Nevada permits open carry of a handgun or long gun by an adult 18 or older who is not a prohibited person, without any permit and without registration....
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
Nevada permits open carry of a handgun or long gun by an adult 18 or older who is not a prohibited person, without any permit and without registration. Nevada law does not directly regulate "open carry" as a distinct activity; rather, it regulates concealed carry under NRS 202.350 and leaves open (unconcealed) carry largely outside the criminal code, subject to the place-of-carry restrictions, prohibited-person rules, and federal overlays that apply to all firearm possession.
Nevada has no statute that requires a permit or license to openly carry a firearm in public. The criminal weapons statute, NRS 202.350, prohibits carrying concealed without a permit; it does not prohibit unconcealed carry. The Nevada Supreme Court and the Nevada Attorney General have long recognized that open carry is lawful absent some other applicable restriction.
The state's broad preemption statute, NRS 268.418 (incorporated firearms) and NRS 244.364 (counties), bars local jurisdictions from adopting ordinances that regulate the carrying, possession, or transportation of firearms more strictly than state law. See PREEMPTION. Local jurisdictions therefore cannot make open carry unlawful by ordinance in places where state law permits it.
A person may openly carry a firearm in Nevada if they:
Open carry of a handgun is lawful in the same locations and under the same conditions as unconcealed carry of a long gun. The handgun must be openly visible to ordinary observation by a person in ordinary proximity. A handgun in a holster on a hip, chest, or thigh outside outer clothing is openly carried. A handgun under a jacket or in a bag is concealed and requires a CFP.
A handgun carried in a vehicle in plain view on the seat or dashboard is generally considered openly carried; however, see VEHICLE_CARRY for the interplay between open carry and the vehicle's interior.
A long gun (rifle or shotgun) is openly carried whenever it is unconcealed. Slung over a shoulder, carried in the hand, or stored visibly in an unlocked vehicle compartment counts as openly carried. Concealed carry of a long gun is not authorized by any Nevada permit and is generally impractical, but if concealed (e.g., in a closed case), the long gun is not "concealed on or about the person" within the meaning of NRS 202.350 unless physically attached to the person such that the firearm is hidden.
Nevada does not distinguish between loaded and unloaded firearms for the purpose of open carry on foot in public. A loaded openly carried handgun is lawful. The loaded-firearm distinction appears in:
Open carry is not permitted in:
See PROHIBITED_PLACES for the full list.
Openly carrying a firearm does not authorize:
A CFP holder may carry openly or concealed at the holder's option. A person without a CFP may carry openly but not concealed. A person who is openly carrying and then conceals the firearm (e.g., by putting on a jacket) without a CFP commits the offense under NRS 202.350.
Open carry is lawful but uncommon in Nevada's urban centers (Las Vegas, Reno, Henderson). Casinos, retail establishments, and most large employers post against open carry as a matter of private policy. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has issued public guidance reminding that open carry is lawful but advising carriers to be prepared to identify themselves and to comply with lawful stops, particularly when carry triggers reasonable-suspicion calls from members of the public.
A Nevada CFP holder generally has more flexibility to operate in mixed environments because concealment avoids the public-attention cost of open carry while remaining legal.
See CONCEALED_CARRY for concealed carry rules, VEHICLE_CARRY for vehicle-specific rules, PROHIBITED_PLACES for location restrictions, and UNDER_INFLUENCE for intoxication limits.
This page covers one part of our Nevada concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Nevada guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.