What are Nevada Criminal Court Records?

Nevada criminal court records contain documents providing details of criminal court proceedings in the state. These records include dockets and case files, including orders, warrants, complaints, motions, and final judgments. They are available in both paper and electronic formats. Per the Nevada Court Administrative Policy (Part VII), criminal court records are public records that anyone may view, inspect, and copy unless otherwise specified.

What’s contained in a Nevada Criminal Court Record?

The exact contents of criminal court records depend on case type, length of trial, and where the case was filed. The typical Nevada criminal court record provides the following details:

• Names and personal information of the parties involved
• Names of their attorney(s)
• Case identifiers such as case numbers, case filing dates, and statuses
• Filed charges
• Defendant’s plea
• Findings, terms of settlements, and final judgments
• Post-trial arrangements
• Details of commuted sentences, and selected information from the inmate record of the accused or plaintiff (where applicable)
• Active and executed Nevada warrants and relevant Nevada arrest records

Understanding the Nevada Criminal Court Structure

Most criminal cases in Nevada start in the District Courts, which serve as the state’s primary trial courts and have jurisdiction over felony and gross misdemeanor cases. Nine Judicial Districts cover all 17 counties of Nevada. The Nevada Judicial Branch also gives Justice Courts jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases.

There are 43 Justice Courts in Nevada. Some misdemeanor cases are also heard in Nevada Municipal Courts, which have 18 courts in the state. Appeals of misdemeanor criminal cases heard in Nevada Justice Courts and Municipal Courts go to District Courts.

The state’s appellate courts include the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. The Nevada Supreme Court is the court of last resort and the administrative head of the state’s judiciary. It only hears appeals of criminal cases involving the death penalty. The Supreme Court assigns cases to the Court of Appeals. However, federal crimes committed within the state’s jurisdiction are usually heard by federal courts within the state or the state capital.

How to Find Criminal Court Records in Nevada

Interested persons may find Nevada criminal court records:

• By submitting a record request in person
• By searching the state’s court website
• By requesting records via mail

How Do I Access Nevada Civil Court Records in Person?

To access and find these records in person, requesters must visit the Nevada courthouse where the cases of interest were heard. Each court has a clerk who maintains its records. Therefore, to request a criminal record in person, the requesting party must first determine the court where the case was filed. Find the correct court address by consulting the directories of Nevada Municipal and Justice Courts.

Some Nevada courthouses provide public access terminals for members of the public trying to access court records. Paper copies of these records are also available at the offices of the clerks of these courts. While public access terminals offer faster and generally free access, they may return the same limited search results as online record access systems. Sealed records are also not available online or on computer access terminals.

Nevada courts may require interested parties to submit completed request forms to access criminal court records in person. These forms are usually available at the offices of the clerks of these courts. Some courts may provide downloadable copies of these forms on their websites. While viewing court records is free, Nevada courts charge for searching for and requesting copies of criminal court records.

How Do I Obtain Nevada Criminal Court Records by Mail?

Before requesting Nevada criminal court records by mail, inquirers should ascertain that the courts of interest accept requests in this form. Some Nevada courts also receive email requests for court records. Contact the court clerk's office to inquire about the availability of records and the requirements for obtaining them. Typically, requesters must send written requests providing information such as the parties' names in the records, when the cases were filed and/or finalized, and specific documents needed. Some courts offer downloadable application/request forms for requesters to complete in place of written requests. A self-addressed stamped envelope and required fees should also accompany each request.

How to Obtain Nevada Criminal Court Records Online

The Nevada Judiciary provides a case look-up portal for the records of appeal cases heard in its Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Most of the state’s District Court records are not available online except for those of the 8th Judicial District Court. Use the Smart Search tool provided by this court to search for records of criminal cases heard there. Some Nevada Justice Courts provide online access to their records. To find records of cases heard in these courts, visit their websites listed in the Nevada Justice Court directory. Nevada Municipal Courts do not maintain online case portals. Therefore, the only ways to find their records are in person and by mail.

Publicly available records are also accessible from some third-party websites. Operating independently without ties to any state government body, these websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability. They may often be a starting point when researching a specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties must provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites. As such, record results, availability, and accuracy may differ from official channels.

Can I Access Sealed Criminal Court Records in Nevada?

Sealed court records are only accessible by the parties involved in the criminal cases recorded. Their legal counsels and law enforcement agencies involved in the prosecution may also access these records. A third party may only access these records by presenting a court order authorizing access to the specific records.

Are Trial Transcripts Open to the Public?

Yes. They are available for inspection and copying by the general public. However, transcripts of pre-sentenced cases, juvenile delinquency cases, and other cases deemed confidential by statute or court rule may be unavailable for public viewing.

How do I Obtain Nevada Court Transcripts?

Nevada courts accept requests for transcripts submitted in person, by mail, or by email. The ordering party must pay for the requested transcripts before the court reporter processes them. Transcript copies are maintained and prepared by court reporters for a fee. The following steps are taken to obtain a court transcript:

• Complete the Transcript Order Form and deliver it to the court through an accepted means
• Once the order is successful, the court reporter notifies the requesting parties of the deposit needed to start processing the transcript. Seventy-five percent of the estimated cost of the transcript must be deposited by check or money order to the court reporter or third-party aggregate company before a request is prepared. Cash payment is not accepted for transcript requests.

For security purposes, the following information is redacted from court transcripts;

• The last four digits of taxpayers’ identification and financial account numbers are redacted.
• The dates of birth of parties to the case are redacted to the year
• Names of minor children are redacted to initials
• Home addresses are fully redacted in civil cases, while the redaction is limited to city and state in criminal cases.

Nevada Crime Statistics

According to the Nevada Uniform Crime Statistics Dashboard, 113,307 Group A offenses were recorded by law enforcement officers in 2024. This shows a 9% decrease from 2023. The Nevada Crime Statistics Dashboard is the state’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) repository, managed by the Records, Communication, and Compliance Division of the Nevada State Police under the state’s Department of Public Safety.

Age Demographics

The Nevada Crime Statistics Dashboard highlighted that 3,737 Group A offenders in 2024 were juveniles. Similarly, 42,472 offenders were adults, and the ages of 102 offenders are unknown.

Nevada Crime Trends by Category

Based on the above data, the occurrence of murder, robbery, and motor vehicle theft in Nevada reduced significantly in 2024, resulting in a significant decrease in total Group A offenses. Nonetheless, there was a slight increase in the occurrence of rape cases across the commonwealth.

Nevada Department of Public Safety
333 West Nye Lane, Suite 100
Carson City, NV 89707
Phone: (775) 684-6262