After getting into a car accident I called Barbara and it was the best decision I ever made. She is amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer to represent me. She got me the best settlement to pay back my medi...
The fight with insurance companies is just as hard as fighting for your life after an accident. As long as you dont give up on yourself Barbara will fight for you. The staff at Kidwell and Gallagher were great as well. I...
These two are specialists in two related fields, personal injury and workmen’s comp. Both they and their staff were VERY responsive to me and my questions, and handled my case with patience and competence. I would,...
I feel like kidwell & Gallagher went above and beyond for me. Craig himself and his staff are so nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this law office for your workmans comp/injury needs. You will not be disappo...
The best place to go if you need good hometown lawyers. They are very informative and kept us updated on what was going to happen through out our case.
Was the best experience, we told them the problem and they took over everything, was such a relief. Always there to answer any questions and help is fast is possible.
I was at my job mountain crew changes there in the basement of kidwell and Gallagher
They weren’t able to help with my case, but they directed me to someone who could.
Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers works with Reno drivers navigating the aftermath of traffic stops and collisions every day, and one question surfaces more than most people expect: What happens if you get pulled over without your license on you? Whether you left your wallet at home or simply forgot to transfer it between bags, the situation feels more alarming than it is, but it still carries real legal weight. If you are working with a Reno car accident lawyer or dealing with any traffic-related matter, understanding exactly how Nevada law handles this situation can protect you from making it worse.
Nevada generally treats this as a traffic violation, even for licensed drivers who left their license at home. Failing to resolve a citation or driving without a valid license under NRS 483.550 can result in additional fines and legal consequences.
Under NRS 483.230, no person may drive on a Nevada highway without holding a valid license for the type of vehicle being driven. Forgetting your license and not having one are two different problems, and they lead to very different outcomes. One is a paperwork issue. The other is a criminal offense.
NRS 483.350 goes a step further. Nevada drivers must apply for and hold a license before they ever get behind the wheel. Skipping that step, or letting a license expire and driving anyway, is a misdemeanor.
Most officers have seen this situation before. Stay calm, give the officer your name and date of birth, and let the system do the work. Nevada law enforcement has real-time access to the state’s driver licensing database and can confirm whether your license is valid, suspended, or revoked without ever seeing the physical card.
If your license is current, that result usually takes the pressure off the stop. The officer may still issue a citation for failing to produce your license, but the situation will not be treated the same as driving unlicensed.
What happens next at the courthouse depends on one question: Did you have a valid license, or not? Not having your license to show an officer is a misdemeanor in Nevada, which can mean fines and a court appearance.
If your license was valid and you simply did not have it at the stop, courts often dismiss the ticket when you show proof before your court date. That process is sometimes called a fix-it ticket.
Drivers without a valid license face steeper consequences. A suspended, revoked, or never-obtained license elevates the stop to a criminal matter. Fines increase, vehicle impoundment becomes possible, and any connected accident creates serious legal risk. As we cover in our post on how much a stop sign ticket costs in Nevada, unresolved citations do not disappear on their own.
If your stop involved a collision, knowing what happens if you get pulled over without your license on you matters more than most people expect. The citation becomes part of how fault gets assigned, and a ticket left unresolved hands insurance adjusters and opposing attorneys an argument they would not otherwise have. How Nevada weighs driver behavior, including flow of traffic versus posted speed limits, matters more once an accident is in the picture.
Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers represent injured Nevadans throughout Reno understand their rights when facing situations such as what happens if you get pulled over without your license. Call (775) 323-2667 today for a free consultation. Our team will review your case and tell you exactly where you stand.
Craig W. Kidwell is the managing partner of Kidwell & Gallagher, Ltd., and exclusively represents injured workers in Nevada. Mr. Kidwell has been practicing workers’ compensation law in Nevada since 1999 and has acted as lead counsel on over 2,000 contested workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Kidwell represents injured workers in Nevada through all stages of Nevada’s complex worker’s compensation system. Craig regularly appears in all levels of Nevada’s administrative workers’ compensation system and has represented injured workers in Nevada’s districts and Supreme Court.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Managing Partner, Craig W. Kidwell who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.