TL;DR
- A CCW permit is required to carry a concealed handgun in Las Vegas and anywhere in Nevada.
- Carrying without a permit can lead to a category C felony with prison time and heavy fines.
- You must be at least 21, or 18 with military service or an honorable discharge, to qualify.
- Applicants must complete an approved firearms safety course and apply through LVMPD.
- A firearm is considered concealed if it is not visible by ordinary observation, including when covered by clothing.
You need a CCW permit to conceal carry handguns in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada. Otherwise, you risk being prosecuted for a category C felony carrying:
- 1 to 5 years in prison and
- up to $10,000 in fines.1
How to get a CCW permit in Las Vegas
You can apply online for a CCW permit with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). In Las Vegas, the concealed weapons permit fees are:
- $100.25 for a new CCW permit (or to renew one that has been expired for more than one year);
- $65.25 to renew a CCW permit that is still current;
- $85.25 to renew a CCW permit that has expired for a year or less.
You need to be at least 21 years old to qualify for a concealed firearm permit in Las Vegas. The one exception is if you are at least 18 and:
- are in active military service or
- have an honorable discharge.
You also have to show proof that you completed a pre-approved firearms safety course. If you live outside of Nevada, you may be able to obtain a concealed carry permit from the LVMPD if you receive firearms training in Clark County.2
Learn more about applying for CCW permits in Nevada.
When a gun is concealed
A gun is considered concealed if it is not visible to another person “by ordinary observation.” I have seen police arrest people without no CCW permit for keeping their gun:
- hidden in their pocket,
- hidden in their backpack, or
- under their coat.2
Even carrying a gun in your belt holster is considered concealed if a jacket is covering your gun.3
Conceal carry is a felony
Carrying a concealed gun in Las Vegas without a current and valid permit is a category C felony weapons charge. The punishment is:
- 1 to 5 years in Nevada State Prison, and
- up to $10,000 in fines (at the judge’s discretion).4
If a police officer asks to see your CCW permit, you must show them.
Note it is not a criminal offense if you merely forget to take your CCW permit with you while carrying a concealed weapon in Las Vegas; instead, you would face a civil infraction carrying a $25 penalty.5
Related offenses
Even if you have a current and valid CCW permit in Las Vegas, it is a gross misdemeanor to take guns to a school or childcare facility. Gross misdemeanors carry:
- up to 364 days in jail and/or
- up to $2,000 in fines.
Also, it is a misdemeanor to take concealed guns into:
- courtrooms (or anywhere inside of a courthouse),
- any public buildings or government buildings with metal detectors or signs prohibiting firearms at each public entrance, or
- places where carrying concealed firearms is prohibited by federal or state law.
Misdemeanors carry:
- up to 6 months in jail and/or
- up to $1,000 in fines.6
Additional reading
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- Concealed carry bans and the American college campus: a law, social sciences, and policy perspective – Contemporary Justice Review.
- New evidence on the impact of concealed carry weapon laws on crime – International Review of Law and Economics.
- The Decision to Carry: The Effect of Crime on Concealed-Carry Applications – Journal of Human Resources.
- Concealed Carry through Common Use: Extending Heller’s Constitutional Construction – George Washington Law Review.
- Defiance, Concealed Carry, and Race – Law and Contemporary Problems.
Legal References
- NRS 202.3667. See also NRS 202.3653. Also see the Nevada Department of Public Safety reciprocity list.
- NRS 202.3657. In addition, the applicant cannot be a convicted felon or have past domestic violence convictions.
- See, for example, Huebner v. State, (1987) 103 Nev. 29. See also United States v. Bernal (9th. Cir., 1983) 719 F.2d 1475.
- NRS 202.350. See also Brown v. State (2016) 132 Nev. 950 (unpublished).
- NRS 202.3667.
- NRS 202.3673. NRS 202.265.
