Accident attorney for crashes in the City of Las Vegas: police, courts and what happens next

Last updated October 8, 2026.

Inside Las Vegas city limits, crashes are handled by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), misdemeanor DUI and traffic cases are prosecuted by the City Attorney in Las Vegas Municipal Court, and injury lawsuits over $15,000 go to the Eighth Judicial District Court. A claim against the city itself starts with the city's Notice of Claim form.

Many valley addresses that say "Las Vegas" are not inside the city, so the first step is to confirm where the crash happened; the city offers a city-limits lookup on its website. If the crash was outside the city, see our Clark County accident page. For the claim itself, start with our guide to car accident claims.

Who handles a crash inside the City of Las Vegas?

Police: LVMPD. Since 1973, LVMPD has been responsible for police services in the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County. It writes the crash report; copies cost $13 and can take up to 10 business days. See how to get a Las Vegas crash report.
Freeways inside the city: the Highway Patrol. LVMPD sends freeway crashes to the state police, whose reports cost $10 and are ready 7 to 14 days after the crash.
Misdemeanor charges: the City Attorney. The City Attorney's Criminal Division prosecutes adult misdemeanor violations of the Las Vegas Municipal Code that happen inside the city, from traffic offenses to DUIs. The investigating police agency submits the case, a prosecutor reviews it, and it moves to arraignment, a pretrial conference and, if needed, trial in Municipal Court.
Felony DUI: not a city misdemeanor. DUI causing death or substantial bodily harm is a category B felony under Nevada law (NRS 484C.430), so it is not one of the city's misdemeanor cases. See how the drunk driver's criminal case affects your claim.
Your injury claim: a separate civil case. Claims over $15,000 are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court at the Regional Justice Center, Downtown; see what to expect at the Regional Justice Center.

City offices after a crash

Office	Role	Address and contact (as listed by the city)
Las Vegas Municipal Court	Traffic citations and misdemeanor cases inside the city, including DUI	100 E. Clark Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101; Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City Attorney's Office	Prosecutes city misdemeanors; handles claims against the city	495 S. Main St., 89101; Criminal Division 702-229-6201; Victim Witness Advocates 702-229-2525
City Clerk's Office, City Hall	Accepts service of lawsuits naming the city or a city department	City Hall
LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau	Crash report copies	400 South Martin Luther King Blvd., Building C, Las Vegas, NV 89106
Eighth Judicial District Court	Injury lawsuits over $15,000	Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89155

What do the city's own crash numbers show?

The City of Las Vegas set a Vision Zero goal in 2022 to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in the city by 2050, and its Vision Zero Action Plan Update for 2026 to 2028 reaffirms that goal. The city's Vision Zero page says crashes in Las Vegas average one death and three and a half serious injuries each week.

The plan's analysis of state crash data for 2018 to 2022 inside the city shows:

249 traffic deaths (about 50 a year) and 747 serious injuries.
70 pedestrian deaths and 174 pedestrian serious injuries.
45 motorcycle or moped deaths. The plan says motorcycle crashes are 24 times, and pedestrian crashes 22 times, more likely to kill someone than vehicle crashes. Riders can read our guide to what happens after a motorcycle crash in Las Vegas.
3 bicyclist deaths. County-wide figures by year are in our page on how often cyclists are hurt or killed on Clark County roads.
Impaired driving behind 28.7 percent of deaths and speeding behind 16.7 percent. For impaired-driver claims, see punitive damages against a drunk driver.
A High Injury Network: 10 percent of city street miles carried 62 percent of fatal and serious injuries.

The intersections the city lists with the most fatal or serious injury crashes in that period are Sahara Avenue at Eastern Avenue and at Las Vegas Boulevard (6 each), Decatur Boulevard at Charleston Boulevard and at Oakey Boulevard (5 each), and Sahara Avenue at Decatur Boulevard (4). Sahara Avenue runs along the line between the city and the county, so these are the city's own list, not a statement that every corner is inside city limits. Intersection fault rules are covered in who had the right of way in a Nevada intersection crash.

What if a city vehicle or city road caused the crash?

The city takes pre-litigation claims for damages, such as injury or property damage, through an online Notice of Claim form, and lawsuits naming the city or a city department are served on the City Clerk's Office in City Hall. Nevada law caps damages against cities and other public entities at $200,000 per claimant and bars punitive damages (NRS 41.035). A claim may be filed with the city's governing body within 2 years, and filing it is not required before suing (NRS 41.036). See crashes with a city, county or state vehicle.

What changes the answer

City or county. A "Las Vegas" address is not proof of city limits; use the city's lookup. LVMPD handles both, but the Municipal Court and City Attorney only handle cases inside the city.

A DUI driver. If the at-fault driver was charged with a misdemeanor DUI inside the city, the case is in Municipal Court; a DUI that caused death or substantial bodily harm is a felony (NRS 484C.430). Victims can find the City Attorney's Victim Witness Advocates at 702-229-2525. Your civil claim runs on its own track and its own 2-year deadline (NRS 11.190); see speaking at the drunk driver's sentencing.

A hospital stay. Serious injuries often mean a trauma stay and later a hospital lien on the settlement; see hospital liens on a car accident settlement.

A hit-and-run. Report it right away; an unknown driver counts as uninsured for your own coverage only with contact and a timely report (NRS 690B.020). See what to do after a hit-and-run.

Neighboring cities. Crashes in North Las Vegas and Henderson have their own police and courts; see North Las Vegas.

For example: a crash on a city arterial

Imagine a hypothetical driver named Omar hit on Decatur Boulevard inside city limits by a driver who later admits drinking. LVMPD investigates and the other driver is cited for a misdemeanor DUI, so that case goes to the City Attorney and Las Vegas Municipal Court. Omar requests the crash report from LVMPD and opens a claim with the other driver's insurer. His injury claim is separate from the DUI case; if it does not settle, it would be filed in district court at the Regional Justice Center before the 2-year deadline. Every detail here is hypothetical.

Common mistakes after a crash in the city

Assuming the address settles city or county. Check city limits.
Waiting on the criminal case. The DUI case does not pause your civil deadline.
Calling Municipal Court about your injury claim. Municipal Court handles the misdemeanor, not your damages.
Missing a claim against the city. If a city vehicle or road was involved, use the Notice of Claim form and track the 2-year limits.
Requesting the report too early. Allow up to 10 business days for LVMPD.

What to do this week

Confirm whether the crash was inside city limits.
Request the crash report from LVMPD (or the Highway Patrol for a freeway).
If the other driver was charged, note the court and case number.
If a city vehicle or road was involved, start the city's Notice of Claim.
Keep every medical record and bill. For the full path, read what happens after a car accident in Las Vegas.

Frequently asked questions

Who prosecutes a DUI that happened in the City of Las Vegas?

The City Attorney's Criminal Division prosecutes adult misdemeanor violations inside the city, including DUIs, in Las Vegas Municipal Court. A DUI that causes death or substantial bodily harm is a category B felony under NRS 484C.430, not a city misdemeanor.

Where is Las Vegas Municipal Court?

At 100 E. Clark Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101. The city lists its hours as Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How do I file a claim against the City of Las Vegas?

The city takes pre-litigation claims for damages through its online Notice of Claim form. Damages against a city are capped at $200,000 per claimant (NRS 41.035).

Is my Las Vegas address inside the city?

Not necessarily. Many "Las Vegas" addresses are in unincorporated Clark County. The city's website has a city-limits lookup.

How many people are killed in crashes in the city?

The city's Vision Zero page says crashes average one death and three and a half serious injuries each week; its plan counts 249 deaths from 2018 to 2022.

Does the city have victim help for DUI crashes?

The City Attorney's Office lists Victim Witness Advocates at 702-229-2525 for people involved in cases it prosecutes.

If you were hurt in a crash inside Las Vegas city limits, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can explain the next steps. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation.