These rules govern the procedure in all civil actions and proceedings in the district courts, except as stated in Rule 81. They should be construed, administered, and employed by the court and the parties to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action and proceeding.
Rule 1.Scope and purpose
Group I: Scope of Rules; Form of Action · Last amended March 1, 2019 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1 defines the reach of the NRCP — every civil action and proceeding in Nevada's district courts except those Rule 81 carves out — and directs courts and parties to apply the rules toward a just, speedy, and inexpensive result.
Full Text of Rule 1
Notes
Drafter’s Note, Amendment Effective January 1, 2005: The amendment adds the words “and administered” to the second sentence consistent with the 1993 amendment to the federal rule. As explained in the advisory committee notes to the federal rule, the purpose of this revision is to emphasize the court’s duty to ensure that litigation is resolved without undue cost or delay.
Amendment History
Amended eff. 1-1-05; Amended eff. 3-1-19.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 1 marks the outer boundary of the rulebook. It applies to civil actions and proceedings in Nevada's district courts, with one exception: the special proceedings listed in Rule 81, which follow their own statutory procedures instead. If a case is an ordinary civil suit in district court — a contract dispute, a tort claim, a request for injunctive relief — this rule and everything that follows supplies the procedural roadmap for it.
The second sentence carries the weight. A 2005 amendment added the word "administered" to make clear that judges, not just litigants, bear responsibility for keeping a case moving toward a just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution. That change tracked a similar 1993 shift in the federal rule, and it means a court can take an active hand in managing a case — trimming delay, curbing needless cost — rather than waiting for the parties to police each other. Rule 1 does not hand anyone a cause of action or a defense. It sets the lens through which every other rule gets read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of cases does Rule 1 cover?
Civil actions and proceedings filed in Nevada's district courts. That covers the bulk of civil litigation — contract claims, torts, requests for equitable relief — but not the special proceedings Rule 81 lists separately, which run under their own procedural rules.
What does Rule 81 exclude from the NRCP?
Rule 81 lists categories of proceedings — certain statutory and special proceedings — that follow their own procedural rules rather than the general civil rules. Rule 1 flags that carve-out up front so a reader knows the NRCP is not a universal rulebook for every filing in district court.
Why did Nevada add the word "administered" to Rule 1?
The 2005 amendment added it to make explicit that courts, not only the parties, have a duty to manage litigation toward a just, speedy, and inexpensive result. The change mirrored a 1993 amendment to the federal counterpart rule and underscored that judges can take an active role in controlling delay and cost.
Does Rule 1 give me an independent claim or defense?
No. It states the purpose behind the rules that follow and fixes which courts and cases they govern. Any actual right or remedy comes from a specific rule, statute, or body of law — Rule 1 supplies the interpretive backdrop, not a standalone cause of action.
Does Rule 1 apply outside district court, such as in justice court?
No. Rule 1 is written to govern civil actions and proceedings in Nevada's district courts. Justice courts and municipal courts operate under their own separate rules of procedure.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Advisory Committee
Notes, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Nevada Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Supreme Court of Nevada. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: scope of nevada rules of civil procedurenevada civil rule 1which courts use nrcpjust speedy inexpensive determination nevadanrcp rule 81 exceptions