What is Nevada's 3-foot passing law, and how does it help a cyclist's injury claim?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

Nevada's passing law says a driver overtaking a cyclist must move into the next lane to the left when it is open and reasonably safe. On a road with one lane in that direction, the driver must leave at least 3 feet between the vehicle and the bicycle (NRS 484B.270). A driver who breaks this rule and causes a crash with a rider commits reckless driving, which gives your injury claim a clear standard.

The same protection covers people on electric bicycles and electric scooters. This guide explains how the rule works in a Las Vegas bicycle accident claim, what the driver's insurer is likely to argue, and what you can do now to protect your case.

How does a close-pass crash claim work in Las Vegas?

Most claims after a driver clips or crowds a cyclist in the valley follow the same path. Each step either creates evidence of how close the car came or uses it.

The driver must stop and help. A driver involved in a crash that injures someone must stop at or near the scene, give a name, address and vehicle registration, show a license, and give reasonable help, including arranging a ride to a doctor or hospital when needed (NRS 484E.010, 484E.030). Call 911 if you are hurt.
Police write a traffic collision report. In the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County, that is usually the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). Henderson and North Las Vegas have their own police departments. Tell the officer plainly that the car passed you too closely, and where you were riding in the lane. Our guide to getting a Las Vegas crash report explains the request process.
You request the report. LVMPD takes requests online, in person and by mail, says to allow up to 10 business days after a report is filed, and lists a $13 fee for a traffic collision report (effective July 1, 2026).
The DMV may need its own report. If no officer investigated at the scene, a written report to the Nevada DMV is due within 10 days of a crash that injured anyone (NRS 484E.070). See when the Nevada DMV SR-1 crash report is required.
The insurance claims open. You make a bodily injury claim against the driver's liability insurer, and you may also have coverage of your own. Our page on whose insurance pays when a car hits a cyclist in Nevada walks through each source.
Settlement or a lawsuit. An injury lawsuit generally must be filed within 2 years of the crash (NRS 11.190). Claims up to $15,000 can go to justice court (NRS 4.370); larger cases are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Las Vegas, and our page on the steps in a Clark County injury lawsuit shows what follows.

What does NRS 484B.270 require of a driver near a cyclist?

The 3-foot distance is only one part of the statute. The table lists each duty, because an insurer will sometimes argue about the one rule you did not cite.

Situation	What the driver must do	Rule
Any time	Not intentionally interfere with a person lawfully riding a bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter	NRS 484B.270(1)
Passing on a road with two or more lanes in your direction	Move to the lane to the immediate left, if it is available and moving into it is reasonably safe	NRS 484B.270(2)(a)
Passing on a road with one lane in your direction	Pass on the left at a safe distance of at least 3 feet, and not move back to the right until safely clear	NRS 484B.270(2)(b)
Passing room is tight	May cross the center of the road or pass in a no-passing zone if it is safe and the 3 feet are kept (with listed exceptions)	NRS 484B.270(2)(b)
Bike lane or path	Yield to riders in it; do not enter, stop, park or drive in it except for listed reasons	NRS 484B.270(3)
Always	Use due care to avoid a collision, and sound the horn when appropriate and necessary	NRS 484B.270(5)
A violation causes a collision with a rider	The violation counts as reckless driving	NRS 484B.270(6); NRS 484B.653(2)

The criminal penalty for that reckless driving charge rises with each offense (NRS 484B.653(4), (5)):

Offense	Fine	Community service	Other
First	$250 to $1,000	50 to 99 hours	Possible jail up to 6 months; license suspended 6 months to 2 years
Second	$1,000 to $1,500	100 to 199 hours	Possible jail up to 6 months; license suspended 6 months to 2 years
Third or later	$1,500 to $2,000	200 hours	Possible jail up to 6 months; license suspended 6 months to 2 years

These penalties belong to the criminal case, which the state brings. Your injury claim is separate: it asks the driver and the driver's insurer to pay for your medical bills, lost income, pain and the other harm the crash caused.

What changes the answer

How many lanes the road had. Many riders think the law is always "3 feet." On a road with two or more lanes going your way, the rule is a full lane change when the next lane is open and the move is reasonably safe (NRS 484B.270(2)(a)). A driver who stayed in your lane on a wide arterial and squeezed by may have broken the law even with 3 feet of space.

Where you were riding. Cyclists must ride as near the right side as practicable, except when keeping pace with nearby traffic, preparing to turn left, or when that is not safe (NRS 484B.777). The law says it is not safe when objects, parked cars, other riders or surface hazards block the right side, or when the lane is too narrow for a bike and a car to share side by side. If you moved left to avoid gravel or a parked car, the statute supports you. Up to two riders may ride abreast on the roadway (NRS 484B.777(3)).

Your share of fault. Riders have duties too: you may not intentionally interfere with a motor vehicle or pass one unless it is safe (NRS 484B.270(7)), and you have the general duties of a driver (NRS 484B.763). Under Nevada's comparative negligence rule, you can still recover if your fault was not greater than the fault of the people you are suing, but your damages are reduced by your share (NRS 41.141). Our post on comparative negligence in auto accidents explains the math.

Lights and reflectors at night. A night crash raises questions about whether the driver could see you. Nevada requires a white front lamp, a red rear reflector and side reflectors or lamps after dark (NRS 484B.783). See how Nevada's bicycle light rules affect an injury claim.

Whether the car touched you. The reckless driving rule speaks of a "collision" with a rider (NRS 484B.270(6)). A close pass that makes you swerve and fall without contact can still support a negligence claim, but proof leans heavily on witnesses and video. Contact also matters for insurance: an unknown hit-and-run driver counts as uninsured under your own policy only if there was physical contact and a timely police report (NRS 690B.020(3)(f)).

Whether the crash was really a turn. Many "passing" crashes end with the driver turning across the rider. At an intersection, the left turn and stop sign rules apply too (NRS 484B.253, 484B.257), as covered in who has the right of way in a Nevada intersection crash.

A criminal conviction. If the driver is convicted of the crime that caused your injury, the judgment of conviction is conclusive evidence of all facts needed to impose civil liability for that injury (NRS 41.133). A citation alone does not decide your claim, but a conviction can settle the question of fault.

For example: a mirror strike on a one-lane road

Imagine a hypothetical rider named Rosa heading home on a residential street in the southwest valley with one lane in each direction and no bike lane. Gravel has collected along the curb, so she rides about a foot farther left than usual. A pickup comes up behind her and passes without crossing the center line. Its right mirror strikes her handlebar, and she falls and breaks her wrist.

LVMPD officers respond. Rosa tells them the truck never moved over and points out the gravel. A neighbor's doorbell camera caught the pass. The officer cites the driver.

The truck's insurer says Rosa was "in the middle of the lane." Her answer comes from the statutes: a surface hazard made riding farther right unsafe (NRS 484B.777(2)), and on a one-lane road the driver had to leave at least 3 feet and could cross the center line to do it when safe (NRS 484B.270(2)(b)). A mirror strike means the gap was zero.

Suppose, as a hypothetical, Rosa's losses total $60,000 and a jury later finds her 10 percent at fault because her rear reflector had fallen off and it was getting dark. Under NRS 41.141, she would recover $54,000. If she was 0 percent at fault, she would recover the full amount, subject to the coverage available, which is why the insurance sources matter as much as the fault rules.

Common mistakes cyclists make after a close pass

Not telling the officer about the pass itself. A report that says only "vehicle and bicycle collided" leaves out the key fact. Say how close the car came and where you were in the lane.
Repairing or throwing away the bike. Scrapes, a bent bar end or paint transfer from a mirror can show where contact happened. Keep the bike, helmet and clothing as they are.
Assuming you were at fault for "taking the lane." Nevada law lists when a rider may move left of the right edge. Check NRS 484B.777 before accepting blame.
Waiting for camera footage to appear on its own. Homes and businesses often record over video. Ask quickly and in writing.
Giving a recorded statement before you know your injuries. Early statements like "I'm fine" or "I didn't see him" get repeated back later.
Letting the criminal case set your timeline. The 2-year deadline for an injury lawsuit runs whether or not the traffic case is finished (NRS 11.190).

What to do this week

Get medical care and follow up on every symptom, including pain that started a day or two later.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: the road, lane width, your position, the vehicle, and how close it came.
Request the police report number and, when it is ready, the report itself.
Photograph the bike, helmet, clothing and injuries, then store the gear without repairing it.
Ask nearby homes and businesses for video in writing, and save any ride-tracking data or helmet camera files.
Notify the insurers and find your own auto policy's declarations page.
Put the 2-year lawsuit deadline on your calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 3-foot rule apply if I was in a bike lane?

Yes, and a second set of rules applies too. Drivers must yield to riders in a bike lane and may not drive, stop or park in it except for listed reasons, such as entering a driveway (NRS 484B.270(3)). Our guide to bike lane crashes and right of way in Nevada covers those cases.

Can a driver cross a no-passing line to give me room?

Yes. On a road with one lane in each direction, the statute allows a driver to pass left of center or in a no-passing zone if it is safe and the driver keeps at least 3 feet from the rider (NRS 484B.270(2)(b)). Saying "I couldn't cross the line" is not a defense under that wording.

Does the law protect e-bike and e-scooter riders the same way?

Yes. Every subsection of NRS 484B.270 names bicycles, electric bicycles and electric scooters together. For the definitions and the few differences, see whether the same rules apply to e-bike and e-scooter crashes.

What if the driver says I swerved into the car?

That is a fault argument, and evidence answers it. Video, the contact point on the bike and car, witness statements and your ride data can show your line. Even if some fault is assigned to you, you can still recover if it was not greater than the driver's (NRS 41.141).

Is riding two abreast against the law in Nevada?

No. Riders may ride two abreast on a roadway, but not more than two, except on paths or lanes set aside for bicycles (NRS 484B.777(3)). An insurer cannot blame you simply for riding beside a friend.

Does the driver's ticket decide my injury claim?

Not by itself. A citation is evidence, and a conviction for the crime that caused your injury is conclusive evidence of the facts needed for civil liability (NRS 41.133). Our post on how traffic violations affect accident claims explains the difference between the two cases.

Where can I read more about a cyclist's general rights?

Our article on the legal rights of cyclists in car accidents covers the basics, from evidence to compensation. This page focuses on the Nevada passing rule itself.

If a driver passed too close and you were hurt riding in the Las Vegas Valley, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review the report, the evidence and your coverage with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation.