Concealed Carry Laws in Nevada: Permits, Training, and Reciprocity

Nevada concealed carry laws let any qualifying adult 21 or older get a permit to carry a concealed handgun, and the state’s sheriff must issue the permit once you meet the legal requirements. The permit covers up to two specific handguns you list on the application, lasts five years, and requires an eight-hour firearms course with a live-fire qualification. Open carry, by contrast, requires no permit at all, which is worth knowing before you start the paperwork.

When You Actually Need a Permit

Anyone 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm may openly carry a handgun in Nevada without a permit. Open carry is allowed in more places than concealed carry, because the “no firearms” signs posted at public building entrances only restrict concealed weapons under state law. Carry openly and you skip the permit process entirely, though school property, child care facilities, and federally prohibited locations remain off-limits.

A CCW permit becomes necessary when you want to carry a handgun so it isn’t visible to ordinary observation. That includes an inside-the-waistband holster under a shirt, a purse carry, or any method where the weapon isn’t plainly visible. The statute defines a “concealed firearm” as any loaded or unloaded handgun carried so it is not discernible by ordinary observation.¹

Who Qualifies for a Permit

You must be at least 21 years old to apply. Active-duty military members and those with an honorable discharge can apply at 18.² Both residents and non-residents are eligible. Residents apply through the sheriff’s office in their county of residence; non-residents apply through the sheriff of the county where they completed their firearms training.

The sheriff must deny your application if any of the following apply:

A felony conviction under Nevada law or the laws of any other state or U.S. territory.
A conviction for domestic violence or stalking, or a current restraining or protective order for domestic violence.
Any outstanding warrant for your arrest.
Habitual use of alcohol or a controlled substance to the point of impairment. A DUI conviction or court-ordered treatment program within the past five years creates a presumption of this. Marijuana users also face a separate federal prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), regardless of Nevada’s state-level legalization.
A misdemeanor conviction involving the use or threat of force within the preceding three years.
Being judicially declared incompetent or insane, or having been admitted to a mental health facility within the preceding five years.
Currently being on parole or probation from any conviction.
Being subject to an emergency or extended order for protection against high-risk behavior.
Providing false information on any permit application.

These same disqualifiers also serve as grounds for revoking an existing permit if your circumstances change.¹

The Two-Handgun Limit

Each Nevada CCW permit covers a maximum of two specific handguns. Your application must list the make, model, and caliber of each firearm, and your training course must include qualification with those specific weapons.³ To carry a different handgun later, you have to update your permit. Decide which two firearms you plan to carry before you schedule training.

Required Training

Before applying, you must complete an eight-hour firearms safety course covering Nevada’s laws on firearm use and concealed carry, safe handling, and a live-fire qualification on a shooting range. The course can be split into two four-hour sessions no more than 15 days apart. You must qualify with each handgun you plan to list on your permit.⁴

The course must be approved by a Nevada sheriff. When you pass, you receive a certificate of completion valid for one year. If you don’t submit your permit application within that window, you’ll have to retake the entire course.⁴

Renewal applicants take a shorter four-hour refresher course that still includes a live-fire qualification but doesn’t repeat the full classroom curriculum.¹

Applying, Fees, and Timing

With your training certificate in hand, you visit the sheriff’s office to submit the formal application. Residents apply in the county where they live; non-residents apply in the county where they completed training.² The appointment includes fingerprinting and a photograph for your permit card, which the sheriff uses to run a background check through national databases.

Application fees for a new permit run roughly $99 in most counties, covering processing and the FBI background check.⁵ Amounts vary slightly by county. Renewal fees are lower, typically around $64. All fees are non-refundable even if your application is denied.

State law gives the sheriff 120 days to either issue the permit or send a written denial explaining the specific legal grounds. That written denial is your starting point if you want to appeal. Once issued, your permit is good for five years.¹

Where a Nevada Permit Does Not Let You Carry

A CCW permit doesn’t give you access everywhere. Nevada law creates overlapping restrictions, each with its own penalty, and federal law adds another layer on top.

Schools, Child Care Facilities, and Higher Education

NRS 202.265 prohibits anyone from possessing a firearm on the property of any public or private school, child care facility, or campus of the Nevada System of Higher Education. CCW holders are not exempt. The only exceptions are peace officers, school security guards, and individuals who have obtained written permission from the school principal, child care facility operator, or university president. A violation is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.⁶

Public Buildings

Under NRS 202.3673, CCW holders can generally carry in public buildings, with two exceptions:

Public buildings located on the grounds of a public airport.
Public buildings with metal detectors at every entrance or “no firearms” signs posted at every entrance. Judges in their own courthouses, prosecutors, and employees of the building are exempt.

A violation of either restriction is a misdemeanor.¹ The school-property charge is the more serious of the two, so don’t treat them as interchangeable.

Federal Facilities

Your state permit carries no weight in buildings owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly work. Post offices, VA hospitals, federal courthouses, and Social Security offices are all off-limits. Possessing a firearm in a federal facility is punishable by up to one year in prison, with higher penalties for federal court facilities or intent to commit a crime.⁷

Tribal Lands

Your state CCW permit almost certainly won’t be honored on reservation land. Tribal governments exercise sovereign authority over their territory and set their own firearms policies independent of state law. Possessing a firearm on tribal land without permission can result in confiscation and a hearing in tribal court. If you’re driving through a reservation, the safest approach is to keep any firearms unloaded and locked in the trunk, and contact the specific tribal government before planning to carry.

National Parks

Federal law generally allows you to possess a firearm in national parks and wildlife refuges as long as you comply with the laws of the state where the park is located. Because Nevada allows concealed carry with a valid permit, a CCW holder can carry in most outdoor areas of Nevada’s national parks. Firearms remain prohibited inside federal buildings within those parks, such as visitor centers, ranger stations, and administrative offices, which are required to be posted at every public entrance.⁸

Carrying in a Vehicle

You can openly carry a handgun anywhere in your vehicle without a permit. The firearm can sit on the passenger seat, in a door pocket, or on the dashboard, as long as it’s visible. Carrying concealed on your person while in a vehicle requires a CCW. Storing a handgun out of sight in the glove box, center console, or trunk does not count as concealed carry on your person and does not require a permit.

Long guns follow a separate rule. You cannot drive with a loaded rifle or shotgun in Nevada. A loaded magazine is fine as long as there is no cartridge in the firing chamber.

Traffic Stops and Encounters with Police

Nevada does not require you to volunteer that you’re carrying a concealed weapon during a traffic stop. If a peace officer asks whether you’re armed or asks to see your permit, you must present both the permit and valid identification. Keeping your hands visible and calmly disclosing that you’re carrying before the officer spots the weapon is the practical approach, even though the law doesn’t mandate it.

Losing or Renewing Your Permit

The same disqualifiers that prevent you from getting a permit will get an existing one revoked if your circumstances change. A new felony conviction, a domestic violence conviction, a restraining order, admission to a mental health facility, or landing on parole or probation will all trigger revocation by the sheriff who issued the permit.¹ The sheriff also has discretion to consider revocation based on a sworn statement from any person 18 or older providing specific facts suggesting you’re no longer fit to carry.

Failing to renew before your five-year expiration simply lets the permit lapse. Carrying concealed with an expired permit exposes you to the same criminal penalties as carrying without one.

Reciprocity With Other States

Under NRS 202.3688, anyone with a valid permit from a recognized state may carry concealed in Nevada as long as they follow all of Nevada’s carry restrictions.⁹ The Nevada Department of Public Safety maintains and periodically updates the list of recognized states. That list changes as other states modify their own laws, so check the current version before traveling.

Non-resident permits come with a wrinkle. Some states only recognize permits issued by the holder’s actual state of residence, not permits obtained from a third state. If you hold a Nevada non-resident permit, a state with that kind of residency requirement won’t honor it. Visitors carrying under reciprocity must keep the physical permit on them at all times, and your home state’s rules do not travel with you. Every Nevada prohibited location and restriction still applies.

1
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202 – Crimes Against Public Health and Safety
2
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Apply for a CCW Permit Online
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 202 – Concealed Firearms
4
Churchill County Nevada. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards
5
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Concealed Carry Firearm Permits
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202-265 – Possession of Dangerous Weapon on Property of School, Child Care Facility or Nevada System of Higher Education
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
8
National Park Service. Firearms Regulations in the Park
9
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202-3688 – Circumstances in Which Holder of Permit Issued by Another State May Carry Concealed Firearm in This State