AB 415 — Revises provisions governing the towing of motor vehicles. (BDR 43-821)

EXEMPTAssembly (ReprintedBill withNo. amendments adopted on April 21, 2025) FIRST REPRINT A.B.

415415–Assemblymembers ACarter, SSEMBLYGoulding; B ILLN O.

415–ASSEMBLYMEMBERSand CDickman ARTERJoint ,Sponsors: GOULDING ;AND D ICKMAN M ARCH 12, 2025 ____________ JOINT SPONSORS :

ENATORSSenators TTitus, ITUS,Taylor; TAYLOR ;AND LANGE ____________ Referred to Committee on Growth and Infrastructure SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing the towing of motor vehicles.

(BDRand 43-821)Lange FISCALCHAPTER.......... NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

Yes.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

(1) authorizes certain persons and law enforcement agencies to requestproperty; the removal of a vehicle that has been abandoned on public or private whether the vehicle was stolen and the identity of the vehicle’s owner.

(NRSand into(2) 487.230, 487.235) Existing law requires athe person who removedrequests ansuch abandoneda vehicleremoval to notifyinquire theinto registeredwhether owner and any person having a security interest in the vehicle bywas registeredstolen orand certified mail that the vehicleidentity has been removed and will be junked, dismantled or otherwise disposed of unless the ownervehicle’s orowner. the person having the security interest responds and pays the costs of removal.

(NRS 487.250)487.230, owner487.235) ofExisting law requires a vehicleperson ifwho theremoved an abandoned vehicle wasto towednotify the registered owner and placedany person having a security interest in storagethe atvehicle by registered or certified mail that the requestvehicle oflhas someonebeen otherremoved thanand will be junked, dismantled or otherwise disposed of unless the owner or the owner’sperson authorizedhaving agent.the security interest responds and pays the costs of removal.

(NRS 706.4479)487.250) -Existing *AB415_R1*law –additionally 2requires –a certificatetow operator to anotify towthe operatorregistered orand automobilelegal wreckersomeone forother athan vehiclethe that:owner or the owner’s authorized agent.

(NRS 706.4479)uest of Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a junk certificate to a tow operator or automobile wrecker for a vehicle that:

(NRS 487.260) Section 4 of this bill increases the value of a vehicle for which a junk certificate may be issued to include a vehicle which has value principally as scrap which does not exceedexceedissued that$500. is appraised as a junk vehicle by an automobile wrecker or tow operator inicle accordance with regulations prescribed by the Department.

SectionsSection 14 andauthorizes 2the ofDepartment thisto billissue authorizea certainjunk persons,certificate withfor respecta to an abandoned, unregistered vehicle whichthat appearsis likely to be appraised as a junk vehicle andby foran whichautomobile thewrecker identity of the owner is not known or readilytow ascertainable,operator toin affixaccordance towith theregulations vehicleprescribed aby notice that if the abandonedDepartment. vehicle is not removed from the public or private property within 7 days, the vehicle is subject to being junked, dismantled or otherwise disposed of.

Sections 1 and 2 requireof thethis noticebill toauthorize include certain information,persons, includingwith thatrespect theto owneran ofabandoned, theunregistered vehicle maywhich requestappears anlikely expedited hearing in the local justice court notice is affixed to certainbe unregistered vehicles which are appraised as junkthea vehicles,junk sectionsvehicle 1-5and offor thiswhich bill excuse the personidentity or law enforcement agency that authorized the removal of the vehicleowner andis thenot towknown operatoror whoreadily removedascertainable, theto vehicleaffix from other provisions requiring such persons to make inquiries into the identityvehicle ofa thenotice ownerthat ofdays, the vehicle andis providesubject theto ownerbeing withjunked, certaindismantled noticeor regardingotherwise thedisposed removalof. of the vehicle.

SectionSections 41 requiresand 2 require the personnotice orto lawinclude enforcementcertain agencyinformation, including that authorized the removalowner of the vehicle tomay providerequest thean contactexpedited informationhearing ofin the automobilelocal wreckerjustice orcourt towto operatorcontest whothe removedclassification of the vehicle ifas contactedan byabandoned thejunk vehicle’svehicle. owner.

ofIf towthe carsnotice is affixed to certain unregistered vehicles which are calledappraised byas thatjunk agency- to83rd provideSession towing(2025) from– including2 anst– operatorvehicles, sections 1-5 of athis towbill carexcuse onthe person or law enforcement agency that listauthorized unlessthe removal of the vehicle and the tow operator meetswho removed the vehicle from other provisions requiring such persons to make inquiries into the identity of the owner of the vehicle and provide the owner with certain requirements.notice regarding the removal of the vehicle.

ExistingSection law4 prohibitsrequires the Nevadaperson Highwayor Patrollaw fromcontact removinginformation an operator of a tow car from the listautomobile usedwrecker byor thetow Nevada Highway Patrol solely on the ground that the operator is insured under the same policy of insurance as one other operator of a tow car who isremoved included on the listvehicle andif operatescontacted inby the samevehicle’s geographicalowner. area.

(NRSExisting 706.4485)law Sectionprohibits 6a law enforcement agency that maintains and uses a list of thistow bill:cars which are called by that agency to provide towing from including an operator of a tow car on that list unless the operator meets certain requirements.

Existing law prohibits the Nevada Highway Patrol from removing an operator of a tow car from the list used by the Nevada Highway Patrol solely on the ground that tow car who is included on the list and operates in the same geographical area.r of a (NRS 706.4485) Section 6 of this bill:

and (2) prohibits an operator of a tow car from using any software, device or other means to falsely report the location of the operator or tow car to a law enforcement agency or any agent of a law enforcement agency for therthe tow purpose of securing a request from the law enforcement agency to provide towing services.tow car from the list used by the law enforcement agency for 1 year if the operator violates that prohibition.

SectionEXPLANATION 6– requiresMatter ain lawbolded enforcementitalics agencyis tonew; remove an operator of a tow car from the list used by the law enforcement agency for 1 year if the operator violates that prohibition.

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Except as otherwise provided in NRS 487.235, any sheriff or designee of a sheriff, constable, member of the - *AB415_R1* – 3 – Nevada Highway Patrol, officer of the Legislative Police, investigator of the Division of Compliance Enforcement of the Department, personnel of the Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety, designated employees of the Housing Division of the Department of Business and Industry, special investigator employed by the office of a district attorney, marshal or police officer of a city or town or his or her designee, a marshal or park ranger who is part of a unit of specialized law enforcement established pursuant to NRS 280.125, or any other person charged with the enforcement of county or city ordinances who has reason to believe that a vehicle has been abandoned on public property in his or her jurisdiction may remove the vehicle from that property or cause the vehicle to be removed from that property.

At the request of the owner or person in possession or control of private property - 83rd Session (2025) – 3 – who has reason to believe that a vehicle has been abandoned on his or her property, the vehicle may be removed by the operator of a tow car or an automobile wrecker from that private property.

[A] Except as otherwise provided in NRS 487.260, a person whosubsection authorizes1 theshall:removal removal of an abandoned vehicle pursuant to subsection(a) 1Have shall:the vehicle taken to the nearest garage or other place designated for storage by:

(a) Have the vehicle taken to the nearest garage or other place designated for storage by:

and (c) The identity of the owner of the vehicle is not known or readily ascertainable,  an operator of a tow car, an automobile wrecker or, in the case of a vehicle abandoned on public property, a state agency or political subdivision, may, before the removal of a vehicle pursuant to this section, affix a notice to the vehicle stating that the vehicle, if not removed from the property within 7 days, is subject to being junked, dismantled or otherwise disposed of - *AB415_R1* – 4 – without further notice.

[If] Except as otherwise provided in NRS 487.260, if a sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agency - 83rd Session (2025) – 4 – discovers that, or receives notification that, a vehicle has been abandoned on public lands, the sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agency shall:

(a) Make all practical inquiries to ascertain if the vehicle is stolen by checking the license plate number, vehicle identification number and other available information which will aid in identifying the owner of the vehicle;

(a) Receives a notice pursuant to subsection 2;

- *AB415_R1* – 5 – For the purposes of this subsection, the determination of the sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agency that notified the Department pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1 is conclusive as to whether the abandoned vehicle was removed within the 30-day period.

(a) An affidavit setting forth that the registered owner caused the removal and disposition of, or proof that the registered owner paid the- cost83rd ofSession removal(2025) and– disposition5 of,– the vehicle discovered abandoned upon public lands;

andandion of, the vehicle discovered (b) If applicable, proof that the registered owner redeemed any lien placed pursuant to NRS 487.270 on the vehicle discovered abandoned on public lands.

and (c) The identity of the owner of the vehicle is not known or readily ascertainable,  the sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agency, an operator of a tow car or an automobile wrecker may, before the removal of the vehicle, affix a notice to the vehicle stating that the vehicle, if not removed from the property within 7 days, is subject to being junked, dismantled or otherwise disposed of without further notice.

As used in this section, “junk vehicle” has the meaning ascribedascSec. to it in NRS 487.260.