1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 321.008, 321.125, 321.402 to 321.418, inclusive, 322.061, 322.063, 322.065 or 322.075, except as otherwise required by federal law, except for land that is sold or leased to a public utility, as defined in NRS 704.020, to be used for a public purpose, except for land that is sold or leased to a state or local governmental entity, except for a lease which is part of a contract entered into pursuant to chapter 333 of NRS and except for an agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of NRS 277.080 to 277.170, inclusive, after April 1, 1957, all sales or leases of any lands that the Division is required to hold pursuant to NRS 321.001, including lands subject to contracts of sale that have been forfeited, are governed by the provisions of this section.

2. Whenever the State Land Registrar deems it to be in the best interests of the State of Nevada that any lands owned by the State and not used or set apart for public purposes be sold or leased, the State Land Registrar may, with the approval of the State Board of Examiners and the Interim Finance Committee, cause those lands to be sold or leased upon sealed bids, or oral offer after the opening of sealed bids for cash or pursuant to a contract of sale or lease, at a price not less than the highest appraised value for the lands plus the costs of appraisal and publication of notice of sale or lease.

3. Before offering any land for sale or lease, the State Land Registrar shall comply with the provisions of NRS 321.007.

4. After complying with the provisions of NRS 321.007, the State Land Registrar shall cause a notice of sale or lease to be published once a week for 4 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county where the land to be sold or leased is situated, and in such other newspapers as the State Land Registrar deems appropriate. If there is no newspaper published in the county where the land to be sold or leased is situated, the notice must be so published in a newspaper published in this State having a general circulation in the county where the land is situated.

5. The notice must contain:

(a) A description of the land to be sold or leased;

(b) A statement of the terms of sale or lease;

(c) A statement that the land will be sold pursuant to subsection 6; and

(d) The place where the sealed bids will be accepted, the first and last days on which the sealed bids will be accepted, and the time when and place where the sealed bids will be opened and oral offers submitted pursuant to subsection 6 will be accepted.

6. At the time and place fixed in the notice published pursuant to subsection 4, all sealed bids which have been received must, in public session, be opened, examined and declared by the State Land Registrar. Of the proposals submitted which conform to all terms and conditions specified in the notice published pursuant to subsection 4 and which are made by responsible bidders, the bid which is the highest must be finally accepted, unless a higher oral offer is accepted or the State Land Registrar rejects all bids and offers. Before finally accepting any written bid, the State Land Registrar shall call for oral offers. If, upon the call for oral offers, any responsible person offers to buy or lease the land upon the terms and conditions specified in the notice, for a price exceeding by at least 5 percent the highest written bid, then the highest oral offer which is made by a responsible person must be finally accepted.

7. The State Land Registrar may reject any bid or oral offer to purchase or lease submitted pursuant to subsection 6, if the State Land Registrar deems the bid or offer to be:

(a) Contrary to the public interest.

(b) For a lesser amount than is reasonable for the land involved.

(c) On lands which it may be more beneficial for the State to reserve.

(d) On lands which are requested by the State of Nevada or any department, agency or institution thereof.

8. Upon acceptance of any bid or oral offer and payment to the State Land Registrar in accordance with the terms of sale specified in the notice of sale, the State Land Registrar shall convey title by quitclaim or cause a patent to be issued as provided in NRS 321.320 and 321.330.

9. Upon acceptance of any bid or oral offer and payment to the State Land Registrar in accordance with the terms of lease specified in the notice of lease, the State Land Registrar shall enter into a lease agreement with the person submitting the accepted bid or oral offer pursuant to the terms of lease specified in the notice of lease.

10. The State Land Registrar may require any person requesting that state land be sold pursuant to the provisions of this section to deposit a sufficient amount of money to pay the costs to be incurred by the State Land Registrar in acting upon the application, including the costs of publication and the expenses of appraisal. This deposit must be refunded whenever the person making the deposit is not the successful bidder. The costs of acting upon the application, including the costs of publication and the expenses of appraisal, must be borne by the successful bidder.

11. If land that is offered for sale or lease pursuant to this section is not sold or leased at the initial offering of the contract for the sale or lease of the land, the State Land Registrar may offer the land for sale or lease a second time pursuant to this section. If there is a material change relating to the title, zoning or an ordinance governing the use of the land, the State Land Registrar must obtain a new appraisal of the land pursuant to the provisions of NRS 321.007 before offering the land for sale or lease a second time. If land that is offered for sale or lease pursuant to this section is not sold or leased at the second offering of the contract for the sale or lease of the land, the State Land Registrar may list the land for sale or lease at the appraised value with a licensed real estate broker, provided that the broker or a person related to the broker within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity does not have an interest in the land or an adjoining property.

(Added to NRS by 1957, 534; A 1959, 489; 1961, 717; 1965, 56; 1966, 1; 1975, 99; 1979, 166, 1792; 1981, 178; 1989, 510; 1997, 968, 2980; 2005, 1455, 2680; 2007, 2000, 2825; 2013, 2687; 2017, 648, 4121)