In Nevada, it is generally legal to have and carry nunchucks unless (a) you intend to inflict harm on someone else or (b) you take them onto school property.
Illegally possessing or using nunchucks is a gross misdemeanor punishable by 364 days in jail and/or $2,000.1
What is a Nunchaku?
Nunchucks are a weapon consisting of two sticks (usually wood) attached at one end by a short chain or rope. They originate from Okinawan martial arts, and Bruce Lee movies have popularized them.
You typically hold onto one of the sticks and quickly whip your adversary with the other. Being hit by nunchucks can cause serious harm and possibly fatal injuries.
Other names for nunchaku include:
- chainsticks,
- chuka sticks,
- karate sticks, or
- nunchuks.2
Legality of Nunchaku in Nevada
It is perfectly legal in Nevada to possess or even to use nunchucks as long as you have no intention of harming anyone else. (As discussed below, nunchucks are always prohibited at school.)
However, NRS 202.350 makes nunchuck possession a crime if you intend to inflict harm.
Example: Kurt keeps a set of nunchaku in his closet in his Las Vegas home. Once a week he does a solo workout where he practices maneuvering them. Since Kurt is not using the weapon to hurt anyone, Kurt’s actions are lawful in Nevada.
If Kurt was angry at his neighbor and took the nunchucks with him next door with the intention of hurting the neighbor with them, then Kurt could be prosecuted. It makes no difference if the neighbor never ends up getting hurt. All that matters is Kurt’s intention in possessing the weapon.
A first conviction of unlawfully possessing or using nunchucks is a gross misdemeanor, carrying:
- up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- up to $2,000.
A second or subsequent conviction is a category D felony, carrying:
- 1 to 4 years in Nevada State Prison, and
- up to $5,000.2
Possessing nunchaku is legal in Nevada as long as you have no intent to harm and do not bring the weapon to school.
Nunchaku on School or Childcare Grounds
NRS 202.265 outlaws nunchucks from school/childcare property, including:
- the Nevada System of Higher Education,
- private schools,
- public schools,
- childcare facilities, and
- vehicles of a private or public school or childcare facility.
It is irrelevant if no one is misusing the nunchucks or if no one gets hurt by them. Simply possessing nunchucks on school property is a gross misdemeanor, carrying:
- up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- up to $2,000.3
It is not a valid legal defense to claim you were carrying the nunchucks at school for self-defense.
Nunchucks as “Dangerous Weapons” on School Grounds
Nevada has a separate law – NRS 393.410 – which prohibits using a “dangerous weapon” such as nunchucks to either:
- commit any nuisance in any public schoolhouse;
- loiter on or near the school grounds; or
- purposely and maliciously commit any trespass upon the grounds attached to a public schoolhouse, or any fixtures placed thereon, or any enclosure or sidewalk near the school.
Violating this law is a gross misdemeanor, carrying:
- up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- up to $2,000 in fines.
NRS 393.410 also makes it a “public offense” to possess a “dangerous weapon” such as nunchucks while
“willfully and maliciously injuring, marking, or defacing any public schoolhouse, its fixtures, books, or appurtenances.”
The value of the property damage determines what you will be charged with:4
| Property Damage | Nevada Penalties for Defacing a School |
| Less than $250 | Misdemeanor: Up to 6 months in jail and/or $1,000 |
| $250 to less than $5,000 | Gross misdemeanor: Up to 364 days in jail and/or $2,000 |
| $5,000 or higher | Category C felony: 1 – 5 years in prison and up to $10,000 |
If a pupil brings nunchucks to school, they are expelled for one year. If the pupil does it again, then the expulsion is permanent.5
Additional Reading
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- Criminal Law – Weapons – Prohibition of Karate Instruments – Tennessee Law Review.
- Bringing Nunchakus to a Gun Fight: Examing the Hidden Frontline in the Second Amendment Debate – Chicago-Kent Law Review.
- The Art of Regulation: Martial Arts as Threats to Social Order – Realistic Martial Arts for Violence and Peace: Law, Enforcement, Defense.
- Second Amendment Decision Rules, Non-Lethal Weapons, and Self-Defense – Marquette Law Review.
- The General Law Right to Bear Arms – Notre Dame Law Review.
Legal References
- NRS 202.350 – Manufacture, importation, possession or use of dangerous weapon or silencer; carrying concealed weapon without permit; penalties; issuance of permit to carry concealed weapon; exceptions. NRS 202.265 – Possession of dangerous weapon on property or in vehicle of school or child care facility; penalty; exceptions. NRS 393.410 – Damage to school property; nuisance; loitering; trespass; penalties.
- NRS 202.350.
- NRS 202.265.
- NRS 393.410.
- NRS 392.466 – Suspension or expulsion of pupil for battery on employee of school, possession of firearm or dangerous weapon, sale or distribution of controlled substance or status as habitual disciplinary problem; modification to suspension or expulsion requirement; limitations for pupils with disabilities.
