Kinetic-energy release distributions of the : fragment ions (N+ and O+) produced in dissociative double photoionization of nitric oxide have been determined by analyzing the photoion-photoion coincidence (PIPICO) spectra measured in the region 42-100 eV by use of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and synchrotron radiation. At low excitation energies (42-46 eV), low kinetic-energy components were observed, which cannot be explained by a simple framework whereby a doubly charged molecular ion is directly produced upon single photon absorption which then dissociates into two ionic fragments. The majority of the ion pairs are produced through indirect routes, in which highly excited NO*(+) and NO** (double Rydberg) converging to the high-lying NO2+ electronic states autoionize before and after dissociation.