Nye County bail and bond: one huge county, three justice courts, and where to start
Nye County stretches from Pahrump to Tonopah and Beatty, and the Sheriff's Office runs Nye County detention centers on that map. Look the name up in Nye County Inmate Search to see custody, the bail amount and any release. For Pahrump detention call 775-751-7027; for Tonopah call 775-482-7358; for Beatty call 775-553-2345. Your case then goes to one of three justice courts, and the rest of this page explains how to tell which one.
Which Nye County detention number do I call?
Match the call to the town. Pahrump detention is 775-751-7027, at the Nye County Detention Center on Siri Lane. Tonopah detention is 775-482-7358, at the Radar Road station. Beatty detention is 775-553-2345. The Sheriff's headquarters is at 1520 East Basin Avenue, Pahrump, 775-751-7000.
Start with Nye County Inmate Search so you know whether the person is in custody before you spend time on the phone.
Is the Pahrump facility with ICE and federal detainees the county jail?
No. The Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump is a private facility run by CoreCivic that holds immigration, Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals detainees. A person arrested by Nye deputies is booked into a county detention center. If a relative was taken by federal agents, ask the agency for the booking location.
When does a Nye County defendant first see a judge?
For felonies and gross misdemeanors, the first appearance takes place in Pahrump Justice Court, where bail is considered before a preliminary hearing is set. Misdemeanors start with an arraignment, where the charge is read and a plea is entered. State law adds a clock: a pretrial release hearing within 48 hours of custody (NRS 178.4849), unless a judge continues it for good cause.
How do I know whether it is Pahrump, Tonopah, or Beatty court?
Pahrump Justice Court is 775-751-7050, with the clerk at 775-751-7040. Tonopah Justice Court is 775-482-8155, with the clerk at 775-482-8127. Beatty Justice Court is 775-553-2951. Ask the detention desk which court holds the case.
Show up at the clerk's window at least 15 minutes before a hearing and check in.
Who sets the bail figure in Nye County?
A justice court judge sets it at the first appearance. NRS 178.498 tells the judge to choose an amount that reasonably secures appearance and public safety, after weighing the offense, the person's character, and what the family can afford. The amount is no more than necessary, and a prosecutor asking for it has to prove the need by clear and convincing evidence.
Can bail be a promise to appear instead of cash?
Yes. The court weighs residence, work, family and friends, criminal history, and the charge (NRS 178.4853). A judge can release a person on a signed promise with limits such as no contact or staying in Nevada. Break those limits, and the court can raise bail or send the person back to custody.
How is cash bail paid and refunded in Tonopah?
Tonopah Justice Court explains cash bail in plain terms: when someone else posts it and a refund comes due, the refund goes to the person who posted it. That is why the name on the receipt matters. Call the clerk at 775-482-8127 to ask where the payment is taken and what form of payment the court accepts.
What does a bail bondsman cost?
Nevada lets an agent charge the larger of 15 percent of the bond or $50, once (NRS 697.300). No yearly renewal fee, and no interest on installment plans. Expenses must be necessary and shown by receipt.
Look up the agent on the state license search. Nye County agents register each year with the sheriff and the district court clerk (NRS 697.270).
What can I put up as collateral?
A bail agent may accept collateral that fits the bond size, but must give a receipt, keep it apart from the agent's own funds, and return it when the case is done (NRS 697.320). For a real property deed, the paper must declare itself part of a security deal, and the agent must reconvey. Property offered straight to a court is the judge's decision, so ask the Pahrump clerk, 775-751-7040.
When is bail not allowed in Nevada?
In a first-degree murder case when the proof is evident or the presumption great. After a felony arrest of someone on probation or parole for another case, unless a court or the supervising agency orders it. In drunk-driving cases with a breath reading of 0.04 or more. Drug-impaired driving and domestic battery cases carry a 12-hour wait (NRS 178.484). Otherwise bail is a right.
What are the automatic amounts for domestic battery?
If the 12-hour wait has run and no judge has set bail, NRS 178.484 sets $3,000, $5,000 or $15,000. Priors and strangulation or substantial bodily harm decide which. A judge may still choose another number at the Pahrump first appearance.
What if the arrest was made at Beatty or Tonopah rather than Pahrump?
Call the detention number for that town. Tonopah is 775-482-7358 and Beatty is 775-553-2345. The justice court clerk can tell you where the hearing will be held. Distances in Nye County are long, so ask the clerk about remote appearances before you drive.
How do I get a public defender in Nye County?
At arraignment the judge interviews you to see whether you qualify. A person who qualifies receives the public defender's contact information from the court. If you hire your own lawyer, that lawyer files an Authorization to Represent with the court. Ask the clerk in your court (see the numbers above) for the form.
Where are Nye County youths held?
Nye County Juvenile Probation, 1520 East Basin Avenue, Suite 106, Pahrump, answers at 775-751-7021. Call it before anything else. The officer there can say where a detained youth is placed and when the hearing is.
What does the district court add to a felony?
After the preliminary hearing, a judge decides whether probable cause exists. If yes, the case is held to answer in the Fifth Judicial District Court, 775-751-6365.
What if my person misses a hearing?
A warrant follows, and bail is forfeited 180 days after notice to the surety or depositor (NRS 178.508). A surety can have the defendant picked up under NRS 178.526. Call the court that day.
How do I spot a bail scam?
Be wary of any request for gift cards, crypto or wire transfers. Call the detention number for the town, or the clerk, and confirm what you were told. Premiums paid to an agent are earned fees and are not returned except for an early surrender without good cause (NRS 697.330).
Nye County contacts
- Detention
- Nye County detention centers: Pahrump 775-751-7027, 1521 East Siri Lane; Tonopah 775-482-7358, 101 Radar Road; Beatty 775-553-2345
- Bail guide
- Nye County jails and bail guides
- Custody lookup
- Nye County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- 1520 East Basin Avenue, Pahrump, NV 89060; 775-751-7000
- Pahrump court
- Justice Court 775-751-7050; clerk 775-751-7040
- Tonopah court
- Justice Court 775-482-8155; clerk 775-482-8127
- Beatty court
- Justice Court 775-553-2951
- District court
- Fifth Judicial District, 775-751-6365; District Attorney 775-751-7080
- Youth
- Juvenile Probation, 1520 East Basin Avenue, Suite 106, Pahrump; 775-751-7021
Nye County covers a vast area, and each office sets its own hours. Ring ahead before a long drive. This guide describes Nevada procedure for general understanding only.