NRS21.105. Certain amount in personal bank account not subject to execution; claim of exemption for additional amount; determination of exemption; immunity from liability for financial institution.

      1.  If a writ of execution or garnishment is levied on the personal bank account of the judgment debtor and money has been deposited into the account electronically within the immediately preceding 45 days from the date on which the writ was served which is reasonably identifiable as exempt from execution, notwithstanding any other deposits of money into the account, $2,000 or the entire amount in the account, whichever is less, is not subject to execution and must remain accessible to the judgment debtor. For the purposes of this section, money is reasonably identifiable as exempt from execution if the money is deposited in the bank account by the United States Department of the Treasury, including, without limitation, money deposited as:

      (a) Benefits provided pursuant to the Social Security Act which are exempt from execution pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 407 and 1383, including, without limitation, retirement and survivors’ benefits, supplemental security income benefits, disability insurance benefits and child support payments that are processed pursuant to Part D of Title IV of the Social Security Act;

      (b) Veterans’ benefits which are exempt from execution pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 5301;

      (c) Annuities payable to retired railroad employees which are exempt from execution pursuant to 45 U.S.C. § 231m;

      (d) Benefits provided for retirement or disability of federal employees which are exempt from execution pursuant to 5 U.S.C. §§ 8346 and 8470;

      (e) Annuities payable to retired members of the Armed Forces of the United States and to any surviving spouse or children of such members which are exempt from execution pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §§ 1440 and 1450;

      (f) Payments and allowances to members of the Armed Forces of the United States which are exempt from execution pursuant to 37 U.S.C. § 701;

      (g) Federal student loan payments which are exempt from execution pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1095a;

      (h) Wages due or accruing to merchant seamen which are exempt from execution pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 11109;

      (i) Compensation or benefits due or payable to longshore and harbor workers which are exempt from execution pursuant to 33 U.S.C. § 916;

      (j) Annuities and benefits for retirement and disability of members of the foreign service which are exempt from execution pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 4060;

      (k) Compensation for injury, death or detention of employees of contractors with the United States outside the United States which is exempt from execution pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1717;

      (l) Assistance for a disaster from the Federal Emergency Management Agency which is exempt from execution pursuant to 44 C.F.R. § 206.110;

      (m) Black lung benefits paid to a miner or a miner’s surviving spouse or children pursuant to 30 U.S.C. § 922 or 931 which are exempt from execution; and

      (n) Benefits provided pursuant to any other federal law.

      2.  If a writ of execution or garnishment is levied on the personal bank account of the judgment debtor and the provisions of subsection 1 do not apply, $400 or the entire amount in the account, whichever is less, is not subject to execution and must remain accessible to the judgment debtor, unless the writ of execution or garnishment is for the recovery of money owed for the support of any person.

      3.  If a judgment debtor has more than one personal bank account with the bank to which a writ is issued, the amount that is not subject to execution must not in the aggregate exceed the amount specified in subsection 1 or 2, as applicable.

      4.  A judgment debtor may apply to a court to claim an exemption for any amount subject to a writ levied on a personal bank account which exceeds the amount that is not subject to execution pursuant to subsection 1 or 2.

      5.  If money in the personal account of the judgment debtor which exceeds the amount that is not subject to execution pursuant to subsection 1 or 2 includes exempt and nonexempt money, the judgment debtor may claim an exemption for the exempt money in the manner set forth in NRS 21.112. To determine whether such money in the account is exempt, the judgment creditor must use the method of accounting which applies the standard that the first money deposited in the account is the first money withdrawn from the account. The court may require a judgment debtor to provide statements from the bank which include all deposits into and withdrawals from the account for the immediately preceding 90 days.

      6.  A financial institution which makes a reasonable effort to determine whether money in the account of a judgment debtor is subject to execution for the purposes of this section is immune from civil liability for any act or omission with respect to that determination, including, without limitation, when the financial institution makes an incorrect determination after applying commercially reasonable methods for determining whether money in an account is exempt because the source of the money was not clearly identifiable or because the financial institution inadvertently misidentified the source of the money. If a court determines that a financial institution failed to identify that money in an account was not subject to execution pursuant to this section, the financial institution must adjust its actions with respect to a writ of execution as soon as possible but may not be held liable for damages.

      7.  Nothing in this section requires a financial institution to revise its determination about whether money is exempt, except by an order of a court.

      (Added to NRS by 2011, 1888)