Driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or controlled or prohibited substance: Penalties; segregation of offender; probation, suspension of sentence and plea bargaining restricted; intermittent confinement; consecutive sentences.
1. Unless a greater penalty is provided pursuant to NRS 484.3795, a person who violates the provisions of NRS 484.379:
(a) For the first offense within 7 years, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Unless he is allowed to undergo treatment as provided in NRS 484.37937, the court shall:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (4) or subsection 6, order him to pay tuition for an educational course on the abuse of alcohol and controlled substances approved by the Department and complete the course within the time specified in the order, and the court shall notify the Department if he fails to complete the course within the specified time;
(2) Unless the sentence is reduced pursuant to NRS 484.37937, sentence him to imprisonment for not less than 2 days nor more than 6 months in jail, or to perform not less than 48 hours, but not more than 96 hours, of community service while dressed in distinctive garb that identifies him as having violated the provisions of NRS 484.379;
(3) Fine him not less than $400 nor more than $1,000; and
(4) If he is found to have a concentration of alcohol of 0.18 or more in his blood or breath, order him to attend a program of treatment for the abuse of alcohol or drugs pursuant to the provisions of NRS 484.37945.
(b) For a second offense within 7 years, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Unless the sentence is reduced pursuant to NRS 484.3794, the court shall:
(1) Sentence him to:
(I) Imprisonment for not less than 10 days nor more than 6 months in jail; or
(II) Residential confinement for not less than 10 days nor more than 6 months, in the manner provided in NRS 4.376 to 4.3766, inclusive, or 5.0755 to 5.078, inclusive;
(2) Fine him not less than $750 nor more than $1,000, or order him to perform an equivalent number of hours of community service while dressed in distinctive garb that identifies him as having violated the provisions of NRS 484.379; and
(3) Order him to attend a program of treatment for the abuse of alcohol or drugs pursuant to the provisions of NRS 484.37945.
Ę A person who willfully fails or refuses to complete successfully a term of residential confinement or a program of treatment ordered pursuant to this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) For a third or subsequent offense within 7 years, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years, and shall be further punished by a fine of not less than $2,000 nor more than $5,000. An offender so imprisoned must, insofar as practicable, be segregated from offenders whose crimes were violent and, insofar as practicable, be assigned to an institution or facility of minimum security.
2. An offense that occurred within 7 years immediately preceding the date of the principal offense or after the principal offense constitutes a prior offense for the purposes of this section when evidenced by a conviction, without regard to the sequence of the offenses and convictions. The facts concerning a prior offense must be alleged in the complaint, indictment or information, must not be read to the jury or proved at trial but must be proved at the time of sentencing and, if the principal offense is alleged to be a felony, must also be shown at the preliminary examination or presented to the grand jury.
3. A person convicted of violating the provisions of NRS 484.379 must not be released on probation, and a sentence imposed for violating those provisions must not be suspended except, as provided in NRS 4.373, 5.055, 484.37937 and 484.3794, that portion of the sentence imposed that exceeds the mandatory minimum. A prosecuting attorney shall not dismiss a charge of violating the provisions of NRS 484.379 in exchange for a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a lesser charge or for any other reason unless he knows or it is obvious that the charge is not supported by probable cause or cannot be proved at the time of trial.
4. A term of confinement imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section may be served intermittently at the discretion of the judge or justice of the peace, except that a person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offense within 7 years must be confined for at least one segment of not less than 48 consecutive hours. This discretion must be exercised after considering all the circumstances surrounding the offense, and the family and employment of the offender, but any sentence of 30 days or less must be served within 6 months after the date of conviction or, if the offender was sentenced pursuant to NRS 484.37937 or 484.3794 and the suspension of his sentence was revoked, within 6 months after the date of revocation. Any time for which the offender is confined must consist of not less than 24 consecutive hours.
5. Jail sentences simultaneously imposed pursuant to this section and NRS 482.456, 483.560 or 485.330 must run consecutively.
6. If the person who violated the provisions of NRS 484.379 possesses a driver’s license issued by a state other than the State of Nevada and does not reside in the State of Nevada, in carrying out the provisions of subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of subsection 1, the court shall:
(a) Order the person to pay tuition for and submit evidence of completion of an educational course on the abuse of alcohol and controlled substances approved by a governmental agency of the state of his residence within the time specified in the order; or
(b) Order him to complete an educational course by correspondence on the abuse of alcohol and controlled substances approved by the Department within the time specified in the order,
Ę and the court shall notify the Department if the person fails to complete the assigned course within the specified time.
7. If the defendant was transporting a person who is less than 15 years of age in the motor vehicle at the time of the violation, the court shall consider that fact as an aggravating factor in determining the sentence of the defendant.
8. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) “Concentration of alcohol of 0.18 or more in his blood or breath” means 0.18 gram or more of alcohol per 100 milliliters of the blood of a person or per 210 liters of his breath.
(b) “Offense” means:
(1) A violation of NRS 484.379 or 484.3795;
(2) A homicide resulting from driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance or resulting from any other conduct prohibited by NRS 484.379 or 484.3795; or
(3) A violation of a law of any other jurisdiction that prohibits the same or similar conduct as set forth in subparagraph (1) or (2).
Last modified: February 25, 2006