NRS37.010. Public uses for which eminent domain may be exercised.

      1.  Subject to the provisions of this chapter and the limitations in subsections 2 and 3, the right of eminent domain may be exercised in behalf of the following public uses:

      (a) Federal activities. All public purposes authorized by the Government of the United States.

      (b) State activities. Public buildings and grounds for the use of the State, the Nevada System of Higher Education and all other public purposes authorized by the Legislature.

      (c) County, city, town and school district activities. Public buildings and grounds for the use of any county, incorporated city or town, or school district, reservoirs, water rights, canals, aqueducts, flumes, ditches or pipes for conducting water for the use of the inhabitants of any county, incorporated city or town, for draining any county, incorporated city or town, for raising the banks of streams, removing obstructions therefrom, and widening, deepening or straightening their channels, for roads, streets and alleys, and all other public purposes for the benefit of any county, incorporated city or town, or the inhabitants thereof.

      (d) Bridges, toll roads, railroads, street railways and similar uses. Wharves, docks, piers, chutes, booms, ferries, bridges, toll roads, byroads, plank and turnpike roads, roads for transportation by traction engines or locomotives, roads for logging or lumbering purposes, and railroads and street railways for public transportation.

      (e) Ditches, canals, aqueducts for smelting, domestic uses, irrigation and reclamation. Reservoirs, dams, water gates, canals, ditches, flumes, tunnels, aqueducts and pipes for supplying persons, mines, mills, smelters or other works for the reduction of ores, with water for domestic and other uses, for irrigating purposes, for draining and reclaiming lands, or for floating logs and lumber on streams not navigable.

      (f) Byroads. Byroads leading from highways to residences and farms.

      (g) Public utilities. Lines for telephone, electric light and electric power and sites for plants for electric light and power.

      (h) Sewerage. Sewerage of any city, town, settlement of not less than 10 families or any public building belonging to the State or college or university.

      (i) Water for generation and transmission of electricity. Canals, reservoirs, dams, ditches, flumes, aqueducts and pipes for supplying and storing water for the operation of machinery to generate and transmit electricity for power, light or heat.

      (j) Cemeteries, public parks. Cemeteries or public parks.

      (k) Pipelines for petroleum products, natural gas. Pipelines for the transportation of crude petroleum, petroleum products or natural gas, whether interstate or intrastate.

      (l) Aviation. Airports, facilities for air navigation and aerial rights-of-way.

      (m) Monorails. Monorails and any other overhead or underground system used for public transportation.

      (n) Video service providers. Video service providers that are authorized pursuant to chapter 711 of NRS to operate a video service network. The exercise of the power of eminent domain may include the right to use the wires, conduits, cables or poles of any public utility if:

             (1) It creates no substantial detriment to the service provided by the utility;

             (2) It causes no irreparable injury to the utility; and

             (3) The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, after giving notice and affording a hearing to all persons affected by the proposed use of the wires, conduits, cables or poles, has found that it is in the public interest.

      (o) Redevelopment. The acquisition of property pursuant to chapter 279 of NRS.

      2.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the public uses for which private property may be taken by the exercise of eminent domain do not include the direct or indirect transfer of any interest in the property to another private person or entity. Property taken by the exercise of eminent domain may be transferred to another private person or entity in the following circumstances:

      (a) The entity that took the property transfers the property to a private person or entity and the private person or entity uses the property primarily to benefit a public service, including, without limitation, a utility, railroad, public transportation project, pipeline, road, bridge, airport or facility that is owned by a governmental entity.

      (b) The entity that took the property leases the property to a private person or entity that occupies an incidental part of an airport or a facility that is owned by a governmental entity and, before leasing the property:

             (1) Uses its best efforts to notify the person from whom the property was taken that the property will be leased to a private person or entity that will occupy an incidental part of an airport or facility that is owned by a governmental entity; and

             (2) Provides the person from whom the property was taken with an opportunity to bid or propose on any such lease.

      (c) The entity that took the property:

             (1) Took the property in order to acquire property that was abandoned by the owner, abate an immediate threat to the safety of the public or remediate hazardous waste; and

             (2) Grants a right of first refusal to the person from whom the property was taken that allows that person to reacquire the property on the same terms and conditions that are offered to the other private person or entity.

      (d) The entity that took the property exchanges it for other property acquired or being acquired by eminent domain or under the threat of eminent domain for roadway or highway purposes, to relocate public or private structures or to avoid payment of excessive compensation or damages.

      (e) The person from whom the property is taken consents to the taking.

      3.  The entity that is taking property by the exercise of eminent domain has the burden of proving that the taking is for a public use.

      4.  For the purposes of this section, an airport authority or any public airport is not a private person or entity.

      [1911 CPA § 664; A 1921, 262; 1937, 351; 1931 NCL § 9153]—(NRS A 1961, 170; 1967, 868, 1228; 1969, 246; 1977, 652; 1983, 2008; 1985, 2080; 1987, 1297; 1993, 361; 1997, 1961, 3365; 1999, 677, 679; 2007, 332, 1375; 2011, 57; 2013, 1957)