How must an insurance company value my totaled car in Nevada?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

Under Nevada regulation NAC 686A.680, an insurer that totals your car must offer a comparable replacement car or pay cash equal to the cost of one, including taxes and title fees. The cash figure must come from local-market comparisons, dealer quotes or a recognized valuation source. The basis must be given to you in writing.

The rule applies both when you claim on your own collision coverage and when you claim against the at-fault driver's insurer after a Las Vegas car accident. It does not set a single dollar figure; it sets the method, which gives you a way to check the offer line by line.

How does a total loss claim work in Nevada?

The insurer inspects the car and decides it is a total loss. The regulation does not let the insurer require you to travel an unreasonable distance for an inspection or estimate (NAC 686A.680(4)).
It chooses replacement or cash. It may offer a specific comparable automobile, with all applicable taxes, license fees and transfer fees paid, less any deductible; or pay cash based on the actual cost of a comparable automobile, including those taxes and fees (NAC 686A.680(1)).
It values the car using an approved method. The cash value must be based on one of three methods: the average cost of two or more comparable cars available in the local market within the last 90 days; the average of two or more quotes from licensed local dealers; or a statistically valid fair market value source that gives primary weight to the local market (NAC 686A.680(1)(b)).
The offer cannot be lower than the lowest valuation. The cash settlement must not be less than the lowest value produced by an approved method.
Every deduction is itemized and explained. Deductions, including for salvage or condition, must be documented, itemized and specified in amount, and the basis for the settlement must be fully disclosed to you in writing (NAC 686A.680(2)).
Your own insurer decides on time. On your own policy, the company must accept or deny within 30 working days after a complete proof of loss and pay within 30 days of accepting (NAC 686A.675). Our guide to how long an insurance company has to respond in Nevada covers those deadlines.
Your deductible is pursued too. If you ask, your own insurer must include your deductible in its subrogation demand against the at-fault driver and share any recovery with you proportionately (NAC 686A.680(5)).

The rules in one table

Issue	What NAC 686A.680 requires
Replacement offer	A specific comparable automobile, with taxes, license and transfer fees paid, less any deductible
Cash offer	Actual cost of a comparable automobile, including taxes, license and transfer fees
Valuation methods	Local comparables within 90 days; two or more local dealer quotes; or a statistically valid source weighted to the local market
Floor	Cash settlement not less than the lowest valuation from an approved method
Deductions	Documented, itemized, amount stated; basis disclosed to you in writing
Steering	The at-fault insurer may not tell you to use your own policy just to avoid paying when liability and damages are reasonably clear
Repairs instead	Estimate must be enough to repair satisfactorily; copy to you; if the insurer repairs, the car must be restored to its pre-loss condition at no added cost beyond the policy terms
Betterment or depreciation	Itemized and disclosed in writing

What should a valuation report show?

Most insurers send a printed or electronic valuation report with a total loss offer. Because the regulation requires the basis of the settlement to be fully disclosed in writing, the report is where you check the work. Read it in this order:

Your car's description. Year, make, model, trim level, engine, mileage and options should match your car. A missing option or the wrong trim can move the value by a meaningful amount.
The method used. The report should show which of the three approved methods produced the number: local comparables from the last 90 days, licensed local dealer quotes, or a statistically valid source weighted to the local market.
The comparables themselves. Location, date, mileage and price for each one. Cars listed far from the Las Vegas area, or months ago, are fair to question.
Every adjustment. Each deduction for condition, salvage or anything else must be itemized with an amount (NAC 686A.680(2)).
Taxes and fees. The final figure should add applicable taxes, license fees and title transfer fees.

If any of those pieces is missing, a short written request for it is usually the fastest way forward.

What changes the answer

Whose insurer you are dealing with. Against your own collision coverage, the first-party deadlines in NAC 686A.675 apply directly. Against the at-fault driver's insurer, the valuation method still applies, and where liability and damages are reasonably clear, that insurer may not recommend that you claim on your own policies solely to avoid paying (NAC 686A.680(3)).

The coverage you carry. If you have only liability insurance, your own policy does not pay for your car; your path is the at-fault driver's property damage coverage, which in Nevada must be at least $20,000 per crash (NRS 485.185). Our guide to what pays when you have liability-only insurance explains the options.

Several damaged cars, one minimum policy. The $20,000 property damage minimum is per crash, not per car. In a multi-car crash, the at-fault driver's property coverage can run out; our page on what Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum insurance pays explains how limits work.

Your loan. The regulation values the car, not your loan balance. If you owe more than the car is worth, the gap is a separate problem; see our post on gap insurance after an accident.

Time. A lawsuit for damage to personal property, which includes a car, must generally be filed within 3 years (NRS 11.190(3)(c)). The 2-year deadline for injuries is separate.

Motorcycles and gear. Riders face extra items such as helmets, jackets and custom parts. Our page on getting paid for a damaged motorcycle and gear covers those claims.

For example: checking a total loss offer

Imagine a hypothetical driver named Priya whose six-year-old sedan is totaled when another driver runs a stop sign in Summerlin. The other driver's insurer accepts liability and sends a valuation report with a cash offer.

Priya checks the report against the regulation. The comparable cars listed are from out of state, and the report subtracts a "condition adjustment" with no explanation. The offer also leaves out sales tax and title transfer fees.

She writes back, citing NAC 686A.680, and asks for local comparables from the last 90 days, an itemized explanation of the condition deduction, and the taxes and fees the rule requires. She attaches two listings for similar cars from Las Vegas dealers and her maintenance records. In this hypothetical, the insurer revises its report; if it had not, Priya could ask the Nevada Division of Insurance to review the handling of her claim. Real outcomes vary with the car and the market.

Common mistakes with total loss offers

Accepting a number without the report. You are entitled to the basis for the settlement in writing (NAC 686A.680(2)).
Not checking the comparables. The rule favors the local market and recent listings; distant or old comparables are worth questioning.
Forgetting taxes and fees. A cash settlement includes applicable taxes, license fees and transfer fees.
Letting the at-fault insurer push you to your own policy. When liability and damages are reasonably clear, it may not do that just to avoid paying (NAC 686A.680(3)).
Losing proof of upgrades. New tires, a recent major repair or added equipment affect value; keep the receipts.
Signing a release that covers your injuries. A property damage payment should not release your injury claim; read every release carefully.

What to do this week

Ask the insurer for its full written valuation report.
Check each comparable: location, date, mileage, trim and options.
Find two or three similar cars for sale in the Las Vegas area and save the listings.
Gather receipts for recent repairs, tires and added equipment.
Ask in writing for any unexplained deduction to be itemized.
If the company does not respond, see how to file a complaint against an insurance company in Nevada. Our post on what to do if your car is totaled covers the practical side.

Frequently asked questions

Can the insurer pay me less than the lowest valuation?

No. Under NAC 686A.680, a cash settlement must not be less than the lowest valuation obtained using one of the approved methods.

Does the payout include sales tax?

Yes. Both the replacement and cash options include all applicable taxes, license fees and other fees incident to transferring ownership of a comparable car (NAC 686A.680(1)).

Can the insurer make me use its repair shop?

No. The regulation says an insurer may not require a claimant to have the car repaired at a specific repair shop (NAC 686A.680(4)).

What if the car is repaired instead of totaled?

The estimate must be enough to repair the damage satisfactorily, and you get a copy. If the insurer elects to repair, the car must be restored to its condition before the loss at no additional cost beyond the policy terms (NAC 686A.680(6), (7)).

Will I get my deductible back?

If you ask, your own insurer must include your deductible in its subrogation demand against the at-fault driver and share any recovery with you proportionately (NAC 686A.680(5)).

Does Nevada regulation cover a rental car while I wait?

NAC 686A.680 does not include a rental or loss-of-use rule. Whether a rental is covered depends on your policy and on the claim against the at-fault driver; our post on handling a rental car after an auto accident covers the usual options.

If an insurer's total loss offer does not add up after a crash in Las Vegas, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review it with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation.