Las Vegas CCW Classes: Live-Fire, LVMPD Application, and Renewal

Las Vegas CCW classes are eight-hour courses taught by Clark County-certified instructors that satisfy the training requirement for a Nevada concealed carry permit. The class combines classroom instruction on Nevada firearm law and handgun safety with a live-fire qualification you must pass to receive a certificate. You then take that certificate to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where a new permit costs $99 including the FBI background check.

What the Class Covers

A new-applicant course runs a minimum of eight hours. The minimum is set by the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association, which establishes training standards for concealed carry permits statewide.¹

The classroom portion focuses on Nevada’s concealed carry statutes, the legal boundaries of using deadly force, and the locations where carrying is prohibited even with a permit. You’ll also cover basic handgun safety and mechanical operation. Instructors must be certified through the Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association, and only classes taught by an approved instructor within Clark County satisfy LVMPD’s application requirements.²

One useful detail: your training certificate lists “handgun” as the qualification without specifying a make, model, or caliber.¹ You don’t need to qualify separately with every handgun you own.

The Live-Fire Qualification

Every class ends with a shooting test on a supervised range. You fire 30 scored rounds at three distances and need to hit the target with at least 70 percent of your shots:

3 yards: 6 rounds
5 yards: 12 rounds
7 yards: 12 rounds

Plan to bring at least 50 rounds of ammunition. The extra covers warm-up and any additional practice the instructor runs. There’s no time limit on the qualification, and Nevada doesn’t mandate a specific stance or grip. If you can put rounds on target at those distances, you pass. Your instructor signs a certificate of competency, which you’ll need for your LVMPD application.

Who Can Take the Class and Get a Permit

You must be at least 21 to apply for a Nevada concealed carry permit. Active-duty members of the Armed Forces, reserves, or National Guard, and anyone honorably discharged, can apply at 18.³

Several things automatically disqualify you:

Any felony conviction under Nevada or federal law.
A conviction for domestic violence or stalking, or an active restraining or protection order against you.
Being judicially declared incompetent or insane, or any voluntary or involuntary admission to a mental health facility in the past five years.
Habitual use of alcohol or controlled substances to the point of impairment. Nevada presumes this if you’ve had a DUI conviction or entered a court-ordered treatment program within the past five years.

These aren’t soft guidelines. The sheriff runs your background through state and federal databases, and any hit means denial.³ If any of these apply to you, taking the class first wastes your time and money.

Applying Through LVMPD After the Class

Once you have your certificate, you submit your application to LVMPD’s Records and Fingerprint Bureau. The application is available on the LVMPD website. Fill it out ahead of time but leave the signature lines blank, since those must be signed in person.²

Schedule an appointment online through LVMPD’s reservation system before showing up. During the visit, staff fingerprint you, take your permit photo, and collect your fees. All fees are non-refundable:

New application (with FBI background check): $99
Renewal (with FBI background check): $64
Late renewal up to 364 days past expiration (with FBI background check): $79

These totals include the base application fee plus the FBI background check cost.⁴

After you submit, the sheriff has 120 days to grant or deny the permit. That window covers the full background investigation through state and federal databases.⁵ If approved, the permit is mailed to your home address.

Non-Residents Taking a Las Vegas Class

Nevada does issue CCW permits to non-residents, but you have to complete your training inside the state. Out-of-state certifications are not accepted. The class must be taught by an instructor certified within Clark County, and it follows the same eight-hour curriculum and live-fire qualification as the resident course.²

Eligibility, fees, and application steps are the same as for residents. You can submit the application in person at the LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau at 400 S. Martin Luther King Blvd. or through the department’s online portal. If you’re flying in specifically to take a class, book your LVMPD appointment in advance so you can finish the application during the same trip.

How Long the Permit Lasts and the Renewal Class

A Nevada concealed carry permit is valid for five years from the date of issuance.² To renew, you submit a renewal application to the sheriff who issued your original permit, pass another background check, and show continued competence by completing a four-hour renewal course that includes live-fire qualification.⁶

The renewal application fee is $25 plus the FBI background check cost. If your permit has already expired, an additional $15 late fee applies. You have up to 364 days past the expiration date to file a late renewal. After that, you start over with a new application and the full eight-hour course.⁴

A permit lets you carry concealed, but it doesn’t erase every restriction. Nevada bars concealed carry in public airport buildings, on school and higher-education campuses without written permission, and in public buildings secured by metal detectors or posted signs.⁷ Federal facilities including courthouses, post offices, VA buildings, and Social Security offices are off-limits under federal law regardless of your state permit.⁸ Your class will cover these in more detail.

1
Churchill County Nevada. Nevada Concealed Handgun Training Standards
2
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Concealed Carry Firearm Permits
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.3657 – Application for Permit; Eligibility; Denial or Revocation of Permit
4
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Service Fees
5
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.366 – Investigation of Applicant for Permit
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.3677 – Application for Renewal of Permit
7
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.3673 – Permittee Authorized to Carry Concealed Firearm
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities