Nevada earns a D- for its civil forfeiture laws
Standard of Proof
Somewhat higher bar to forfeit: Prosecutors must provide clear and convincing evidence that property is connected to a crime.
Innocent Owner Burden
Stronger protections for the innocent: The government must prove third-party owners knew about criminal activity connected to their property.
Financial Incentive
Large profit incentive: Up to 100% of forfeiture proceeds go to law enforcement (at fiscal year end, 70% of any amount above $100,000 in an agency’s forfeiture account goes to the state’s school fund).
The letter grade reflects Nevada’s forfeiture laws as of May 7, 2025. When we become aware of relevant reforms, we are updating the standard of proof, innocent owner burden, and financial incentive language above, but we are not updating the letter grade.
Note: Prosecutors need only meet their standard of proof—and owners can only prove their innocence—if owners make it to a judicial hearing. See flow chart.
Recent Reforms
Recommendations
What happens after personal property is seized in Nevada?
Under Nevada law, prosecutors’ and owners’ deadlines leading to a judicial hearing add up to 260 days, but the wait may be longer as the deadline for serving the complaint can be extended and there is no deadline for the hearing itself. While you wait, the government has your property, and your only option for seeking its return is to file a claim for delivery, which may expedite the process.
“*If prosecutors do not file a complaint within 60 days, you can file a “claim for delivery,” which may expedite the process.
**If you have been charged with a related crime, the forfeiture proceeding is stayed until the criminal proceeding concludes. If charges are dismissed or you are acquitted, your property must be returned within seven days. “
For research methods and limitations, see “How We Documented Civil Forfeiture Processes From Seizure to Hearing.”
State and Federal Forfeiture Proceeds, 2000–2023
At least $108 million in state and federal forfeiture revenue
| Year | Nevada Forfeiture Revenues | Dept. of Justice Equitable Sharing Proceeds | Treasury Equitable Sharing Proceeds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Unknown | $717,857 | $37,000 | $754,857 |
| 2001 | Unknown | $1,208,744 | $128,000 | $1,336,744 |
| 2002 | Unknown | $2,327,734 | $87,000 | $2,414,734 |
| 2003 | Unknown | $1,414,098 | $338,000 | $1,752,098 |
| 2004 | Unknown | $3,057,339 | $50,000 | $3,107,339 |
| 2005 | Unknown | $958,577 | $103,000 | $1,061,577 |
| 2006 | Unknown | $4,811,808 | $0 | $4,811,808 |
| 2007 | Unknown | $3,171,097 | $155,000 | $3,326,097 |
| 2008 | Unknown | $3,976,608 | $1,124,000 | $5,100,608 |
| 2009 | Unknown | $2,376,957 | $338,000 | $2,714,957 |
| 2010 | Unknown | $3,170,547 | $859,000 | $4,029,547 |
| 2011 | Unknown | $3,791,926 | $124,000 | $3,915,926 |
| 2012 | Unknown | $4,275,944 | $3,392,000 | $7,667,944 |
| 2013 | Unknown | $3,390,984 | $229,000 | $3,619,984 |
| 2014 | Unknown | $4,075,559 | $4,426,000 | $8,501,559 |
| 2015 | Unknown | $3,239,387 | $1,128,000 | $4,367,387 |
| 2016 | $4,293,189 | $1,549,061 | $248,000 | $6,090,250 |
| 2017 | $3,132,242 | $7,434,604 | $2,163,000 | $12,729,846 |
| 2018 | $4,901,149 | $1,577,182 | $403,000 | $6,881,331 |
| 2019 | $3,939,762 | $1,648,106 | $109,000 | $5,696,868 |
| 2020 | $2,917,066 | $847,082 | $414,000 | $4,178,148 |
| 2021 | $3,052,352 | $838,630 | $478,000 | $4,368,982 |
| 2022 | $2,927,442 | $356,583 | $149,000 | $3,433,025 |
| 2023 | $3,166,220 | $3,398,766 | $530,000 | $7,094,986 |
| Totals | $28,329,422 | $63,615,180 | $17,012,000 | $108,956,602 |
All revenue figures include both civil and criminal forfeitures. Revenues are not adjusted for inflation.
Federal Equitable Sharing
Since 2000, Nevada agencies have generated nearly $81 million in equitable sharing proceeds from the departments of Justice and the Treasury. And on average from 2019 to 2023, more than 18 Nevada agencies, or an estimated 30% of all law enforcement agencies in the state, were certified for the program. However, in January 2025, a Nevada trial court ruled that agencies cannot use equitable sharing to circumvent protections in state law.
Forfeitures Under Nevada Law: Key Facts
Median Value
$1,030
From 2019 to 2023, half of Nevada’s currency forfeitures were worth less than $1,030.
Property Types
From 2019 to 2023, more than 90% of Nevada’s forfeitures were of currency.
Proceeding Types
UNKNOWN
Nevada does not report whether forfeitures are processed under civil or criminal forfeiture law.
Additional Findings
UNKNOWN
Agencies report only limited information about seized and forfeited property, resulting in limited transparency into forfeiture activity in the state.
Forfeiture Transparency and Accountability Report Card
Tracking Seized Property
B+Statewide Forfeiture Reports
BPenalties for Failure to File a Report
D*Accounting for Forfeiture Fund Spending
DAccessibility of Forfeiture Records
AFinancial Audits of Forfeiture Accounts
F*Agencies must file even when they have nothing to report.
For full transparency and accountability grades, visit ij.org/TransparencyReportCards.
Data Notes
Agency forfeiture reports with property-level data were obtained via public records requests to the state attorney general. Revenues represent the value of property forfeited in a fiscal year and do not include transfers between agencies. Equitable sharing data are from DOJ’s and Treasury’s annual forfeiture reports. Due to differences in reporting and accounting practices, figures may not match aggregate numbers produced by the state or cover the same 12-month period as the federal data. The number of certified agencies was computed using the approved Equitable Sharing Agreement and Certification requests submitted by police, sheriff, and other local law enforcement agencies. The percentage of certified agencies was computed using that number and the total number of agencies reported in the 2018 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies.
Legal Sources
Standard of proof: Clear and convincing evidence.
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 179.1173(4).
Innocent owner burden: Government.
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 179.1164(2); Lara v. State, No. CV21-01595, 2025 WL 211411, at *10 (Nev. Dist. Ct. Jan. 10, 2025).
Financial incentive: Up to 100%. However, if an agency’s forfeiture account contains more than $100,000 at the end of a given fiscal year, 70% of the excess must be given to the state’s school fund.
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 179.1187.
Process: Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 179.1156 et seq. (forfeiture procedure); Nev. R. Civ. P. 4(e) (service of complaint), 55 (default judgment).