Sheriff’s Card Las Vegas: Requirements, Cost, and Renewal

A Sheriff’s Card in Las Vegas is a work permit issued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that you need before starting certain regulated jobs in Clark County. To get one, you bring an employer-signed application, two forms of ID, and $104 to the LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau, where staff take your photo and fingerprints and run a background check. Most applicants walk out with the card the same day.

Who Needs One

Clark County ordinances and Nevada state law require work cards for employees in specific regulated industries, particularly jobs tied to liquor or gaming licenses. You’ll hear the document called a Sheriff’s Card, work card, or work permit; they’re the same thing.¹

Common positions that require a card include bartenders, package store employees, exotic dancers, escorts, mobile food vendors, locksmiths, and pawnbrokers.²

Casino jobs are a separate track. If you’re going to work as a dealer, cage worker, or other gaming employee, you may need both a Sheriff’s Card and a gaming employee registration through the Nevada Gaming Control Board, since state law prohibits working as a gaming employee without being registered or temporarily registered with the Board.³ Your employer’s HR department can tell you which credentials your specific position requires.

What to Bring

An Employer-Signed Application

You cannot apply on your own. Your prospective employer must give you the work card application and sign it before you visit the bureau, and the LVMPD will not accept applications without an original employer signature. If you don’t have a job offer yet, secure one first and ask HR for the form. Fill it out in black ink; the bureau won’t accept any other color.²

Two Forms of ID

Bring two valid IDs, at least one with a photo. Accepted photo IDs include a state driver’s license or ID card, a U.S. passport, or a military ID. You’ll also need your Social Security card.²

Two situations add requirements on top of that:

If you are 25 or younger, you must show an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, or a REAL ID card.
If you were born outside the United States, you need an additional document proving authorization to work, such as a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, certified U.S. birth certificate, or INS authorization to work.

These stack. A 24-year-old born outside the U.S. needs documents satisfying both.²

Where to Go

Take everything to the LVMPD Records and Fingerprint Bureau at 400 South Martin Luther King Blvd., Building C, Las Vegas, NV 89106.⁴ The bureau offers appointments for work card services, so check the LVMPD website for current hours and scheduling before you go.

On site, staff photograph you and take electronic fingerprints for the background check. Even if you’ve been fingerprinted before for something else, you’ll be printed again, because the LVMPD requires fresh prints each time.¹

What It Costs

As of July 1, 2025, a new Sheriff’s Card costs $104:

Work card application fee: $65
FBI background check: $39

The fees are non-refundable. You can pay by credit card, debit card, or cash. Money orders and cashier’s checks are accepted only for the exact fee amount.⁵¹

How Long It Takes

Many applicants receive their card the same day. FBI fingerprint results, though, can take anywhere from one to 30 days, depending on the complexity of your record and current processing volumes.²

Criminal History and Denials

A criminal record doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but it’s the biggest reason cards are denied. The LVMPD states that work cards “may not be issued” to people with felony convictions.² You have the right to apply regardless of your history. A technician reviews the application during your visit, and whether you qualify depends on the specific ordinance or statute governing the position.¹

Gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor convictions are evaluated case by case rather than triggering an automatic bar. The type of offense, how long ago it happened, and how it relates to the job all factor in. Federal equal employment guidelines instruct employers weighing criminal history to consider the seriousness of the offense, the time that has passed since the conviction or completion of the sentence, and the nature of the job.⁶

If your application is denied, you can appeal through the Clark County Business License Department. Getting legal advice before an appeal hearing is worth considering, especially if the denial rests on a conviction you believe shouldn’t disqualify you from the specific job.

Validity, Renewal, and Job Changes

A Sheriff’s Card is valid for five years from the date it’s issued.² Renewal works like a fresh application: get a new form signed by your current employer, bring your ID, visit the bureau, and pay the $65 renewal fee plus the $39 FBI background check fee.⁵ Expired cards go through the same process.¹ Don’t let the card lapse while you’re employed in a position that requires one, since working without a valid card can put you and your employer in violation of local ordinances.

Your card is valid only for the type of work it was originally issued for. Moving from bartending to locksmithing, for example, means a new application signed by the new employer and a fresh application for the correct card category.¹ Switching to a different employer within the same type of work is fine; your existing card stays valid for its full five-year term.

1
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Work Cards – FAQs
2
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Work Cards
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 463-335 – Registration of Gaming Employees
4
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Records and Fingerprint Bureau
5
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Service Fees
6
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act