Nevada Knife Laws: Open Carry, Concealed, and Restricted Places

Nevada knife laws let you own almost any knife and carry one openly without a permit, but concealing a knife that qualifies as a dangerous or deadly weapon is a Category C felony unless you have a concealed weapon permit from your county sheriff. Local governments can add their own restrictions on top of the state rules, so where you are in Nevada matters as much as what you’re carrying.

What Knives You Can Own

Nevada places almost no restrictions on knife ownership. Fixed blades, folders, bowie knives, stilettos, daggers, dirks, and swords are all legal to possess. Switchblades and other automatic knives became legal again in 2015 when SB 176 repealed the longstanding ban and also removed dirks and daggers from the list of outright prohibited weapons.

NRS 202.350 still prohibits manufacturing, importing, selling, or possessing blackjacks, slungshots, billies, sand-clubs, sandbags, and metal knuckles.¹ None of those are knives. For practical purposes, if you can buy it, you can own it in Nevada.

Open Carry Is Unrestricted at the State Level

Nevada does not restrict the open carry of knives. A blade in a belt sheath, a folder clipped to a pocket with the handle showing, or a machete in plain view all sit outside the concealed weapon provisions. This covers fixed blades, large folders, and anything in between. The test is whether ordinary observation can detect the weapon. Open carry is the simplest way to stay on the right side of state law, though city and county rules may still apply.

Concealed Carry Can Be a Felony

Carrying a concealed knife that qualifies as a “dangerous or deadly weapon” without a permit is a Category C felony under NRS 202.350, punishable by one to five years in state prison.¹ That felony applies from the first offense.

Machetes are handled on a separate track. Concealing a machete is a gross misdemeanor on a first offense, carrying up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, and a Category D felony on a second offense, carrying one to four years in prison.²

“Concealed” means carried on your person in a manner not discernible by ordinary observation.¹ A knife in your bag, inside a pocket, or on a belt under a jacket all count.

Which Knives Are “Dangerous or Deadly”

NRS 202.350 does not define which knives, other than machetes, qualify as dangerous or deadly weapons. There is no blade-length cutoff in the statute. NRS 202.265 and NRS 202.320 list dirks, daggers, and switchblades as deadly weapons, which gives some guidance, and a small folding pocket knife probably falls outside that category. The classification often comes down to the circumstances of the encounter and the discretion of the officer involved. If you are unsure about a particular knife, your county sheriff’s office can give you a direct answer.

How to Get a Permit

NRS 202.350 authorizes the sheriff of any county to issue a concealed weapon permit for non-firearm weapons like knives.¹ This is a separate document from a concealed firearms permit. You apply in writing to your county sheriff, state the reason you want to carry the weapon, and describe the specific weapon. The sheriff has discretion to grant or deny, which makes this a may-issue process. The permit covers only the weapon described in your application.

Where You Can’t Carry a Knife

Schools and Childcare

NRS 202.265 prohibits carrying dirks, daggers, switchblades, firearms, explosives, and nunchaku on the property of any public or private school, childcare facility, or campus within the Nevada System of Higher Education, including school vehicles.³ A violation is a gross misdemeanor, up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.²

The statute lists specific weapon types rather than all knives, so a small folding pocket knife may fall outside its scope. School administrators and security will almost certainly treat any blade as prohibited on campus anyway. Leave knives in your vehicle before you walk onto school or childcare property.

Public Buildings

NRS 202.3673 restricts concealed firearms in public buildings that screen with metal detectors at every entrance or post no-firearms signage.⁴ That statute is written for firearms, not knives. Individual courthouses, government offices, and other public facilities commonly prohibit all weapons through building policy and will confiscate knives at screening. The absence of a statutory ban does not mean you can walk a knife through courthouse security.

Brandishing a Legal Knife

A legal knife becomes a criminal problem the moment you use it to threaten someone. Under NRS 202.320, drawing or displaying a deadly weapon in a rude, angry, or threatening manner in the presence of two or more people is a misdemeanor.⁵ The statute does not require that anyone actually feared for their safety, and it does not have to happen in public. A heated argument at a backyard gathering with witnesses present qualifies.

Self-defense is an affirmative defense, which means you can raise it at trial but you carry the burden of showing the display was necessary. Peace officers acting in the lawful discharge of their duties are exempt.⁵

If an Officer Stops You

Nevada does not require you to proactively tell an officer that you are carrying a concealed weapon during a traffic stop or other encounter. You only have to disclose if the officer asks. If an officer finds a knife during a pat-down, calmly identifying it and producing a valid permit will go better than silence. If you are carrying openly, the knife is already visible.

Local Ordinances Can Be Stricter

Nevada preempts local regulation of firearms, but that preemption does not extend to knives. The 2015 reform originally included knife preemption language, but that provision was stripped before the bill passed. Cities and counties are free to impose knife rules stricter than state law.

Clark County is the biggest example. County Code 12.04.110 restricts knives with blades longer than three inches on public sidewalks and pedestrian easements in certain areas. A folder that is perfectly legal to carry openly under state law can get you cited in parts of the Las Vegas metro if the blade exceeds that limit. Other Nevada municipalities have their own codes. Before you travel with a knife, check the ordinances for every city and county on your route. A call to the local police department or sheriff’s office is usually the fastest way to get a clear answer.

Minors

Nevada’s statutes aimed at minors and weapons, NRS 202.300 and NRS 202.310, apply to firearms rather than knives.⁵ That does not give minors a free pass. The weapon-free zone rules under NRS 202.265 apply to everyone regardless of age, and general criminal statutes covering assault with a deadly weapon or brandishing apply equally to juveniles. The same practical rules that apply to adults — open carry, awareness of local ordinances, and avoidance of weapon-free zones — are the baseline for minors, with the added point that schools have zero tolerance for any blade on campus.

1
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.350 – Manufacture, Importation, Possession or Use of Dangerous Weapon or Silencer; Carrying Concealed Weapon Without Permit; Penalties; Issuance of Permit to Carry Concealed Weapon; Exceptions
2
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 193 – Criminality Generally
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.265 – Possession of Dangerous Weapon on Property or in Vehicle of School or Child Care Facility; Penalty; Exceptions
4
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 202.3673 – Permittee Authorized to Carry Concealed Firearm; Exceptions
5
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 202 – Crimes Against Public Health and Safety