1. Whenever a person is detained by a peace officer for any violation of a county, city or town ordinance or a state law which is punishable as a misdemeanor and the person is not taken before a magistrate as required or permitted by NRS 171.177, 171.1771 or 171.1772, the peace officer may prepare a misdemeanor citation manually or electronically in the form of a complaint issuing in the name of “The State of Nevada” or in the name of the respective county, city or town, containing a notice to appear in court, the name and address of the person, the state registration number of the person’s vehicle, if any, the offense charged, including a brief description of the offense and the NRS or ordinance citation, the time when and place where the person is required to appear in court, and such other pertinent information as may be necessary. The citation must be signed by the peace officer. If the citation is prepared electronically, the officer shall sign the copy of the citation that is delivered to the person charged with the violation.

2. The time specified in the notice to appear must be at least 5 days after the alleged violation unless the person charged with the violation demands an earlier hearing.

3. The place specified in the notice must be before a magistrate, as designated in NRS 171.178 and 171.184.

4. The person charged with the violation may give a written promise to appear in court by signing at least one copy of the misdemeanor citation prepared by the peace officer, in which event the peace officer shall deliver a copy of the citation to the person, and thereupon the peace officer shall not take the person into physical custody for the violation. If the citation is prepared electronically, the officer shall deliver the signed copy of the citation to the person and shall indicate on the electronic record of the citation whether the person charged gave a written promise to appear. A copy of the citation that is signed by the person charged or the electronic record of the citation which indicates that the person charged gave a written promise to appear suffices as proof of service.

(Added to NRS by 1973, 156; A 1991, 16; 1999, 1141)