1. Each person who submits an application for registration pursuant to the provisions of NRS 487.560 shall file with the Department a bond in the amount of $5,000, with a corporate surety for the bond that is licensed to do business in this State. The form of the bond must be approved by the Attorney General and be conditioned upon whether the applicant conducts business as an owner or operator of a garage without fraud or fraudulent representation and in compliance with the provisions of NRS 487.530 to 487.690, inclusive.

2. The bond must be continuous in form and the total aggregate liability on the bond must be limited to the payment of the total amount of the bond.

3. The bond must provide that any person injured by the action of the garage operator may:

(a) Apply to the Director for compensation from the bond. The Director, for good cause shown and after notice and opportunity for hearing, may determine the amount of compensation and the person to whom it is to be paid. The surety shall then make payment.

(b) Present to the Director an order of a court requiring the Director to pay to the person an amount of compensation from the bond. The Director shall inform the surety, and the surety shall then make payment.

4. In lieu of a bond required to be filed pursuant to the provisions of subsection 1, a person may deposit with the Department, pursuant to the terms prescribed by the Department:

(a) A like amount of lawful money of the United States; or

(b) A savings certificate of a bank, savings and loan association or savings bank located in this State, which must indicate an account of an amount equal to the amount of the bond that would otherwise be required pursuant to this section and that the amount is unavailable for withdrawal except upon order of the Department. Interest earned on the certificate accrues to the account of the applicant.

5. A deposit made pursuant to subsection 4 may be disbursed by the Director, for good cause shown and after notice and opportunity for hearing, in an amount determined by the Director to compensate a person injured by an action of the garage operator or released upon receipt of:

(a) An order of a court requiring the Director to release all or a specified portion of the deposit; or

(b) A statement signed by the person under whose name the deposit is made and acknowledged before any person authorized to take acknowledgments in this State, requesting that the Director release the deposit, or a specified portion thereof, and stating the purpose for which the release is requested.

6. If a person fails to comply with an order of a court that relates to the repair of a motor vehicle, or fails to pay or otherwise discharge any final judgment rendered and entered against the person or any court order issued and arising out of the repair of a motor vehicle in the operation of a garage, the Department shall revoke or refuse to renew the certificate of registration of the person who failed to comply with the order or satisfy the judgment.

7. The Department may reinstate or renew a certificate of registration that is revoked pursuant to the provisions of subsection 6 if the person whose certificate of registration is revoked complies with the order of the court.

8. A garage operator whose registration has been revoked pursuant to the provisions of subsection 6 shall furnish to the Department a bond in the amount specified in subsection 1 before the reinstatement of his or her registration.

(Added to NRS by 1999, 1896; A 2001, 968, 1286; 2003, 35, 42; 2007, 3229, 3411; 2009, 2534, 2705; 2019, 64)