Are there residency restrictions for sex offenders in Nevada?

Yes. All convicted sex offenders in Nevada under parole or probation must have their residence approved by their parole officer or probation officer (PO). And certain Tier III offenders may not live within 1,000 feet of a location primarily used by children.

Residency requirements

Convicted sex offenders in the state of Nevada under parole or probation are required to register with the local law enforcement agency within 48 hours of being released and whenever they move to a new home. And before they move into a residence, their PO must approve it first.

Sex offenders under parole or probation may live with their families. But they may not live in a location with three or more other former prisoners unless it is a licensed transitional living facility.

Harsher residency restrictions apply to Tier III offenders convicted of either of the following sex offenses:

1. Sexual assault of a child under 14 years of age (NRS 200.366(3)(c))
2. Sexual abuse or exploitation of a child under 14 (NRS 200.508(1)(a)(1) or NRS 200.508(2)(a)(1))
3. Lewdness with a child under 14 (NRS 201.230)
4. Felony luring a child under 14 (NRS 201.560)
5. Production or promotion of pornography with a child under 14 (NRS 200.750(2))

These Tier III offenders under parole or probation may be placed under electronic monitoring and may not live within 1,000 feet of any place “that is designed primarily for use by or for children.” Examples include:

• Public or private schools,
• School bus stops,
• Daycare centers or child care facilities,
• Video arcades
• Amusement parks
• Playgrounds
• Parks,
• Athletic fields or a facility for youth sports, or
• Motion picture theaters

And these Tier 3 offenders may never knowingly be within 500 feet of these above locations either (unless approved by the PO and a counselor).

Note that all sex offenders are required to regularly register under Nevada law. The frequency and length of this registration requirement turn on their tier level:

Four other residency restriction laws that all convicted sex offenders under parole or probation must abide by include the following:

1. Submitting to warrantless searches of their home by parole/probation officers if they may have violated their conditions;
2. Abiding by a curfew imposed by the PO;
3. Not obtaining a P.O. Box without permission from the PO;
4. Having no contact with a person under 18 in a secluded environment unless another adult who has never been convicted of a sexual offense is present, and the offender has advance permission from the PO.¹

The Tier system that classifies sex offenders is Nevada’s version of the Adam Walsh Act (Assembly Bill 579).

Community notification

Convicted sex offenders do not have to notify their community when they first register or they move to a new location – they just have to register with the local police and keep in touch with their PO. Instead, it is the job of local law enforcement to provide community notification. Each police department is required to provide all updated information from the sex offender registry to the following institutions:

1. Each school, religious organization, youth organization and public housing authority in which the sex offender resides or is a student or worker;
2. Each agency that provides child welfare services; and
3. Volunteer organizations in which contact with children or other vulnerable persons might occur

And for Tier III offenders, local law enforcement must inform all members of the public who are likely to encounter the offender. This typically includes neighbors and employers.²

This community notification system is Nevada’s version of Megan’s Law.

Moving states

Registered sex offenders are usually free to move to and from Nevada within the United States and internationally, unless the conditions of their parole or probation say otherwise. However, they need to be careful to follow the law.

Each state has its own registration requirements, and offenders must make sure they are following the correct state law. Before moving, offenders should consult with an attorney to ensure they know the sex offender laws and what state rules and federal law to follow.

Additional resources

To search for sex offenders in Nevada or elsewhere in the U.S., refer to these websites:

• Nevada Sex Offender Public Website – Nevada’s official government registry that allows you to search by name, vehicle, or address.
• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Offender Search – Search for offenders throughout Nevada by searching by name, address, or city.
• KidsLiveSafe – National database of sex offenders that allows you to search by locality.
• FamilyWatchDog – National database of sex offenders that allows you to search by name, address, or school/daycare.
• The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website – administered by the Department of Justice, a national database of sex offenders from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the principal U.S. territories, and more than 150 Indian tribes.

Legal References