Gun Laws in Nevada
Gun Friendliness Score
How We Calculate Gun Friendliness Scores
The Gun Friendliness Score ranges from 0 to 100 and represents how favorable a state's laws are toward gun ownership and use. We evaluate each state across 50 key gun policies, assigning points based on how these policies affect gun owners:
- Policies that support gun rights, reduce restrictions, or expand legal protections for gun owners receive positive points
- Policies that restrict firearm ownership, limit purchase options, or add regulatory burdens receive negative points
Nevada's moderate score of 67 reflects the state's shall-issue concealed carry system, reasonable self-defense laws, and minimal restrictions on firearm types, balanced against some regulatory requirements including background checks for private sales.
Nevada Gun Laws Summary
Nevada has established itself as a moderately gun-friendly state with reasonable regulations that balance Second Amendment rights with public safety considerations. The state requires background checks for most firearm sales while maintaining relatively few restrictions on firearm types and features.
Nevada is a shall-issue state for concealed firearms permits. The county sheriff handles permit issuance in most areas, and qualifying applicants will receive their permits without discretionary denial. Nevada requires a permit for concealed carry, though open carry is legal without a permit for those who can legally possess firearms.
Unlike constitutional carry states, Nevada maintains its permitting system for concealed carry. However, the state has preemption laws that prevent most local governments from enacting firearms regulations more restrictive than state law, ensuring consistent gun laws throughout Nevada.
Permitting, Sales and Transfers
Nevada requires background checks for most firearm sales, including private sales between individuals (with limited exceptions for family transfers). Licensed dealers conduct background checks using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for all sales through federally licensed dealers (FFLs).
Private sales between individuals generally require a background check through an FFL dealer, though transfers between immediate family members are exempt. Nevada does not maintain a registry of firearm transfers or firearm ownership.
Firearms in Public and in the Home
Nevada requires a permit for concealed carry but allows open carry without a permit for anyone 18 years or older who can legally possess a firearm. Nevada honors concealed carry permits from many states with similar or more stringent requirements.
Open carry is legal without a permit for anyone 18 years or older who can legally possess a firearm. Certain locations prohibit carry, including federal buildings, schools, childcare facilities, and areas of airports beyond security checkpoints. For concealed carry permits, Nevada requires completion of a firearms training course and demonstration of competence with a handgun.
Firearm, Feature and Accessory Bans
Nevada has minimal bans on firearm types and features. There are no restrictions on semi-automatic firearms or magazine capacity limits. Most NFA items (suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns) are legal to own provided federal requirements are met, though machine guns are more restricted. Nevada's preemption law prevents most local governments from enacting regulations more restrictive than state law.
Local Laws
Nevada has statewide preemption of most firearms laws. State law prohibits counties, cities, and towns from enacting ordinances regulating the ownership, transfer, sale, purchase, carrying, or transportation of firearms or ammunition. However, local governments retain some authority over the discharge of firearms within their boundaries and certain other limited areas of regulation.
2025 Gun Law Checklist
Nevada Gun Policy Profile: 50 Key Legislative Points
Purchasing and Sales Regulations
Background Check for Any Firearm Sale
State requires any firearm sale to go through a licensed dealer (FFL) and be subject to a background check. (Federal law requires those "engaged in the business" of buying/selling firearms to perform a background check during a sale). A private sale or transfer of any firearm between individuals (non-family members) must be also conducted through an FFL.
Background Check for Any Handgun Sale (Including Private Sales)
All handgun sales and most transfers are subject to a background check. Private sales of handguns between individuals (non-family members) must be conducted through an FFL.
Background Check Extensions
State will halt the transfer of a firearm if a background check is delayed. Some states will halt the process indefinitely, some for a set amount of time.
Failed Background Check Reported to Law Enforcement
The firearm dealer (or state agency conducting the background check) has a responsibility to notify local law enforcement of a failed background check.
Must be 21 or Older to Purchase
Most firearms–including rifles, shotguns, and handguns–cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 21. (Federal laws permit long guns to be sold to those over the age of 18.)
Permit to Purchase
State requires a permit (single-use or renewable) for all firearms or specifically for handguns. States typically charge a fee for the permit and a background check is performed during the application.
Mandatory Waiting Periods
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must wait a specified period (typically between 3-14 days) between initiating the purchase and taking possession of the firearm.
State Licenses All Gun Dealers
State has a licensing system for firearms merchants above and beyond the federal (FFL) system.
Purchase Rejected for Public Safety Reasons
State officials able to block sales of firearms if the purchaser is deemed to be a threat to themselves or to public safety (according to the judgment of the official)
Approved Handgun Roster
State controls what make and model handguns are sold; according to their own criteria. Often, this involves a "roster" of approved handguns with the right "safety" features, such as a loaded chamber indicator, or even the amount of metal in the firearm (Maryland). Often, LE are exempt from these requirements.
Strict Unfinished Frames and Receivers Laws
State sets a lower threshold for unfinished frames and receivers (beyond ATF rule 2021R-05F). Includes ban on 3D-printing of these parts in some states.
Ownership and Registration Requirements
Permit to Possess
Several states require a permit just to possess: a handgun (New York); any firearms or ammunition (Illinois).
State Firearm or Handgun Registry
State keeps a record of every firearm or handgun sold. Includes states with a permit to purchase and states that keep records of purchases.
Mandatory Firearms Training
Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must prove they completed the state ordered training. Often, this is part of the application process for a Permit to Purchase.
Secure Storage Requirement
Gun owners must lock up firearms in the home (or anywhere else a minor or prohibited person may have access).
Magazine Capacity Limits
State limits magazine capacity for some or all firearms.
"Assault Weapons" Ban
Magazine fed, semi-automatic, centerfire rifles cannot have other "features" (pistol grip, flash hider, etc.) or they are considered "assault weapons." New guns cannot be registered as "assault weapons." Possession is prohibited with limited exceptions.
Microstamping Law
State has a law banning the sale of a new pistol unless its firing can imprint its serial number somewhere on the cartridge case during firing. This technology is make-believe at present, but these laws will effectively ban the sale of new handguns in the state if/when they become effective
Penalties for Not Reporting a Lost or Stolen Firearm
Gun owners must report the loss or theft of firearms–usually within several days of the incident or first discovering the loss–or potentially face a criminal penalty.
Carry and Location Restrictions
Mandatory Permit for Concealed Carry
State requires a permit to carry a concealed pistol. This includes all states that "may issue" a permit (where officials may deny a permit for subjective reasons).
Officials Can Deny Carry Permit
State allows the carry permit officials to deny an application based on the state's own criteria.
Open Carry Limited or Banned
State restricts open carry to rifles and shotguns or bans open carry completely unless you are LE or special permit holder.
No Carry Mandate for College Campuses
State has not passed a blanket law permitting concealed carry on college campuses.
Gun Ban on Most Public Property
State limits or bans any type of carry in and around government facilities (state, county, municipal) and/or limits carry of firearms in parades and demonstrations
Guns Banned in Bars
State prohibits carry inside bars or consumption of alcohol while carrying.
No Guns in K-12 Schools
Only LE (and in some states, specially licensed school officials) may carry on school property.
Does Not Recognize Other States' Carry Permits
State doesn't consider concealed carry permits from other states valid
Prohibited Persons and Possession Restrictions
Felons are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting felons from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Fugitives are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting fugitives from justice from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.
Involuntarily Committed are Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those who have been involuntarily committed (to a psychiatric hospital or mental institution), or those found to be a danger to themselves or others from owning guns and ammo. Federal law already prohibits anyone found to be mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at 16 years or older.
Violent Offenders Cannot Possess
State will take away firearms, deny future possession, or at minimum deny future purchase of firearms for certain misdemeanor crimes of violence (besides domestic violence violence).
Domestic Violence Offenders Also Prohibited Persons at State Level
State has a law prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this
Stalkers are Prohibited Persons at the State Level
State has either made stalking a felony (instant prohibitor) or makes an individual convicted of misdemeanor stalking a prohibited person.
Intervention and Seizure Provisions
Red Flag Law
Law enforcement (and others, depending on the state) is allowed to request that firearms be taken away from others with limited due process.
Emergency Gun Seizure Before Restraining Orders
Similar to a red flag law, state will take away guns before an actual conviction. This is often during domestic disputes, before a restraining order takes effect, and in similar situations.
Guns Seized for Hate Crimes
State will take away all firearms from an individual in response to a misdemeanor hate crime conviction.
Guns Seized After Becoming Prohibited
State will quickly respond when an individual's status changes to prohibited and take away all firearms belonging to that person.
Guns Seized After Domestic Violence Conviction
State will quickly respond to take away firearms from an individual if they are convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
Guns Seized Amid Restraining Orders
State will take away all firearms from anyone who is subject to a restraining order, even though federal law already does this.
No Stand Your Ground Law
State imposes a "duty to retreat" before using force or requires "proportional force" when responding to an attack or dangerous situation with force.
Monitoring and Threat Assessment
Mental Health Database
State maintains records of anyone that has been committed or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals. They send this information to the FBI for use by the NICS (or when conducting a state background check, if applicable).
School Officials Conduct Threat Assessments
Teams of mostly school officials are empowered by law to refer children for mental health assessments or take more drastic action if they believe the child poses a threat to themselves or others.
Mandatory Tracing of "Crime Guns"
Law enforcement must use either a state system or the federal firearm tracing system to research any firearm recovered from a crime scene or used in a crime.
Law Enforcement Oversight and Accountability
No LE Officers Bill of Rights
Some states never passed (or passed and later repealed) a set of basic protections for public safety officers. These protections vary by state. They often include the right to engage in political activity and run for public office, and the right to refuse a lie detector test, among other things.
Heavy Restrictions on LE Use of Deadly Force
State laws severely limit the discharge of firearms to apprehend criminals, including against individuals suspected of murder or fleeing a felony in many cases.
Reports for LE Deadly Force Incidents
Law enforcement agencies are required to report any officer-involved shootings that result in serious injury or death. Monthly or annual reports are compiled using this data and made available to the public.
No Qualified Immunity Defense Laws
In civil court, LE officials may not use a defense of qualified immunity if they are accused of certain civil rights violations. This includes situations in which a firearm was used.
Prevention and Support Programs
Dedicated Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Some states have passed legislation creating gun violence prevention offices that target "community gun violence." Taxpayer funds are used to support these programs, which may have little to no effect on violent crime.
Funding for Services of Victims of Gun Violence
Some states maximize the use of federal money intended for victims of violent crime by increasing pool of eligible claimants. Money is paid out to families of convicted felons in many cases.
Local Control
Counties / Cities / Towns Can Pass Stricter Gun Laws
Local governments are free to pass their own gun control laws in addition to any existing laws at the federal and state levels. Some states prohibit local governments from passing laws about specific things-including guns. This is known as preemption.
Conclusion
This piece discusses the ammunition and firearms laws in the state of Nevada. To do so, the piece starts with coverage of the ammunition laws with the objective of detailing the legal requirements and processes to have ammunition shipped to a residential address in NV. Then the piece dives into the firearms laws, first covering the process for buying firearms, and then the ins and outs of the carriage of firearms in the state. To wrap up, the piece concludes with some resources and information that we think you would find useful if you are interested in buying, owning, and carrying ammo and firearms in Nevada.
We do not intend this piece as legal advice. Instead, we hope that the information here is useful to you in making your own, informed decisions.
Nevada, like most states, has preemption. This means that the state legislature has declared that smaller political units such as counties, cities, and towns cannot make or enforce gun laws that are stricter than those at the state level. Preemption makes life a bit simpler for gun owners, as it means that once you understand the laws of the state, that understanding can be applied to the state as a whole.
Generally, Nevada is among the most permissive states in the country in terms of its ammunition and firearms laws. There is a current legal debate in the state over the enforcement of a requirement for background checks of some private sales of firearms, but, aside from that, the state generally follows federal laws and does not impose very many additional restrictions at the state level.
Ammo Laws/Buying Ammo in Nevada
First, we will cover the ammo laws of the state.
While Nevada is generally permissive with its ammunition laws, it does have a ban on armor-piercing handgun ammunition, which echoes federal law on the matter. Aside from that ban, Nevada does not impose additional ammo restrictions aside from those already in place at the federal level.
To meet federal requirements to purchase ammunition in Nevada, buyers have to meet two requirements. The first concerns itself with age: buyers of ammo have to be eighteen years of age or older to purchase long gun ammo for rifles or shotguns, and at least twenty-one to buy ammunition for handguns.
Secondly, buyers cannot be prohibited persons. The ATF defines prohibited persons as people who have been convicted of domestic violence or a felony, people who have been found mentally unfit in court, and people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for inpatient treatment.
Assuming that the buyer meets both of those sets of requirements, Nevada’s state government is fine with having ammunition shipped to a residential address. Keep in mind that carriers do sometimes impose their own rules, such as asking for an adult with valid identification to be present to sign for a package containing ammunition.
Because Nevada’s only ammunition ban merely echoes federal laws prohibiting polymer-coated handgun bullets, Nevada’s ammo laws are among the most permissive in the country, and it is a simple process for legal buyers to have ammo shipped to a residence in the state.
Gun Laws/Buying Guns in Nevada
Next, we will do the same analysis for Nevada’s gun laws.
Nevada’s firearms laws are nearly as permissive as its ammunition laws. The state does not have a magazine ban of any kind, nor does it have an assault weapons ban that either bans weapons by name or by a list of features. Nevada, similarly, does not have an issue with its residents owning NFA items such as machine guns, suppressors, and short-barreled rifles/shotguns, but, of course, federal laws and regulations apply in the state.
The state of Nevada does not have a permitting process to own or purchase firearms in the state, and there are no mandatory waiting periods to purchase firearms. Thus, buying a gun from a dealer in Nevada follows the federal process.
Potential firearm buyers in the state should bring both a valid form of identification and a form of payment to the gun store. Once there, the FFL will ask the buyer to fill out ATF’s Form 4473 to complete a background check and to make a record of the purchase. As soon as the background check and payment are both approved, the buyer can leave with their firearm that same day.
Buying from a private seller in the state is more complicated, however. On paper, the state has a law that mandates that gun dealers run background checks for sales of firearms between private parties in the state. The state’s Attorney General, however, has opined that such a law is effectively impossible to enforce within the state. As it stands now, however, folks looking to comply exactly with the letter of the law should have an FFL complete a background check through the state of Nevada on private firearms sales. This will likely either be repealed or at least clarified legally, in the coming years.
Nevada is fairly permissive when it comes to the carriage of firearms. Open carry is legal, with some restrictions, such as not being able to openly carry while on a public roadway. No permit is required for open carriage of a firearm in Nevada.
Nevada does require a permit to carry a firearm concealed, and it is a shall-issue state. The process for getting the Nevada CCW is handled by the local sheriff’s office. Nevada’s permit is somewhat widely recognized by other states.
The vast majority of states have a list of places where it is generally forbidden to carry a firearm and Nevada is no exception. In the states, firearms are prohibited in:
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Airports
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K-12 public schools unless given permission
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Places with metal detectors and posted signage
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Police stations
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Correctional Facilities
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State-owned buildings
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Courthouses
Nevada’s list of prohibited places is fairly short, and not out of character with other permissive states.
Overall, Nevada’s gun laws are fairly permissive. The need for a concealed carry permit does make the state a little less permissive than the most permissive states, and the controversy around the private sale of firearms leaves a lot to be desired in terms of clarity on procedures and enforcement. With those two caveats in mind, it is generally fairly simple to be a law-abiding gun owner in Nevada.
Sales Tax on Guns/Ammo in Nevada
The general sales tax in Nevada is 6.85%, and, in some cases, localities add their own sales taxes to bring the total tax rate up to an effective 8.375%.
Like most states, Nevada does not impose special, separate taxes on the purchase of firearms and ammunition.
More Resources:
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The ATF maintains a list of every FFL in the country, including in Nevada. This list is kept up to date and can be used to find local gun stores, which are usually Type One or Type Two FFLs.
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Wheretoshoot.org is a great tool for finding ranges that are convenient for you. Use the mileage, zip code, and city filters to find ranges where you want to shoot, anywhere in the country. Users can also upload additional ranges, and the information is frequently checked for accuracy.
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There are a number of well-rated gun stores in the state.
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The Nevada Shooters forum is fairly active, and has good information on local events: it’s a good place to keep up on the evolving legalities of the private party background check rule.