Harassment Laws in Nevada: Penalties, Stalking, and Protective Orders

Nevada harassment laws make it a crime to knowingly threaten another person in a way that places them in reasonable fear the threat will be carried out. The core statute is NRS 200.571, and a first offense is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.¹ Penalties climb quickly when the conduct becomes a pattern (stalking), involves threats of death or serious injury (aggravated stalking), or involves sharing intimate images. Victims can seek protective orders and file civil suits regardless of whether prosecutors bring charges.

What Nevada Law Treats as Harassment

Under NRS 200.571, harassment means knowingly threatening to cause future bodily injury, damage someone’s property, physically confine or restrain a person, or substantially harm their physical or mental health or safety.¹ The threat can be spoken, written, or electronic. Text messages, emails, and social media posts all count.

Two elements have to be present. The person making the threat acted knowingly, and the person receiving it was placed in reasonable fear the threat would actually be carried out. That second element matters more than people expect. A sarcastic remark, an obvious joke, or a comment with no realistic basis for fear generally will not meet the legal threshold. Prosecutors must prove intent beyond a reasonable doubt, and Nevada courts have recognized that this intent requirement keeps the statute from sweeping in constitutionally protected speech.

Penalties for a Harassment Conviction

A first harassment offense is a misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.²¹ Courts may add counseling, anger management, or community service as part of sentencing.

When Harassment Becomes Stalking

Where harassment can involve a single threatening act, stalking under NRS 200.575 requires a pattern. A person commits stalking by willfully or maliciously engaging in repeated conduct directed at a victim that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or fearful for their immediate safety or that of a family or household member.³ Following someone, showing up uninvited at their home or workplace, and sending persistent unwanted messages are common examples.

Penalties escalate with repeat offenses and severity:

A first offense is a misdemeanor: up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.²
A second offense is a gross misdemeanor: up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.⁴
Aggravated stalking, meaning stalking combined with a threat intended to cause reasonable fear of death or substantial bodily harm, is a category B felony: 2 to 15 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000.³

Stalking a Minor

Separate penalties apply when the victim is under 16 and the offender is at least five years older. A first offense is a gross misdemeanor. A second offense is a category C felony (1 to 5 years and up to $5,000). A third or later offense is a category B felony (2 to 15 years and up to $5,000).⁵

Cyberstalking

The stalking statute applies equally to online conduct. Persistent monitoring, tracking, or intimidating someone through digital platforms qualifies as stalking when the same pattern-of-conduct and reasonable-fear elements are met, and the penalties mirror those for in-person stalking. Online behavior that includes threats of death or substantial bodily harm can support aggravated stalking charges.

Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent

Nevada separately criminalizes what is often called “revenge porn” under NRS 200.780. A person commits this offense by electronically sharing or selling an intimate image of another person with the intent to harass, harm, or terrorize, when the person depicted did not consent, had a reasonable expectation of privacy, and was at least 18 when the image was created.⁶ Intimate images include photographs or videos showing certain nudity or sexual conduct. Images where the person is unidentifiable, or where they voluntarily exposed themselves in a public setting, are excluded.

This is a category D felony, punishable by 1 to 4 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000.⁷ Exceptions cover disclosures made in the legitimate public interest, to report unlawful conduct, or for law enforcement. A person convicted under this statute is not classified as a sex offender and is not subject to sex offender registration.⁶

Federal law adds another layer. The Take It Down Act makes it a separate crime to publish or threaten to publish intimate images or AI-generated deepfakes without consent, with penalties of up to two years in prison for offenses involving adults and up to three years for those involving minors.⁸ A person can be charged under both the Nevada and federal statutes for the same conduct.

Getting a Protective Order

A victim of harassment, stalking, or aggravated stalking can petition a court for a protective order under NRS 200.591, whether or not criminal charges have been filed. This is the harassment-specific protective order statute, separate from domestic violence protective orders in Chapter 33. You do not need a domestic relationship with the harasser to use it.

The court can order the offender to stay away from the victim’s home, school, workplace, or any other location the court specifies. It can prohibit contact, intimidation, or threats aimed at the victim or family and household members named in the order. Beyond those standard provisions, the court has broad authority to add any restriction it considers necessary.⁹

Temporary vs. Extended Orders

A temporary order can be granted with or without notice to the person being restrained, which makes it usable in emergencies. An extended order requires that the other party receive formal notice and have the chance to appear at a hearing before the court issues it.⁹

Violating a temporary order is a gross misdemeanor. Violating an extended order is a category C felony, punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000.⁷

If the Harasser Is a Family or Household Member

When harassment happens within a domestic relationship, a victim may also seek protection under NRS Chapter 33. Extended domestic violence protective orders can last up to two years and may include firearm restrictions requiring the offender to surrender, sell, or transfer any firearms they possess.¹⁰ Violating a firearm restriction in a domestic violence protective order is a category B felony, carrying 1 to 6 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000.

Suing the Harasser in Civil Court

Criminal charges and civil lawsuits run on separate tracks. A victim can pursue both, and a civil case requires only a preponderance of the evidence rather than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Three claims come up most often.

Intentional infliction of emotional distress requires showing the defendant’s conduct was extreme and outrageous, that they acted intentionally or recklessly, and that the conduct caused severe emotional distress. Courts look for behavior that goes beyond ordinary insults or annoyances. Recoverable damages can include medical expenses, therapy costs, and emotional suffering. The statute of limitations generally runs two to four years depending on the jurisdiction, so filing promptly matters.

Defamation may fit when harassment includes false statements that damage the victim’s reputation. The victim must show a false statement, communication to at least one other person, and reputational harm. In cases involving false accusations of criminal or professional misconduct, damages may be presumed without proving specific financial loss.

Invasion of privacy can apply when harassment intrudes on someone’s private life, particularly when personal details are shared publicly without consent or when there is persistent intrusion into personal space and communications.

Evidence That Helps a Harassment Case

Harassment cases turn on documentation, because the conduct is usually verbal or digital rather than physical. Strong evidence includes saved text messages, voicemails, emails, social media posts, and screenshots of online communications. Metadata and IP addresses can help establish who sent a particular message. Witnesses who observed the conduct add corroboration, and prior police reports or existing protective orders reinforce the pattern.

Nevada courts follow the best evidence rule, so originals or properly authenticated reproductions are preferred. If a defendant deletes or alters electronic records after learning they may be relevant, prosecutors can raise spoliation, which typically works against the person who destroyed the evidence. Save and document early. What looks minor at first often becomes central later.

Related Charges That May Apply

Several other statutes overlap with harassment depending on the facts.

NRS 202.448 criminalizes threats involving acts of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, or biological, chemical, or radioactive agents. It is not a general “terroristic threats” statute; it targets threats specifically tied to those categories. A violation is a category B felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000.¹¹

NRS 199.240 covers intimidating or bribing a witness. Using force, threats, or intimidation to influence testimony in a legal proceeding is a category C felony, carrying 1 to 5 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $50,000.¹² When harassment targets someone because of their role in a court case, this statute often applies alongside or instead of the general harassment charge.

NRS 193.167 enhances penalties when certain crimes, including assault and battery, are committed against a person aged 60 or older or a vulnerable person. The enhancement adds a term equal to the original sentence for misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors, or 1 to 20 additional years for felonies.¹³ Harassment itself is not on the list of qualifying offenses, but related conduct escalating to assault or battery against an elderly or vulnerable victim triggers the enhancement.

Workplace Harassment Follows a Different Track

Harassment at work can trigger federal employment protections alongside Nevada’s criminal statutes. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are liable for harassment by supervisors that results in a tangible employment action such as demotion, firing, or a pay cut. When harassment comes from coworkers or other non-supervisory employees, employer liability turns on whether the employer knew about the conduct and took prompt corrective action.¹⁴

Filing a charge with the EEOC is generally a prerequisite to a federal lawsuit. The deadline is 180 calendar days from the last incident, extended to 300 days if a state or local agency also enforces a discrimination law covering the same conduct. Nevada has such an agency, so the 300-day deadline generally applies here.¹⁵ Federal law also prohibits retaliation against employees who file a harassment complaint, testify in an investigation, or participate in any proceeding under the anti-discrimination laws.

1
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200.571 – Harassment: Definition; Penalties
2
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 193.150 – Punishment of Misdemeanors
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200.575 – Stalking: Definitions; Penalties
4
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 193.140 – Punishment of Gross Misdemeanors
5
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200.575 – Stalking: Definitions; Penalties
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200.780 – Unlawful Dissemination of Intimate Image; Exceptions; Penalty
7
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 193.130 – Categories and Punishment of Felonies
8
Congress.gov. The TAKE IT DOWN Act: A Federal Law Prohibiting Nonconsensual Intimate Images
9
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200.591 – Court May Impose Temporary or Extended Order
10
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 33.031 – Extended Order May Prohibit Possession of Firearm
11
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 202.448 – Making Threats or Conveying False Information Concerning Acts of Terrorism
12
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 199.240 – Bribing or Intimidating Witness to Influence Testimony
13
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 193.167 – Certain Crimes Committed Against Person 60 Years of Age or Older or Against Vulnerable Person
14
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Harassment
15
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Time Limits For Filing A Charge