NRS706.4489. Insurance companies authorized to designate vehicle storage lots in certain larger counties to which certain vehicles are towed at request of law enforcement; indemnification of law enforcement; responsibilities of designated vehicle storage lot; certain rates and charges prohibited; approval of Authority required.

      1.  An insurance company may designate one or more vehicle storage lots to which all vehicles that are towed at the request of a law enforcement officer:

      (a) Following an accident; or

      (b) Following recovery after having been stolen,

Ê and which are insured by that insurance company must be towed pursuant to subsection 2. The designation of a vehicle storage lot must be provided in writing by the insurance company, its representative or the owner or operator of the vehicle storage lot to all providers of towing services that have obtained a certificate of public convenience and necessity and operate in the same geographical area in which the designated vehicle storage lot is situated.

      2.  If a law enforcement officer requests that an operator of a tow car tow a vehicle following an accident or following recovery after having been stolen and the vehicle is not otherwise subject to impoundment, the law enforcement officer shall make a good faith effort to determine the identity of the insurance company that provides coverage for the owner of the vehicle. If the law enforcement officer determines the identity of the insurance company, he or she shall inform the operator of the tow car of the identity of the insurance company. If the operator of the tow car:

      (a) Is informed by a law enforcement officer of the identity of the insurance company that provides coverage for the owner of the vehicle; or

      (b) Otherwise determines the identity of the insurance company that provides coverage for the owner of the vehicle,

Ê and the insurance company has designated a vehicle storage lot pursuant to subsection 1, the operator of the tow car shall tow the vehicle to the designated vehicle storage lot unless the owner of the vehicle or a representative of the insurance company has directed otherwise.

      3.  If an operator of a tow car fails to tow a vehicle to the designated vehicle storage lot pursuant to subsection 2, the operator of the tow car shall:

      (a) Forfeit the charge for towing and storage of the vehicle; and

      (b) Tow the vehicle free of charge to the vehicle storage lot designated by the insurance company or its representative not later than 24 hours after receiving a demand, which must be made in writing or by electronic mail, from the insurance company or its representative.

      4.  The owners of a vehicle storage lot designated by an insurance company pursuant to subsection 1 shall agree in writing to indemnify the relevant law enforcement agencies and their officers, employees, agents and representatives from any liability relating to the towing of a vehicle insured by the designating insurance company and to the storing of the vehicle at the vehicle storage lot if the law enforcement officer who requested the towing of the vehicle made a good faith effort to comply with the provisions of subsection 2.

      5.  A vehicle storage lot must:

      (a) Maintain adequate, accessible and secure storage within the State of Nevada for any vehicle that is towed to the vehicle storage lot;

      (b) Comply with all standards a law enforcement agency may adopt pursuant to NRS 706.4485 to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public;

      (c) Comply with all local laws and ordinances applicable to that business, including, without limitation, local laws and ordinances relating to business licenses, zoning, building and fire codes, parking, paving, lights and security; and

      (d) If the vehicle storage lot is a salvage pool as that term is defined in NRS 487.400, comply with all applicable requirements imposed pursuant to NRS 487.400 to 487.510, inclusive.

      6.  If a vehicle storage lot has rates and charges that have been approved by the Authority for the storage of a vehicle, the vehicle storage lot is not required to assess those rates and charges for the storage of a vehicle that is towed to the vehicle storage lot in accordance with this section, but may not assess a rate or charge in excess of those approved rates and charges. If a vehicle storage lot does not have rates and charges that have been approved by the Authority, it may not assess a rate or charge in excess of the rates and charges for the storage of a vehicle that have been approved by the law enforcement agency that requested the tow. If the requesting law enforcement agency does not have approved rates and charges, the vehicle storage lot may not assess a rate or charge in excess of the rates and charges for the storage of a vehicle that have been approved by the largest law enforcement agency in the county. An operator of a tow car who tows a vehicle to a vehicle storage lot pursuant to this section:

      (a) Shall assess the rates and charges approved by the Authority for towing the vehicle.

      (b) Is entitled to payment from the operator of the vehicle storage lot at the time the vehicle is towed to the vehicle storage lot.

      7.  Before designating a vehicle storage lot pursuant to subsection 1, an insurance company must obtain the approval of the Authority. The Authority shall approve the designation if the Authority determines that the vehicle storage lot has:

      (a) Executed an indemnification agreement that meets the requirements of subsection 4;

      (b) Satisfied the requirements of subsection 5; and

      (c) Otherwise satisfied the requirements of this section.

      8.  The provisions of this section apply only to a county whose population is 700,000 or more.

      9.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Boat” means any vessel or other watercraft, other than a seaplane, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water.

      (b) “Vehicle” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 706.146 and includes all terrain vehicles and boats.

      (c) “Vehicle storage lot” means a business which, for a fee, stores vehicles that are towed at the request of a law enforcement officer following an accident or following recovery after having been stolen and includes, without limitation, a salvage pool, as that term is defined in NRS 487.400, which operates a vehicle storage lot in accordance with the provisions of this section. The term does not include a salvage pool that has not elected to operate a vehicle storage lot in accordance with the provisions of this section and is operating within the scope of its authority pursuant to NRS 487.400 to 487.510, inclusive.

      (Added to NRS by 2013, 2044)