After a Las Vegas crash, who pays for the tow, the storage lot, a rental car and the repairs?

Last updated November 9, 2026.

The at-fault driver's insurer usually pays for all of it, from the tow to the last repair invoice, as part of the property damage claim, up to that driver's limit. Nevada's minimum is $20,000 for damage to property in any one crash, shared by everyone whose property was damaged (NRS 485.185(1)(c)). Until fault is accepted, your own collision coverage and rental coverage, if you bought them, can pay first and recover from the other side. Along the way, Nevada law controls where a police-ordered tow goes, what a storage lot may charge, and your right to choose the body shop. This page covers the property side of a Las Vegas car accident claim, step by step.

Small decisions in the first week often cost the most here: a car left in a storage lot for weeks, a signature on a tow form, or a repair estimate accepted without reading the deductions. Each has a Nevada rule behind it.

How does the property side of a Las Vegas crash claim work, step by step?

The police call a tow if your car cannot be driven. In a county of 700,000 or more people, which includes Clark County, an insurer may designate storage lots for cars it insures that are towed at police request after a crash (NRS 706.4489(1), (9)). The officer makes a good-faith effort to identify your insurer, and if that insurer has designated a lot, the tow goes there unless you or the insurer direct otherwise (NRS 706.4489(2)).
You can send the car somewhere other than a storage lot. You may not pick a different storage lot, but you may direct the tow to a location that is not a storage lot, such as a repair shop or your home; the officer notes your choice in the report, or the tow operator has you sign a form if no officer is there (NRS 706.4489(4)).
The storage operator must notify you. After a police tow following a crash, the operator must send the registered and legal owner a certified letter within 21 days stating where the car is, how it is secured, the towing and storage charges, and how to get it back at the lowest cost (NRS 706.4479(1)(a)).
You open the property claim. With the other driver's insurer, and with your own if you have collision coverage. The insurer must tell you, when first contacted, that you may have repairs made at the licensed body shop of your choice (NRS 690B.016(1)).
The insurer writes an estimate. It must be an amount for which the car can reasonably be expected to be satisfactorily repaired, and you must get a copy (NAC 686A.680(6)).
The car is repaired or declared a total loss. If it is a total loss, the valuation rules in NAC 686A.680(1) apply; our page on how an insurer must value a totaled car in Nevada explains them.
The shop is paid. Once the shop sends its statement of charges for repairs satisfactorily completed, the insurer must issue payment within 30 days (NRS 686A.300(1), (2)).

Nevada's tow, storage and repair rules in one table

Issue	The rule	Source
Where a police tow goes in Clark County	To the storage lot your insurer designated, unless you or the insurer direct otherwise; you may send it to a non-storage location such as a shop	NRS 706.4489(2), (4), (9)
Tow operator steering you elsewhere	May not solicit you to divert the tow or market third-party services; fines of up to $5,000 for a first offense, rising to up to $20,000 for repeat offenses within 24 months	NRS 706.44895(2), (3)
Notice to the owner	Certified letter within 21 days after a police tow following a crash	NRS 706.4479(1)(a)
Storage fees without notice	Not chargeable for more than 21 days unless the notice rules were followed	NRS 706.4479(2)(a)
Early lien and processing fees	None for the first 4 business days after a crash tow is placed in storage	NRS 706.4479(3)(a)
Rates at a designated lot	No more than the rates approved by the Nevada Transportation Authority, or the fallback rates the statute names	NRS 706.4489(7)
Your belongings in the car	Must be protected and may not be held as security; you may inspect and inventory the car before release	NRS 706.4467(2), (5), (6)
Choice of body shop	Yours; the insurer may not require a particular licensed shop	NRS 690B.016(1), (2)(b); NAC 686A.680(4)
Depreciation or "betterment" deductions	Must be itemized, appropriate and disclosed in writing	NAC 686A.680(7)
Payment to the shop	Within 30 days of the statement of charges for completed repairs	NRS 686A.300(2)
Deadline to sue over car damage	3 years	NRS 11.190(3)(c)

How do I get my car or my things out of a storage lot?

A tow operator must protect a towed car and the personal property in it from theft and damage, give access during normal business hours, and have a way for owners to get access or a release outside those hours (NRS 706.4467(2) to (4)). It may not hold your personal property as security for its bill (NRS 706.4467(5)). Before the car is released, you may inspect and inventory it; if you find damage or something missing, the operator must resolve it or identify its insurer and explain how to claim (NRS 706.4467(6)).

Storage charges are often the item that grows fastest, so move quickly. If your car is a total loss and you are claiming under a policy, you may consent to the insurer towing and storing it "at the direction and expense of the insurer"; if it is repairable, you may consent to it being towed to the shop you designate (NRS 690B.037). With your consent on the Insurance Commissioner's standard form, the insurer can collect the car from the tow operator directly (NRS 706.4481).

If a tow or storage company will not follow these rules, the Nevada Transportation Authority acts on complaints and may order the release of towed vehicles and personal property (NRS 706.4483). Its Las Vegas office is at 3300 W. Sahara Ave, Suite 200, phone 702-486-3303. Under its published process, an investigator acknowledges a complaint within 15 days and sends it to the company for a response within 20 days.

Who pays for a rental car while mine is in the shop?

Nevada's claim-handling rules do not set a number of rental days. The cost of a reasonable rental, or the loss of use of your car, is usually claimed from the at-fault driver together with the repair bill and the tow, which matters when that driver carries only the $20,000 property minimum (NRS 485.185(1)(c)). If your own policy has rental reimbursement coverage, you can use it while fault is sorted out. Two Nevada rules help: when liability and damages are reasonably clear, the other driver's insurer may not recommend that you claim under your own policy "solely to avoid paying claims" under its policy (NAC 686A.680(3)); and if your own insurer pays first, it must, on request, include your deductible in its demand against the other insurer and share what it recovers with you proportionally (NAC 686A.680(5)).

Keep the rental agreement and receipts. Our post on handling a rental car after an auto accident covers the practical options.

What changes the answer

The other driver had only the minimum. $20,000 per crash is shared by every owner whose property was damaged (NRS 485.185(1)(c)). Our page on what Nevada's 25/50/20 minimum pays explains the limits.
You only have liability coverage. Without collision coverage, your own insurer will not pay for your car; see what pays when you only have liability insurance.
Your car has a loan or lease. If the legal owner differs from the registered owner, the car must be repaired by a garage or licensed body shop unless it is a total loss or the repair is $300 or less (NRS 686A.300(3)).
The insurer elects to repair. It must restore the car to its pre-crash condition at no added cost to you, other than what the policy states, within a reasonable time (NAC 686A.680(8)).
You want cash instead of repairs. Except for a total loss, the insurer may not base a cash settlement on less than it would pay for the repairs unless you agree (NAC 686A.680(9)).
Diminished value. A repaired car can be worth less than before. NAC 686A.680 deals with estimates, repairs and total losses and does not address that loss. It is usually raised against the at-fault driver as part of the property damage claim, and it needs supporting evidence such as a written appraisal.
Small amounts. A property claim of $10,000 or less can go to small claims in justice court (NRS 73.010). See taking a car damage claim to small claims court in Las Vegas.

For example: a tow from Sahara Avenue

Imagine a driver named Tamsin. Her SUV is hit by a driver who runs a red light on Sahara Avenue, and it cannot be driven. Everything here is hypothetical.

The officer asks for her insurance card and tells the tow driver which insurer she has. Tamsin's insurer has a designated storage lot, but she tells the tow driver to take the SUV directly to a licensed body shop near her home instead. The officer notes her choice in the report, as NRS 706.4489(4) requires.

The other driver's insurer calls and suggests its "preferred" shop. Tamsin keeps her own shop, which is her right under NRS 690B.016. The insurer's estimate deducts for "betterment" on new tires; she asks for the itemized basis in writing (NAC 686A.680(7)). She rents a car while the repairs are done and sends the receipts to the adjuster. When the shop finishes and sends its statement of charges, the insurer pays it within 30 days (NRS 686A.300). Tamsin's injury claim stays open and separate.

Common mistakes with towing, rental and repairs

Leaving the car in storage while the claim is argued. Daily charges add up. Ask both insurers who will move it, and give consent under NRS 690B.037 if that speeds things up.
Not inventorying the car at release. NRS 706.4467(6) gives you the right; damage or missing items are hard to prove later.
Accepting a "preferred shop" as a requirement. The choice is yours under NRS 690B.016.
Signing a property release that also covers injuries. Read every release before you sign; see what a fast settlement release can cost you.
Throwing away receipts. Tow, storage, rental and ride receipts are part of the claim.
Missing the 3-year property deadline while waiting on an insurer (NRS 11.190(3)(c)).

What to do this week

Find out where your car is, and whether it went to an insurer's designated lot.
Decide whether to move it to a body shop, and give the insurer written consent if needed.
Inspect and inventory the car and your belongings before release.
Open property claims with the other driver's insurer and, if you have collision coverage, your own.
Choose your licensed body shop and ask for a copy of every estimate.
Keep all tow, storage, rental and repair receipts in one folder.
File a complaint with the Nevada Transportation Authority if a tow or storage company breaks the rules.

Frequently asked questions

Can the tow truck take my car anywhere it wants after a crash?

No. After a police-requested tow in Clark County, the car goes to your insurer's designated storage lot unless you or the insurer direct otherwise, and the operator may not solicit you to divert it (NRS 706.4489(2); 706.44895(2)). If the operator ignores a required designation, it forfeits its towing and storage charges (NRS 706.44895(1)).

Do I have to use the insurance company's body shop?

No. You may use the licensed body shop of your choice, and the insurer must tell you so when you first contact it (NRS 690B.016(1)). It need not pay more than the reasonable rate under the policy (NRS 690B.016(3)).

The shop found more damage after taking the car apart. Who pays?

The insurer's estimate must be enough to satisfactorily repair the car (NAC 686A.680(6)), and when it elects to repair, it must restore the car to its pre-crash condition (NAC 686A.680(8)). Hidden damage is usually handled as a supplement to the estimate.

Is my deductible lost if my own insurer pays?

Not necessarily. On your request, your insurer must include your deductible in its subrogation demand and share the recovery with you proportionally (NAC 686A.680(5)).

Can I claim diminished value in Nevada?

It is usually raised against the at-fault driver as part of the property damage claim. Nevada's claim-handling regulation does not set a rule or formula for it, so support it with evidence such as a written appraisal. Our post on handling diminished value claims discusses the approach.

Do property and injury claims settle together?

They are often settled separately. Settling the car first is common, as long as the release is limited to property damage. Our page on what happens after a car accident in Las Vegas shows how both claims move.

If an insurer is slow on your car, or the tow and storage bills keep growing, attorney Maysoun Fletcher can review the claim with you. Call 702-333-6339 for a free consultation; the phones are answered 24/7.