No. Brass knuckles are illegal weapons in Nevada. Possessing brass knuckles is typically a gross misdemeanor in Nevada, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, and/or up to $2,000 in fines.1
What are brass knuckles?
Brass knuckles consist of four connected metal finger holes that you hold in place with your thumb. The device’s shape permits it to absorb most of the counterforce, allowing you to escape with little-to-no damage to your hand.
Punching while wearing metal knuckles inflicts a lot more damage than a naked fist. Possible injuries include cuts, broken bones, and even death.
Brass knuckles go by various names, including:
- metal knuckles (the legal name in Nevada),
- a classic,
- knucks,
- knucklebusters,
- knuckledusters, or
- English punch
Are brass knuckles always illegal in Nevada?
Yes. Under NRS 202.350, it is always a crime to make, import, sell, give, lend, offer, or possess brass knuckles.2
Can I get a license to carry brass knuckles?
No. You cannot get a permit or license to have or carry brass knuckles in Nevada. It does not matter whether you are carrying them openly or concealed.3
What is the penalty for having brass knuckles in Nevada?
A first-time conviction of possessing metal knuckles is a gross misdemeanor in Nevada. The punishment is:
- Up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- Up to $2,000 in fines.
Any successive conviction is a category D felony. The sentence is:
- 1 to 4 years in Nevada State Prison, and
- Up to $5,000 in fines (at the judge’s discretion).
If the offense was gang-related, the prison term can be as much as doubled.4
Brass knuckles at school or child care
Nevada has a separate statute prohibiting brass knuckles on school property. This includes public schools, private schools, child care facilities, and the Nevada System of Higher Education.
A gross misdemeanor, possessing brass knuckles at a school or child care facility carries:
- Up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- Up to $2,000 in fines.5
Note that public school students caught with brass knuckles at the school face a one (1) year expulsion for a first offense. A second offense carries a permanent expulsion.6
Brass knuckles as a public offense
It is a public offense in Nevada to have brass knuckles while “willfully and maliciously injuring, marking, or defacing any public schoolhouse, its fixtures, books, or appurtenances.”7 The penalty turns on the value of the property damaged or destroyed:
| Damage caused by brass knuckles | Penalty under NRS 393.410 |
| Less than $250 | Misdemeanor:
|
| $250 to less than $5,000 | Gross misdemeanor:
|
| $5,000 or more | Category C felony:
|
Legal References
- NRS 202.350. Manufacture, importation, possession or use of dangerous weapon or silencer; carrying concealed weapon without permit; penalties; issuance of permit to carry concealed weapon; exceptions.
- Same.
- Same.
- Same. NRS 193.168.
- NRS 202.265. Possession of dangerous weapon on property or in vehicle of school or child care facility; penalty; exceptions.
- NRS 392.466. Plan of action for pupil who engages in battery on employee of school, possession of firearm or dangerous weapon or sale or distribution of controlled substance or is deemed a habitual disciplinary problem; appeal by employee who is victim of battery; suspension or expulsion of such pupils; modification to suspension or expulsion; limitations for pupils with disabilities.
- NRS 393.410. Damage to school property; nuisance; loitering; trespass; penalties.
- Same.
