Nevada dog laws for licensing, leashes, and neutering vary by locale. But animal cruelty — including dogfighting — carries serious criminal penalties throughout Nevada.
After a dog bite, the dog’s owner may be civilly liable to pay for the victim’s expenses. But if the victim tormented or provoked the dog, then the victim should not be entitled to any damages.
In this article, our Nevada personal injury attorneys discuss dog laws in Nevada:
- 1. Who can own dogs?
- 2. Must dogs be licensed in Nevada?
- 3. Are training attack dogs and dog fights legal in Nevada?
- 4. What are Nevada’s animal cruelty and neglect laws?
- 5. What are the leash laws in Nevada?
- 6. What is the owner’s responsibility in dog bite cases?
Bitten by a dog? Learn about filing a Nevada dog bite lawsuit in Nevada.
Dogs must have rabies vaccinations in Nevada.
1. Who can own dogs?
Anyone can own dogs in Nevada unless they have been legally prohibited from doing so. Children may own dogs, though their parents or guardians would also be liable for them.
2. Must dogs be licensed in Nevada?
Laws vary depending on the locality.
In unincorporated Clark County (which includes most of Las Vegas), dog licenses are not required. However, dogs must wear a current owner ID tag or a microchip device. In addition, dogs must display a current rabies vaccination tag.
Meanwhile, dog licenses are mandatory within every municipal city limit in Clark County:
| Incorporated cities in Clark County requiring a dog license | Age when a dog must be licensed with the city |
| Las Vegas (which includes Downtown) | Older than 4 months
|
| Henderson | Older than 3 months
|
| North Las Vegas | Older than 3 months
|
| Mesquite | Older than 6 months
|
| Boulder City | Older than 4 months
|
Proof of a rabies vaccination is always required to get a license. And in some locations, the dog must be spayed or neutered.
Note that dog licenses generally must be renewed annually.
3. Are training attack dogs and dog fights legal in Nevada?
Nevada law prohibits dog fights and all dogfight-related activities. Penalties increase with each successive conviction.
3.1. Running a dogfight
Nevada law makes it a crime to cause, promote, assist, or in any way aid in furthering a dogfight. It is irrelevant if no gambling is involved.
| Running an animal fight | Nevada penalties |
| 1st-time offense | Category D felony in Nevada
|
| 2nd-time offense | Category C felony in Nevada
|
| Successive offense | Category B felony in Nevada
|
3.2. Keeping, training, selling, or buying fight dogs
It is also a crime in Nevada to either:
- possess, train, or purchase a dog with the intent to use it to fight another animal, or
- sell a dog knowing that it is meant to fight another animal
| Training/buying/selling fight dogs | Nevada penalties |
| 1st-time offense | Gross misdemeanor in Nevada
|
| 2nd-time offense | Category E felony in Nevada Probation and a suspended sentence. (But if the defendant has two or more prior felony convictions, the court may impose one to four years in Nevada State Prison and up to $5,000 in fines.) |
| Successive offense | Category D felony
|
3.3. Watching a dog fight
Finally, Nevada law prohibits people from watching a dogfight. It is irrelevant if they placed no bets.
| Being spectators at a dogfight | Nevada penalties |
| 1st-time offense | Misdemeanor in Nevada
|
| 2nd-time offense | Gross misdemeanor
|
| Successive offense | Category E felony Probation and a suspended sentence. (But if the defendant has two or more prior felony convictions, the court may impose one to four years in Nevada State Prison and up to $5,000 in fines.) |
To learn more, go to our article on Nevada dogfighting laws (NRS 574.070).1
Enclosing an animal in too small a space for its size is a form of animal cruelty in Nevada.
4. What are Nevada’s animal cruelty and neglect laws?
Nevada law prohibits the unjustifiable torture, maiming, or killing of dogs. Penalties depend on the defendant’s state of mind.
| Purpose of torturing or killing a dog | Nevada penalties |
| The defendant means to threaten, intimidate, or terrorize another person | Category C felony
|
| The act is committed willfully and maliciously | Category D felony
|
Note that poisoning a dog is typically prosecuted as a gross misdemeanor, carrying:
- up to 364 days in jail, and/or
- up to $2,000 in fines3
Nevada law also makes it a crime to restrain a dog for more than fourteen (14) hours during a twenty-four (24) hour stretch. The following dog restraints are outlawed:
- prongs,
- pinches,
- choke collars, or
- any tether, chain, tie, trolley, or pulley system that:
- is shorter than twelve (12) feet, or
- impedes the dog from moving at least twelve (12) feet, or
- permits the dog to reach a fence or other object that may cause the dog to become injured, entangled, or to die by strangulation after jumping the fence or object
In general, the penalties for animal abuse or neglect increase with each successive conviction within seven (7) years of the first one.
| Animal cruelty | Nevada penalties |
| 1st-time offense within 7 years | Misdemeanor
|
| 2nd-time offense within 7 years | Misdemeanor
|
| Successive offense within 7 years | Category C felony
|
Note that Nevada has special laws prohibiting abuse of police dogs and show dogs. Learn more in our article about Nevada animal cruelty crimes.
Also, note that dog racing is not a crime in and of itself. But it becomes illegal when it is done for gambling purposes. Learn more at our article on the Nevada crime of dog racing as a gaming activity (NRS 207.235).
5. What are the leash laws in Nevada?
Nevada’s general rule is that dogs must be on leashes in public with the exception of dog parks or some rural areas. But check your local laws since leash laws are typically regulated on the county- or municipal level.
6. What is the owner’s responsibility in dog bite cases?
Nevada law generally follows the “one bite rule”. Unless dog owners are negligent, they are usually not liable for dog bites if their dog never bit anyone before. But after a dog has bitten someone, the owner can be liable for compensatory damages depending on whether the dog is considered “dangerous” or “vicious.” Learn more about Nevada’s dog bite laws.
Legal References
- NRS 574.070.
- NRS 574.100. See also Lee v. State (2018) 415 P.3d 22.
- NRS 574.150.
- NRS 574.100. See also PetSmart, Inc. v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct. (2021) 499 P.3d 1182.