Nevada’s mandatory reporter laws require certain professionals to contact police when they learn of:
- child abuse or neglect;
- elder abuse, which is abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation, or abandonment of people 60 years old or older;
- vulnerable person abuse, which is abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation, or abandonment of disabled people;
- patients with non-accidental bullet wounds or stab wounds; or
- patients with serious burns.
Depending on the case, it is a Nevada misdemeanor for mandatory reporters to knowingly fail to report abuse or neglect. Penalties include up to six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines.
Here are three things to know about Nevada’s mandatory reporting laws:
1. Healthcare workers must report elder abuse and vulnerable person abuse
Nevada law requires healthcare workers and certain other professionals in their occupational capacity to report abuse of people who are disabled or who are at least 60 years old.
These professionals must make this report as soon as reasonably practicable – but not later than 24 hours – after the professional knows – or has reasonable cause to believe – that the older person or vulnerable person has been abused, neglected, exploited, isolated or abandoned. These reports must be made to:
- the local office of the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services; or
- a police department or sheriff’s office; or
- (888) 729-0571 – a toll-free telephone service designated by the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
List of healthcare workers who must report elder/vulnerable person abuse
A mandatory reporter for elder abuse and vulnerable person abuse in Nevada is anyone who is a:
- physician
- dentist
- dental hygienist
- chiropractor
- optometrist
- podiatric physician
- medical examiner
- resident
- intern
- professional or practical nurse
- physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 630 or 633 of NRS
- perfusionist
- psychiatrist
- psychologist
- marriage and family therapist
- clinical professional counselor
- clinical alcohol and drug counselor
- alcohol and drug counselor
- music therapist
- athletic trainer
- driver of an ambulance
- paramedic
- licensed dietitian
- holder of a license or a limited license issued under the provisions of chapter 653 of NRS or other person providing medical services licensed or certified to practice in this State, who examines, attends or treats an older person or vulnerable person who appears to have been abused, neglected, exploited, isolated or abandoned
- personnel of a hospital or similar institution engaged in the admission, examination, care or treatment of persons or an administrator, manager or other person in charge of a hospital or similar institution upon notification of the suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation or abandonment of an older person or vulnerable person by a member of the staff of the hospital
- coroner
- person who maintains or works for an agency to provide personal care services in the home
- person who maintains or works for an agency to provide nursing in the home
- person who operates, who works for or who contracts to provide services for an intermediary service organization as defined in NRS 449.4304
- employee of the Department of Health and Human Services, except the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman appointed pursuant to NRS 427A.125 and any of his or her advocates or volunteers where prohibited from making such a report pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 1321.11.
- employee of a law enforcement agency or a county’s office for protective services or an adult or juvenile probation officer
- person who maintains or is employed by a facility or establishment that provides care for older persons or vulnerable persons
- person who maintains, is employed by or serves as a volunteer for an agency or service which advises persons regarding the abuse, neglect, exploitation, isolation or abandonment of an older person or vulnerable person and refers them to persons and agencies where their requests and needs can be met
- social worker
- person who owns or is employed by a funeral home or mortuary
- person who operates or is employed by a peer support recovery organization, as defined in NRS 449.01563
- person who operates or is employed by a community health worker pool, as defined in NRS 449.0028, or with whom a community health worker pool contracts to provide the services of a community health worker, as defined in NRS 449.0027.1
Immunity from legal liability
Mandatory reporters are immune from civil or criminal liability as long as they made the report in good faith.2
Penalties for failure to report
Though mandatory reporters who willfully fail to report elder abuse or vulnerable person abuse face misdemeanor charges, punishable by up to six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines.3
Nevada law requires doctors to report elder care abuse to law enforcement or Aging and Disability Services.
2. Doctors, teachers, clergy, and other professionals must report child abuse and neglect
Nevada law requires various professionals in their occupational capacity to report the abuse or neglect of minors (under 18 years old).
These professionals must make this report as soon as reasonably practicable – but not later than 24 hours – after the professional knows – or has reasonable cause to believe – that the child has been abused or neglected.
These reports must be made to an agency that provides child welfare services or to a law enforcement agency.
List of professionals who must report child abuse and neglect
A mandatory reporter for child abuse or neglect in Nevada is anyone who is a:
- health care professional, including people providing services licensed or certified in this State pursuant to, without limitation, chapter 450B, 630, 630A, 631, 632, 633, 634, 634A, 635, 636, 637, 637B, 639, 640, 640A, 640B, 640C, 640D, 640E, 641, 641A, 641B or 641C of NRS or chapter 653 of NRS.
- personnel of a medical facility licensed pursuant to chapter 449 of NRS who are engaged in the admission, examination, care or treatment of persons or an administrator, manager or other person in charge of such a medical facility upon notification of suspected abuse or neglect of a child by a member of the staff of the medical facility
- coroner
- member of the clergy, practitioner of Christian Science or religious healer, unless the person has acquired the knowledge of the abuse or neglect from the offender during a confession
- person employed by a public school or private school and any person who serves as a volunteer at such a school
- person who maintains or works for a facility or establishment that provides care for children, children’s camp or other public or private facility, institution or agency furnishing care to a child
- person licensed pursuant to chapter 424 of NRS to conduct a foster home
- officer or employee of a law enforcement agency or an adult or juvenile probation officer
- attorney (except as otherwise provided in NRS 432B.225)
- person who maintains, works for or serves as a volunteer for an agency or service which advises persons regarding abuse or neglect of a child and refers them to persons and agencies which can meet their requests and needs
- person who works for or serves as a volunteer for a youth shelter
- adult person who works for an entity that provides organized activities for children, including, without limitation, a person who works for a school district or public school
- person who provides medical services to a newborn infant suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or prenatal substance use disorder or has withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal substance4
Immunity from legal liability
Mandatory reporters are immune from civil or criminal liability as long as they made the report in good faith.5
Penalties for failure to report
Mandatory reporters who willfully fail to report child abuse or neglect face misdemeanor charges for a first offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines. A successive offense is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and/or up to $2,000 in fines.6
Nevada doctors must report non-accidental gunshot wounds to police.
3. Healthcare providers must report gunshot wounds, knife wounds, and serious burns
Nevada law requires healthcare providers to report patients with the following injuries to police:
- gunshot wounds that do not look like an accident; or
- knife wounds that do not seem like an accident.7
Nevada law also requires healthcare providers to contact the local fire department when they treat patients with the following injuries:
- injuries caused by an open flame, explosion or flash fire;
- second or third-degree burns to 5 percent or more of the body;
- burns to the upper respiratory tract or laryngeal edema resulting from the inhalation of heated air; or
- burns which may result in death8
Providers or their agents who report burns are immune from civil or criminal liability as long as they made the report in good faith.9
Helpful Links
- Nevada Child Abuse Prevention, Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services
- Report Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect, Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services
- Report Vulnerable Adult Abuse, Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services
- Abuse Neglect, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Prevent Child Abuse Nevada, UNLV Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy
- Adult Protective Services (APS), reachable by calling 211
