When They Take Your Property
NRS 179.1173 — clear and convincing evidence, and returned within 7 business days of an acquittal or a dismissal
Proceeds of any felony, and property other sections declare forfeitable, are subject to seizure and forfeiture in a civil proceeding. Property is not forfeited, to the extent of a claimant's interest, for an act or omission committed without the claimant's knowledge, consent or willful blindness.
Paused for the criminal case. The court stays the forfeiture case while the criminal action it rests on is pending trial. A claimant acquitted at trial gets the property back within 7 business days after the acquittal. If the charges against the owner are denied or dismissed, the property is returned within 7 business days after that.
The government has to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the property is subject to forfeiture. It need not plead or prove that the claimant was charged or convicted, and a final conviction is conclusive evidence of the facts behind it.
If the court finds the property is not forfeitable, it orders it returned, with any interest accrued, within 7 business days of the order. A claimant may agree to forfeit property as part of a plea or a stipulated agreement.
The complaint, service, the claimant's answer and what happens to forfeited property are in other sections and are not reproduced here. A landlord's exposure for a tenant's drug activity has its own rules in the section. Contesting a seizure is a matter for a court and a licensed Nevada attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- NRS 179.1173 — Proceedings for forfeiture
- NRS 179.1164 — Property subject to seizure and forfeiture; exceptions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Nevada attorney.