No. You may open carry in Las Vegas as long as you are otherwise allowed to possess firearms. Though some locations inside Las Vegas are gun-free zones.1
Where are guns prohibited in Las Vegas?
Some gun-free zones include the following:
- Nevada System of Higher Education property, including parking lots. (You may be able to get around this rule with written permission from the principal.) NSHE schools in Las Vegas include UNLV, College of Southern Nevada, and Desert Research Institute.
- McCarran Airport beyond the TSA checkpoint and any other secure areas.
- Public schools, including the parking lots. (You may be able to get around this rule with written permission from the principal.) Under federal law, guns are also prohibited within 1,000 feet of school zones.
- Childcare facilities, both private and public, including the parking lots. (You may be able to get around this rule with written permission from the homeowner.)
- Grant Sawyer Building (where the Legislative Counsel Bureau is located).
- VA facilities.
- Post offices.
- Jails, such as the Clark County Detention Center and the Las Vegas City Jail.
- Prisons, such as the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center.
- Federal facilities, such as the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse and the Foley Federal Building.
- Nellis Air Force Base (with some exceptions).
Meanwhile, only loaded guns are forbidden in the Red Rock National Conversational Area.2
Can I open carry in Las Vegas casinos?
Yes. Though if a security guard asks you to leave – and you refuse – you can be cited for trespass under NRS 207.200. Trespass is a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines.3
Can I open carry on the Strip?
Yes, as long as you are otherwise allowed to possess firearms.
Can I open carry on Fremont Street?
Yes, as long as you are otherwise allowed to possess firearms.
Who cannot open carry in Las Vegas?
There are several categories of people prohibited from carrying guns (whether openly or concealed). Some of these include:
- Convicted felons;
- People convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors;
- People subject to a domestic violence restraining order;
- People who have been adjudicated as mentally ill or who have been committed;
- People addicted to controlled substances;
- Fugitives;
- Illegal aliens;
- People dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces;
- Children under 18 (with some exceptions); and
- People with a blood alcohol content of 0.10% or higher.4
Can I conceal carry in Las Vegas?
You may carry concealed handguns in Las Vegas with a current and valid CCW permit from Nevada or from the following states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Idaho (Enhanced Permit)
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi (Enhanced Permits)
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota (Class 1 only)
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (Enhanced Permits)
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah (Both types of permits)
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming 5
It is a category C felony to carry concealed without a permit (NRS 202.350). The punishment is:
- 1 – 5 years in Nevada State Prison, and
- Up to a $10,000 fine (at the judge’s discretion).6
Merely forgetting to carry a CCW permit is a civil infraction carrying a $25 fine.7
Legal References
- NRS 202.360. See also Hardison v. State (Nev. 1968) 437 P.2d 868; Pohlabel v. State (Nev. 2012) 268 P.3d 1264.
- NRS 218A.905. NRS 202.265. The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. 38 CFR §1.218 (13). 39 CFR § 232.1(l). 18 USC § 930. 54 USC § 104906. 49 CFR § 1540.111. 49 USC § 46505. 43 CFR § 423.30. 43 USC § 1701. 43 CFR § 8360.0-7.
- NRS 207.200.
- See note 1.
- Reciprocity List, Nevada Department of Public Safety (July 1, 2022).
- NRS 202.350.
- NRS 202.3667.
