Sued by a debt collector in Nevada

Your deadline to answer in Nevada

Time to answer

21 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Justice Court, JCRCP 12(a)). District Court uses the same 21 days (NRCP 12(a)).

Court self-help

Nevada court self-help (official)

Nevada gives 21 days, about the same as most of our 48 state guides (14 to 30 days).

In nearby states

• California: 30 days
• Oregon: 30 days
• Idaho: 21 days
• Utah: 21 days

If you don't answer in Nevada

If you don't answer in time, the creditor can ask the court for a default judgment against you. That can lead to wage garnishment or a bank levy.

What can be taken if you lose in Nevada

• Wage limit: A creditor can take the lesser of: 18% of your weekly disposable earnings if your gross weekly pay is $770 or less (25% if more), or the amount by which your weekly disposable earnings exceed 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage.
• Bank account: If federal benefits such as Social Security were deposited electronically in the last 45 days, $2,000 (or the whole balance, if less) stays available to you automatically.
• Property: Homestead: up to $605,000 of equity in your home (NRS 115.010(2)). Vehicle: one vehicle if your equity is $15,000 or less (NRS 21.090(1)(f)).

Nevada's garnishment rules

More Nevada rules on collection suits

• A collection agency may not sue you on a debt when it knows or should know the time limit for suing has passed (NRS 649.375(1)(j)).
• Medical debt: a collection agency may not file a regular lawsuit on a medical debt smaller than the small claims limit (it may still use small claims court). It can't charge collection or attorney fees above 5% of the debt or take a confession of judgment (NRS 649.368; NRS 73.010).

Old debts as a defense in Nevada

Nevada's time limit to sue is 6 years for written contracts and 4 years for open accounts (NRS 11.190(1)(b) (written contract, 6 years); NRS 11.190(2)(a)-(c) (open account, store account or unwritten contract, 4 years); NRS 11.200). Restarting the clock is limited in Nevada: No, not once the time limit has passed. Any payment, affirmation or other action on a debt after the period in NRS 11.190 has expired does not revive it (NRS 11.200(2), added 2023). A collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 CFR 1006.26(b)).

Check Nevada's statute of limitations

What to do if you are sued in Nevada

1. Make sure the lawsuit is real

   Call or search the court yourself; don't use contact details from the papers.

2. Count the days

   In Nevada: 21 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Justice Court, JCRCP 12(a)).

3. Answer in writing

   File the answer with the clerk and mail a copy to the collector's lawyer. Start with Nevada court self-help (official).

4. Think about defenses

   Is it yours, is the amount right, did you pay, is it older than Nevada's 6 years for written contracts?

5. Go to every hearing

   Bring your papers. Meanwhile you can still send a dispute letter to make the collector prove the debt.

Free legal and consumer help in Nevada

• Nevada Financial Institutions Division (complaints about collection agencies) · 702-486-4120
• Nevada Courts self-help
• Nevada Legal Services (free legal aid)

Questions about debt lawsuits in Nevada

More for Nevada

• All debt collection rights in Nevada
• Statute of limitations in Nevada: 6 years
• Wage garnishment in Nevada: 18–25%
• Debt collector laws in Nevada: license required
• “Is my debt too old?” checker for Nevada
• Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)
• Tell a collector to stop or limit contact
• Guide: sued by a debt collector
• Debt statute of limitations by state