Nevada Trusts: A Guide to Trust Law in Nevada
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ImmigrationBy Ronald W. Brilliant, Attorney at Law · Licensed in Idaho, Nevada & California · Last reviewed: September 2026 against Nevada Revised Statutes chapters 153, 162B and 163 through 166A (current through the 2025 legislative session)
In a trust, a trustee is the person holding property in trust (NRS 163.020(4)) for one or more beneficiaries. The person who creates the trust is the settlor, a term that also includes a trustor and a grantor (NRS 165.020(1)(h)). A Nevada trust is created only if the settlor properly shows an intention to create a trust, there is trust property (with one exception for testamentary additions), and there is a beneficiary (NRS 163.003, 163.006).
Nevada law uses two terms based on how a trust is created. A nontestamentary trust is created and takes effect during the settlor’s lifetime (NRS 163.0016). A testamentary trust is created by the terms of a person’s will (NRS 163.0018). This guide explains the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) on trusts in plain English, with a citation to the statute behind every rule.
Where Nevada Trust Law Is Found
Nevada’s trust statutes are spread across several chapters of the NRS. The main ones covered in this guide are:
- Chapter 163, “Trusts”: how trusts are created, trustee powers, trust protectors and trust advisers, and charitable and other special trusts.
- Chapter 164, “Administration of Trusts”: court jurisdiction, notices after a settlor’s death, certifications of trust, and investment and income rules.
- Chapter 165, “Trustees’ Accounting (Uniform Act)”: when and how a trustee must account to beneficiaries.
- Chapter 166, “Spendthrift Trusts”: spendthrift trusts and limits on creditor actions.
- Chapter 153, “Administration of Trusts; Estates for Life and Years”: court petitions about trust affairs, testamentary trustees and related matters.
- Chapter 162B, “Powers of Appointment (Uniform Act)” and Chapter 166A, “Custodial Trusts (Uniform Act).”
When they do not conflict with the trust chapters, the provisions of chapters 132, 153 and 155 of NRS that regulate estates also apply to trust proceedings, as appropriate, or may be used to supplement the trust chapters (NRS 164.005). Links to the Nevada Wills & Probate guide appear where those rules matter.
How the Court Gets Involved
A court proceeding about a nontestamentary trust does not, unless the court orders otherwise, lead to ongoing court supervision. The trust must then be administered promptly under its own terms, without court involvement, unless an interested person invokes the court’s jurisdiction or other law provides for it (NRS 164.015(7)).
When a court is needed, a trustee, settlor or beneficiary of a trust created by a written instrument other than a will may petition the district court to take jurisdiction of the trust. The court must do so unless another court has properly taken continuing jurisdiction and the district court decides it is not appropriate to step in (NRS 164.010(1)). A trustee or beneficiary may then petition the court about any aspect of the trust’s affairs, such as interpreting the trust, instructing the trustee, settling accounts, or appointing or removing a trustee (NRS 153.031(1)). See Nevada Trust Court Petitions and Disputes.
Nevada Trust Topics
- Creating a Valid Trust in Nevada: the ways to create a trust, the basic requirements, writing and electronic trusts, and adding property to a trust by will.
- Nevada Revocable Trusts: Notices, Contests and Certifications: when a trust can be revoked, notices to beneficiaries and creditors after the settlor dies, contest deadlines, and certifications of trust.
- Nevada Trustee Duties and Powers: what a trustee may and must do, directed trusts, and trust protectors and trust advisers.
- Investing Trust Property in Nevada: the prudent investor rule, principal and income, and institutional funds.
- Nevada Trustee Accountings: lists of assets, accounts to beneficiaries, waivers, and how to demand an account.
- Spendthrift and Asset Protection Trusts in Nevada: spendthrift trusts, self-settled trusts and time limits on creditor actions.
- Charitable, Pet, Purpose and Custodial Trusts in Nevada: charitable trusts, trusts for animals, purpose trusts, public benefit trusts and custodial trusts.
- Nevada Trust Court Petitions and Disputes: court jurisdiction, petitions, trustee compensation, removal, bonds, arbitration and settlement agreements.
- Modifying and Ending a Nevada Trust: modification, decanting, termination and final distribution.
- Powers of Appointment in Nevada Trusts: Nevada’s Uniform Powers of Appointment Act.
Key Deadlines and Requirements at a Glance
The table below lists some of the time limits found in the trust statutes. Some can be changed by the trust instrument, by consent or by court order, as stated in the cited sections.
| Step | Timing | NRS |
|---|---|---|
| Contest the validity of a trust after receiving the trustee’s notice (revocable trust that became irrevocable) | No more than 120 days from the date the notice is served, unless the person proves he or she did not receive actual notice | 164.021(4) |
| Creditor files a claim after trustee’s notice to creditors (nontestamentary trust, settlor has died) | Within 90 days after mailing (for those required to be mailed) or 90 days after first publication | 164.025(3) |
| Creditor discovered late receives mailed notice | Within the original period or 30 days from the mailing, whichever is later | 164.025(4) |
| Trustee notice to the Department of Human Services if the trustee knows or has reason to believe the settlor received public assistance (Nevada Health Authority if Medicaid) | Within 30 days after the death | 164.025(5) |
| Trustee notifies a claimant that a claim is rejected | Within 10 days after the rejection | 164.025(6) |
| Claimant sues on a rejected claim | Within 60 days after the notice of rejection is given | 164.025(6) |
| Appeal from a final order on a petition about the internal affairs of a nontestamentary trust | Within 30 days after notice of entry of the order | 164.015(6) |
| Trustee provides a requested list of trust assets | Request may be made 60 days or more after the trustee’s appointment; trustee serves the list within 15 days after receiving the request | 165.030 |
| Trustee delivers a required account | Within 90 days after the end of the accounting period, unless the trust instrument or a court requires otherwise | 165.1214(1) |
| Beneficiary objects to an account | Account is deemed approved and final if no written objection is delivered within 90 days after the trustee provided it | 165.1214(4)(a) |
| Trustee responds to a written demand for an account | Notice of acceptance, rejection or intent to seek instructions within 14 days; account within 60 days if accepted | 165.141(2) |
| Beneficiary petitions for review of a rejected demand for an account | Within 60 days after the rejection date | 165.143(1) |
| Existing creditor challenges a transfer to a spendthrift trust | 2 years after the transfer or 6 months after the creditor discovers or reasonably should have discovered it, whichever is later | 166.170(1)(a) |
| Later creditor challenges a transfer to a spendthrift trust | Within 2 years after the transfer | 166.170(1)(b) |
Each of these deadlines has conditions and exceptions, which are explained on the topic pages. For deadlines that apply when an estate goes through probate, see the Nevada Wills & Probate guide.
Trusts and Wills Work Together
A will can leave property to the trustee of an existing trust, as long as the trust is identified in the will and its terms are set out in a written instrument other than a will that was signed before or at the same time as the will, or in the valid will of a person who died before the testator (NRS 163.230(1)). A will can also create a trust itself, which is a testamentary trust (NRS 163.0018). See Creating a Valid Trust in Nevada and Making a Valid Will.
How I Can Help
I help Nevada clients set up trusts, serve as or work with trustees, and handle the notices, accountings and court petitions that come up when a trust is being administered or disputed. I can review the trust documents with you, explain how the Nevada statutes apply to your situation, and help you meet the deadlines that matter. Request a consultation to discuss your situation.
This page provides general information about Nevada trust law, based on the Nevada Revised Statutes as of the 2025 legislative session, and is not legal advice. Other Nevada laws, court rules, tax law, and case law also affect trusts. Every situation is different; consult an attorney about yours. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.