Nevada DUI Penalties: 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Felony

Nevada counts DUI offenses within a rolling 7-year period. A second or third DUI inside that window triggers the escalating penalties above; once a prior falls outside 7 years, the count effectively resets for most purposes. This is why the exact dates of any prior DUI matter so much — and why an attorney scrutinizes whether a prior actually counts.

A separate rule makes any DUI a felony if you already have a prior felony DUI on your record, no matter how long ago.

Every Nevada DUI starts two separate cases — the criminal case in court and an administrative case with the DMV over your driver's license. You have only 7 days from arrest to request the DMV hearing, or the license suspension takes effect automatically. Missing this deadline is one of the most common and costly mistakes after a DUI.

The two cases run on different rules and timelines, and a DUI defense handles both at once.

Penalty ranges are not verdicts. Most DUI defense targets the evidence behind the charge: the legality of the stop, the administration of field sobriety tests, the calibration and operation of the breath machine, the chain of custody on a blood draw, and Nevada's timing rules for testing. Weaknesses in any of these can mean a reduction to reckless driving, a dismissal, or a better resolution than the statutory minimum.

For the specific charge you are facing, the dedicated charge pages cover bail, defenses, and process in detail — and a free review will tell you which defenses fit your stop.