Are Clark County Records Public?

Yes. Per Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 239 (Nevada’s Public Records Law), all records of a government entity are open for inspection and copying to any person, except where exempt. Public records, as specified in the law, include papers, unpublished books, maps, photographs, and other materials received or made by a government body while conducting their everyday operations. Examples of such records include marriage documents, death records, birth records, inmate records, property documents, sex offenders lists, Clark County court records, business filings, and census records.

The State of Nevada makes governmental records open to the public to ensure accountability in government. The public’s access to vital information about the government's activities helps facilitate their participation in government.

What is Exempted Under the Nevada Public Records Act?

While Nevada favors the public examination of government documents, the state also recognizes the need to keep specific information out of public view in the interests of privacy, national security, and other legitimate reasons. Consequently, Nevada’s Public Records Law and other applicable regulations exempt several categories of records from public access.

Confidential records are documents or information expressly exempted from disclosure under state or federal law or by a record custodian in their discretionary capacity. They include the following materials:

• Certain records of local government entities, such as a person's name, address, telephone number, or other identifying information if such information was provided to register with the local government entity to use a recreational facility
• A proceeding of the Commission on Judicial Discipline until a final determination is made
• Records and files maintained for a member of the Judicial Retirement System
• Juvenile court records
• Communications between lawyers and their clients
• Case records relating to complaints or investigatory/disciplinary action filed with the Real Estate Division
• Social security numbers and other personally identifying numbers
• Specific claims filed with the State Treasurer in their capacity as the Administrator of Unclaimed Property
• Records that would jeopardize the health, safety, or liberty of a party to a court proceeding or child if disclosed
• Personal identifying information about protected persons under NRS 159.044
• Any record where the interest in protecting its confidentiality outweighs the general public's interest in accessing it

Per Nevada’s Public Records Law, record custodians must not deny a request solely because the associated record contains confidential information if the confidential data can be redacted, deleted, concealed, or separated from the non-confidential information. Also, most exempt records can be accessed by persons directly involved or parties who have been granted permission by a court order.

Clark County Public Record Search

A Clark County public record search begins with identifying the appropriate custodian of the desired record. The custodian is typically the government agency that created or received the record. For example, divorce records are preserved by the family courts, inmate records are maintained by the Clark County Detention Center, and real property records are kept by the Clark County Assessor.

After confirming the custodian, the requester is advised to contact the agency’s public information office on the next steps. Per Nevada law, all public offices must ensure that their records are open for public inspection during normal work hours. As such, interested parties can always visit a record custodian's physical office to access public information. Nonetheless, government agencies may also provide alternative means for accessing public information, including electronic options.

Requesters can also access a record custodian’s website to check for the availability of an online public record search tool. For example, the Clark County Assessor's website has a Real Property Records Search feature for obtaining real property information using various keywords. Also, marriage records can be obtained via the Marriage Record Search tool on the Clark County Clerk's Office website.

When sending public records requests, requesters should take note of the following:

• Requests should be as specific as possible and provide information helpful to streamline case search results. Providing a party name, case number, filing date range typically helps the process. Additionally, applications should include the requester's contact information.
• Although Nevada law does not mandate that requests be in writing, public bodies prefer written requests, especially using an agency's provided public records request form (handwritten requests should be legible).
• Requesters will often find information about an agency’s policies for accessing public records, any relevant request form, and the related fees or fee waivers on its official website. While some requests may be processed at no cost, record seekers who request certified copies are usually expected to pay a fee for its production and certification.
• Public bodies are mandated to respond to public record requests within five business days from the receipt of a request. If a request cannot be fulfilled within that time frame, the agency must provide a written notice to that effect and inform the requester of the earliest date and time for the release of the record or case document.

Find Public Records For Free in Clark County

While Nevada law permits record custodians to assess a fee to reproduce public documents, inspection of public records is generally free of charge. Individuals can also look up Clark County public records for free on third-party sites, some of which offer price concessions for limited use. However, requesters should note that private databases may provide outdated information and are not valid sources of information for official purposes. They may also restrict extensive information to registered users.

How to Remove Information From Public Records Free

Individuals are advised to send a written request to a record custodian to have confidential or exempt information removed from their public records. For example, subjects of a record can fill out a form or write a request letter to have their signatures removed from the Clark County Assessor's imaged documents, and registered voters may submit a request to remove their addresses and phone numbers from public records by petitioning the Clark County Clerk/Registrar of Voters.

Who Can Access Clark County Public Records in Nevada?

Per Section 239.010 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, "anyone" can access Clark County public records, regardless of their intended usage or state of residency, so long as the sought records are not considered confidential. "Anyone" here includes individuals, businesses, organizations, and media representatives.

What Happens if I Am Refused a Public Records Request?

A record custodian has the duty to honor requests for public records expeditiously. However, an agency must also deny a public records request if the sought-after information is confidential. In such a case, the records custodian is legally mandated to provide the requester with a written notice, stating the specific statute or legal authority that exempts the record from public disclosure.

If a request for a public record less than 30 years old is denied, the requester can appeal the decision by petitioning the district court overseeing the record custodian’s locality under NRS 239.011. If the court grants the order compelling disclosure after finding that the request was wrongfully denied, the government entity that denied the record will pay the requester's costs and reasonable attorney fees. The burden of proving that a requested record is confidential and not subject to public disclosure rests on the government agency.

For records in a government entity's custody for at least 30 years, the requester can apply to the district as directed in NRS 239.0115.