Constitutional Carry in Nevada: What the Law Allows

Constitutional Carry in Nevada

The Headline

Nevada is not a constitutional carry state. Carrying a concealed handgun in public without a valid Concealed Firearm Permit (CFP) is a felony under NRS 202.350(2)(c). Nevada law does, however, permit open carry of a firearm without any permit, which functionally provides for unlicensed carry in unconcealed form (see OPEN_CARRY).

The Nevada Legislature has considered constitutional carry bills in multiple sessions; as of May 2026, none has been enacted. The most recent attempts (AB 233 in 2025 and AB 138 in 2023) failed in committee.

What "constitutional carry" means

Constitutional carry (also called "permitless carry") is a statutory regime under which an adult who is not a prohibited person may carry a concealed handgun in public without first obtaining a state-issued permit. As of May 2026, approximately 29 states have enacted permitless carry in some form (most recently Louisiana in 2024 and South Carolina in 2024). Nevada is not on that list.

A small number of states (Vermont and at points historically Alaska before 2003) recognized permitless carry by judicial doctrine or constitutional construction without explicit statutory provision. Nevada falls into neither category: NRS 202.350 categorically criminalizes concealed carry without a permit, and Nevada courts have consistently upheld the statute.

State constitutional context

The Nevada Constitution recognizes the right to keep and bear arms at Nev. Const. art. I, Section 11(1): "Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes." The Nevada Supreme Court has interpreted this provision as conferring an individual right, but has consistently held that the right is subject to reasonable regulation, including the permit requirement for concealed carry.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) invalidated New York's discretionary "good cause" requirement for concealed-carry licensing but left intact state authority to require a permit on objective, shall-issue criteria. Nevada's CFP framework is shall-issue under NRS 202.3657 and post-Bruen has not been the subject of successful Second Amendment challenge.

What this means for the carrier

Without a CFP, a person in Nevada may:

• Openly carry a handgun or long gun if 18 or older, not a prohibited person, and not in a prohibited place. See OPEN_CARRY.
• Carry concealed in the carrier's own home or place of business without a permit, under the common-law and statutory recognition that NRS 202.350's "in public" reach does not extend to a person's own dwelling or place of business (see NRS 202.350(3)(a)).
• Carry under a valid out-of-state CCW if Nevada recognizes that state's permit under NRS 202.3688 (see RECIPROCITY).
• Carry under federal LEOSA if qualified active or retired law enforcement under 18 U.S.C. Section 926C.

Without a CFP or one of the above exceptions, the person may not carry a concealed firearm on or about the person in any public place, vehicle on a public street, or any other location where the person does not have the constitutional or statutory exception above.

Penalty for unlicensed concealed carry

Under NRS 202.350(2)(c):

• First offense: Category C felony - 1 to 5 years state prison, fine up to $10,000.
• Second or subsequent: Category B felony - 1 to 6 years prison, fine up to $5,000.

There is no statutory misdemeanor tier for concealed-carry-without-permit; the first violation is a felony.

Recent and pending legislation

Nevada constitutional-carry bills in recent sessions:

• AB 233 (2025) - Would have repealed NRS 202.350(2)(c) and made the CFP optional. Died in committee.
• AB 138 (2023) - Similar repeal proposal. Died in committee.
• AB 137 (2021) - Similar proposal in earlier session. Did not advance.

Constitutional-carry advocacy continues in Nevada through the Nevada Firearms Coalition and national groups (NRA-ILA, GOA). None of the proposals has passed either chamber.

Out-of-state reciprocity does not equal constitutional carry

A common misconception: a person from a constitutional-carry state (e.g., Arizona, Idaho, Utah) does not receive constitutional-carry treatment in Nevada. Such a person, if they hold no permit at all, may not carry concealed in Nevada. If they hold a permit from a Nevada-recognized reciprocity state, they may carry concealed under the reciprocity provisions of NRS 202.3688 (see RECIPROCITY).

Reciprocity is a permit-to-permit recognition. It does not extend to states that have abolished the permit; carriers from those states should obtain a non-resident Nevada CFP or a permit from a third state that Nevada recognizes (e.g., Florida non-resident, Arizona non-resident, or Utah non-resident, which Nevada has historically recognized).

Federal floor unchanged

The Gun Control Act (18 U.S.C. Section 921 et seq.) and the Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. Section 922(q)) apply in Nevada regardless of any state constitutional-carry rule. A Nevada CFP holder gets the section 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) exemption (state-licensed permittee); a person openly carrying without any permit does not get that exemption and may not knowingly be within 1,000 feet of a school zone while in possession of a firearm.

Key statutory references

• NRS 202.350 - Carrying concealed without a permit (felony).
• NRS 202.350(3)(a) - Exception for one's own home or place of business.
• NRS 202.3657 - Shall-issue CFP framework.
• NRS 202.3688 - Out-of-state permit reciprocity.
• Nev. Const. art. I, Section 11(1) - Right to keep and bear arms.
• 18 U.S.C. Section 922(q) - Gun-Free School Zones Act.
• 18 U.S.C. Section 926C - LEOSA.
• New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) - Federal constitutional baseline for shall-issue carry licensing.

See OPEN_CARRY for what unlicensed open carry permits, CONCEALED_CARRY for permit-based concealed carry, RECIPROCITY for honoring out-of-state permits, and PERMIT_BASICS for the CFP application path.