outcome; that if the client loses, the client may be liable for the opposing party's attorney fees and will be liable for its costs as required by law; and that a suit brought solely to harass or coerce a settlement may result in liability for malicious prosecution or abuse of process. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and any remittance. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. By statute (NRS 7.095), in actions for injury or death against a health care provider based on professional negligence, an attorney may not contract for or collect a contingent fee of more than 35 percent of the amount recovered (net of litigation costs), whether by settlement, arbitration or judgment. NRS 7.095: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-007.html |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The State Bar of Nevada's Fee Dispute program is free and voluntary, for disputes of at least $250. Most disputes go to mediation first; if mediation fails and both parties have agreed to binding arbitration, an arbitrator or panel holds a hearing and decides the fee owed. File the Petitioner's Agreement for Arbitration of Fee Dispute (online, or request a mailed copy) with supporting documents in PDF to the Fee Dispute Department. The committee cannot hear fees already fixed by a court, malpractice or misconduct claims, or a matter already filed in court unless a court directs it. |
Nevada rules to know first
| Lemon law for new cars | Nevada's lemon law covers new motor vehicles bought for personal, family or household use (not motor homes or off-road vehicles). The buyer must report the defect in writing to the manufacturer before the express warranty expires or within 1 year after delivery to the original buyer, whichever is earlier; the manufacturer must then make the repairs even if they happen after that period. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed if the same problem has been repaired four or more times in that period and still exists, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs a total of 30 or more calendar days. If a defect that substantially impairs use and value cannot be fixed, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable one or take it back and refund the full purchase price, including sales tax, license and registration fees, less a reasonable allowance for use. If the manufacturer has an informal dispute procedure that complies with federal rules, the buyer must use it first. A lawsuit must be filed within 18 months after original delivery. |
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| Used cars | Nevada's lemon law covers new vehicles only, but a separate law applies to used vehicles with 75,000 miles or more sold by dealers to retail customers. Before the sale, the dealer must inspect the engine and drivetrain and disclose in writing any defects it knows of or reasonably should have found. A dealer that has had more than three substantiated complaints filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles in a 12-month period must also give a short written warranty covering engine and drivetrain defects; its length depends on mileage (for example, 30 days or 1,000 miles for vehicles with 75,000 to 80,000 miles, down to 2 days or 100 miles for vehicles over 100,000 miles). Buyers of these vehicles may file a written complaint with the Department of Motor Vehicles. A violation of NRS 482.36655 to 482.36667 is "consumer fraud" that a victim may sue over under NRS 41.600. |
| How to make a lemon law claim | 1) Written report: the buyer must report the defect in writing to the manufacturer before the express warranty expires or within 1 year after delivery to the original buyer, whichever comes first. 2) Arbitration: if the manufacturer has set up or designated an informal dispute settlement procedure that substantially complies with federal rules (16 C.F.R. part 703), the buyer must first submit the claim for replacement or refund through that procedure before suing. The lemon law sections do not create a state-run arbitration program or set a consumer fee. 3) Deadline to sue: a lawsuit under the lemon law must be filed within 18 months after the vehicle was originally delivered to the buyer. Time periods are paused while repairs are not reasonably available because of war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster. The statute does not describe a separate final repair attempt step. |
| Where to file a consumer complaint | File a formal complaint with the Nevada Attorney General's Office using the online complaint form; only formally filed and signed complaints are processed. The office says complaints are reviewed within 14 to 45 business days, staff may contact you for more information, and complaints better handled elsewhere are forwarded to the appropriate agency. The Attorney General cannot give legal advice or represent you. Complaints about auto dealers, body shops and garages go to the DMV Compliance Enforcement Division. Phone: 775-684-1100 or 702-486-3420. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar of Nevada's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) refers callers to a private attorney who practices in the relevant area of law. Call 702-382-0504 or toll-free 1-800-789-5747 (800-789-LRIS), or use the online option. The referred attorney may charge a $45 non-refundable fee for a consultation of up to 30 minutes; after that, fees are negotiated directly with the attorney, and there is no obligation to hire the attorney. If you cannot afford regular fees, LRS may try to prequalify you for a reduced-fee attorney (no more than $25 for the initial consultation and no more than $75 per hour after that) or refer you to another legal services agency. LRS overview: https://nvbar.org/for-the-public/find-a-lawyer/lrs/ |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The State Bar of Nevada, a public corporation supervised by the Nevada Supreme Court, licenses Nevada lawyers. Its Bar Status page explains the license statuses (such as Active, Inactive, Administrative Suspension, Discipline Suspension and Disbarment), and the bar says it can tell you whether an attorney is licensed in Nevada and in good standing; call the Las Vegas office at 702-382-2200 or the Reno office at 775-329-4100. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The State Bar of Nevada's Office of Bar Counsel investigates complaints of attorney misconduct. File online with the complaint form, by U.S. mail, or in person at the Las Vegas office (3100 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89102) or Reno office (9456 Double R Blvd., Suite B, Reno, NV 89521); filing is free. Include your contact information, the lawyer's name and firm, a detailed narrative with dates and copies of supporting documents, and file a separate complaint for each attorney. Steps are initial review (usually within 10 business days), a written response from the lawyer, investigation, screening panel review and, if warranted, a formal hearing; it can take one to six months or longer. Reprimands, suspensions and disbarments are public; dismissals and private admonitions are not. The bar issues a Certificate of Good Standing and Statement of Discipline History. FAQs: https://nvbar.org/for-the-public/attorney-discipline/faqs-attorney-discipline/ |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Nevada Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance statewide to low-income Nevadans who meet its eligibility requirements; you can check eligibility and apply through its online intake form or contact the nearest office. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) lists Nevada Legal Services as the LSC-funded grantee in the state. In Clark County, the Family Law Self-Help Center (run by Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada under contract with Clark County) offers information and forms for people representing themselves. Family Law Self-Help Center: https://www.familylawselfhelpcenter.org/; LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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All legal help in Nevada · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.