Nevada requires 5 years of continuous, adverse occupancy plus payment of all state, county, and municipal taxes for that period before a claim of adverse possession can succeed (NRS 11.150; NRS 40.090). Separately, unlawful occupancy of a vacant dwelling is a criminal gross misdemeanor under NRS 205.0817.
NRS 11.150 provides that 'in no case shall adverse possession be considered established unless it be shown... that the land has been occupied and claimed for the period of 5 years, continuously, and that the party or persons... have paid all taxes, state, county and municipal, which may have been levied and assessed against the land for the period mentioned, or have tendered payment thereof.' NRS 40.090 governs the action to quiet title for one in continuous adverse possession. Possession must be actual, open, hostile, exclusive, and continuous, and the tax-payment requirement makes successful claims rare. Distinct from civil adverse possession, NRS 205.0817 makes 'unlawful occupancy' of another's uninhabited or vacant dwelling a gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine), allowing owners to pursue criminal removal of squatters.
Civil adverse possession carries no penalty — if the 5-year term and tax payment are not met, the occupant has no claim and is removed by court action. Criminally, unlawful occupancy under NRS 205.0817 is a gross misdemeanor, rising to a category D felony after three or more convictions.
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