Open Carry In Nevada

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Could someone who REALLY KNOWS tell me if I can open carry with my CCW of Nevada, I keep hearing different stories. Thank you. Michael J., Henderson NV.

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Welcome to the forum Michael J.

Yes you can open carry.

In fact, you can open carry without having a permit at all. I don't have a permit, and I open carry all the time.

The CCW permit does not limit you in any way, it just allows you to conceal as well if you so choose.

There is no law that says "Open carry is legal." It is legal simply because there is no law against it.

The old Attorney General website used to mention in the FAQ that it was legal. You can find itusing the internet archive at http://www.archive.org/index.php for http://ag.state.nv.us/if you look at the older pages. Note that most of these pages predate the state preemption laws which make it so that localities cannot make firearms regulations harsher than the state. The only rules localities can make are those concerning the discharge of firearms, and the registration system of clark county was the only grandfathered rule.

The Nevada laws concerning concealed carry (and the permit system) can be found here. There is nothing written there that would restrict a permit holder from carrying openly.

NRS 202.350 is the law that makes it illegal to conceal a handgun without a permit, and also does not apply to handguns which are not concealed.

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Thank you. Mike J.

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Michael J. wrote:

Thank you. Mike J.

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Why don't you come join us at PT's on August 2nd for a get-together. We can discuss all of your concerns in person over a coke and sandwich.

P.S. Got your PM and replied essentially identically to Felid Maximus.

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The way it was explained in my recent CCW renewal class was as follows:



AZ is Open Carry. i.e. they have a law that states that it is legal to carry openly, therefore you can.

NV is "Free Carry". i.e there is no law making it illegal to carry openly, but there is no law specifically protecting it, as in AZ.



What's the difference?

So, lets say you stroll in to the local Grocery store for some doritos, and you are carrying openly...

In AZ:

911: 911 what is your emergency?

Clerk: There is a man here with a gun!

911: Yeah, and? Is he pointing it at anyone?

Clerk: No..

911: Have a nice day. Click.

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In NV:

911: 911 what is your emergency?

Clerk: There is a man here with a gun!

911: I am sending officers right away.

Officers proceed to roll code (Lights and sirens), spread you out on the hot asphalt, put a knee into your neck just for good measure, until your story checks out. Then they let you go, and encourage you to not open carry any more. They will say something llike: "Just because you CAN, doesn't make it a good idea"

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I'm not saying I agree with this, but this is how it was explained in my class.

For the more practical answer, I open carry in places where I know no one will be freaked out, because they already know me. My office, the quik-rob near my house, even my bank branch, etc. When they finally notice, they say "Hey, how come you have a gun?", which gives me a great opportunity to explain it all for them, and open another mind. ("I carry a gun because I feel it is the duty of every responsible citizen, and to cherish the heritage of our great nation.")

In places where I don't know anyone, I carry concealed, so as to not cause anyone (including me) a hassle.

Hope that helps!

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I have open carried in northern Nevada quite a bit and never had any incident... certainly not been proned out and disarmed! (Sounds like a CA story!)

Now I have a CCW but mostly got it so that when I carry I don't have to be so anal about keeping the holster from becoming accidentally hidden under a jacket, etc., especially in winter time.

I have a feeling that there are quite a few open carriers in NV who also have CCW and still open carry regularly.

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Depends on your jurisdiction and what you look like. Northern nevada is much freer and has a whole different outlook on carrying firearms than Clarke county. I know for a fact thatthe sheriffs for Carson City, Storey countyand Washoe county, along withtheir DA offices, know that OC is legal and respect that.

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That's a pretty interesting comment. I'm not disputing it, but if we went strictly by what's here on the forum, every "encounter" with the PD so far has been in northern Nevada. Despite all the open carriers posting our experiences down here in Clark County and Pahrump, none of us (to my knowledge) has been stopped by police.

Perhaps the Reno area isn't quit as OK with it as is generally assumed.

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bobernet wrote:

That's a pretty interesting comment. I'm not disputing it, but if we went strictly by what's here on the forum, every "encounter" with the PD so far has been in northern Nevada. Despite all the open carriers posting our experiences down here in Clark County and Pahrump, none of us (to my knowledge) has been stopped by police.

Perhaps the Reno area isn't quit as OK with it as is generally assumed.

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Or perhaps the "encounters" are bogus? Until I see any real action out of these :encounter" I call BS. If you look to the Penn open carry guys when they have a issue they investigate it and take action. Many are real. One I just read though turned out to not be all true it seems. This is the internet and people can claim all sorts of things.