You do not need a permit or background check to purchase ammunition in Nevada. However, state law under NRS 202.273 largely prohibits making or selling metal-penetrating bullets.
In this article, our Las Vegas firearms attorneys will address the following key issues regarding ammunition laws in Nevada.
- 1. Unlawful Ammo
- 2. Background Checks
- 3. Age Limits
- 4. Who Can Buy Ammo
- 5. Penalties
- 6. Defenses
- 7. Record Seals
- 8. Immigration Consequences
- Additional Reading
1. Unlawful Ammo
All firearm ammunition is legal in Nevada with one exception: Nevada prohibits making or selling metal-penetrating bullets.
Similarly, federal law prohibits making, importing, selling or delivering armor-piercing ammunition (with some exceptions). Armor-piercing ammunition is defined as:
- any projectile or projectile core that may be used in a handgun and that is constructed entirely from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or
- a full jacketed projectile “larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.1
In general, any ammunition made by Winchester, Remington, Federal Premium, Hornaday, Nosler, CCI, and Speer Ammunition is lawful.
Note there is no limit to the amount of ammunition a person can buy in Nevada.
2. Background Checks
You do not need to take a background check to buy ammunition in Nevada. You need a background check only to buy firearms.2
3. Age Limits
In Nevada, you must be at least 18 years old to buy long gun ammunition. To buy handgun ammunition, you must be at least 21 years old.3
4. Who Can Buy Ammo
If are you prohibited from possessing firearms, you are also prohibited from possessing ammunition. For example, you may not possess ammo if either:
- you are under indictment for, or have been convicted of, a felony;
- you are a fugitive from justice;
- you have been adjudicated as mentally ill or have been committed to any mental health facility; or
- you are an illegal alien.4
5. Penalties
Making or selling metal-penetrating bullets is a gross misdemeanor in Nevada, carrying up to $2,000 in fines and/or up to 364 days in jail.5
Note that possessing armor-piercing bullets while carrying out drug trafficking or a violent crime carries 15 years to life in federal prison.6
6. Defenses
Here at Las Vegas Defense Group, we have represented countless people charged with weapons crimes, including those involving ammunition. In our experience, the following three defenses have proven very effective with prosecutors, judges, and juries at getting NRS 202.273 charges reduced or dismissed.
- The ammunition in question is not metal-penetrating and capable of being fired from a handgun.
- You did not sell or manufacture the ammunition.
- You are a victim of false accusations.
Nevada does not mandate ammunition sellers to maintain a record of their purchases. So depending on the case, there may be no paper trail tying an ammo seller to an alleged purchaser of armor-piercing bullets.
7. Record Seals
Nevada convictions for selling or making metal-penetrating bullets may be sealed two years after the case ends. Though if your case is dismissed, you can pursue a record seal immediately.
Note that federal convictions involving armor-piercing bullets may not be sealed in most cases.7
8. Immigration Consequences
Violating NRS 202.273 is likely not deportable because ammunition is not a firearm. However, immigration law is always in a state of flux.8
If you are a non-citizen facing ammunition charges, contact a criminal defense attorney right away to discuss your options.
Additional Reading
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- What’s Going Wrong in Nevada? A Comparative Analysis of California and Nevada Gun Control Laws as They Relate to Gun Violence – Claremont McKenna thesis
- State gun laws and the movement of crime guns between states – International Review of Law and Economics
- Guns in the Sky: Nevada’s Firearm Laws, 1 October, and Next Steps – Nevada Law Journal forum
- In-State and Interstate Associations Between Gun Shows and Firearm Deaths and Injuries – Annals of Internal Medicine
- The relation between state gun laws and the incidence and severity of mass public shootings in the United States, 1976–2018 – Law and Human Behavior
Legal References:
- NRS 202.273. 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17), 922(a)(7), (8); 27 C.F.R. § 478.37.
- 18 U.S.C. 922.
- 8 U.S.C. 922. See also Cocking v. State (Nev. 2025) 546 P.3d 187 (upholding the state’s right to regulate weapon possession).
- NRS 202.362(1). NRS 202.360. See also United States v. Steinman (9th Cir. 2025) No. 23-1703 (Nevada police can and will use the presence of ammunition alone to justify a search and arrest, which is then handed over to federal prosecutors).
- NRS 202.273.
- 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(17), 922(a)(7), (8); 27 C.F.R. § 478.37.
- NRS 179.245. NRS 179.255.
- 18 U.S.C. 922.
