LibGuides: Nevada Citation Quick Reference Guide: Nevada Case Law

Citing Nevada Case Law

This page includes examples for published opinions, advance opinions, and unpublished orders.

For help in defining any legal terms in the boxes below, refer to Legal Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, & Terminology.

For further assistance in understanding a case citation, refer to How to Read a Case Citation.

Published Opinions

The Nevada Reports is the official compilation of decisions issued by the Nevada Appellate Courts that have been designated by those courts for publication. The official Nevada Reports are not available online, but can be found in other sources.

Nevada Court of Appeals opinions are published in the Nevada Reports beginning with volume 131 (2015), but do not require a distinct court designation when citing to the official Nevada Reports. Nevada Court of Appeals cases filed on or after August 15, 2024 can be cited for persuasive authority. Additionally, the grant of a petition for review by the Supreme Court of Nevada does not automatically vacate a decision by the Nevada Court of Appeals.

Court document submissions to Nevada courts should cite to the official reporter and use parallel citations to the Pacific Reporter, published by West Publishing/Thomson Reuters. The Pacific Reporter also includes decisions from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Parallel citations: Arabella Mut. Ins. Co. v. Eighth Judicial Distr. Court, 122 Nev. 509, 512, 134 P.3d 710, 712 (2006).

Short cite: Arabella, 122 Nev. at 513, 134 P.3d at 712-13.

Id.: Id. at 513, 134 P.3d at 713.

Published Court of Appeals Opinion: Poole v. Nev. Auto Dealership Invs., LLC, 135 Nev. 280, 49 P.3d 479 (Ct. App. 2019).

Advance Opinions

Nevada Advance Opinions are opinions to be published, but that are not yet available in the Nevada Reports. The volume number will be the same as the future Nevada Reports volume and "Advance Opinion 6" refers to the sixth opinion issued for that volume/year. When citing to the Advance Opinion, include the page number within the Advance Opinion.

Full cite (Supreme Court): Griffith v. Rivera, 140 Nev., Adv. Op. 60, 555 P.3d 1171, 1174 (2024).

Full cite (Court of Appeals): Hayes v. Watson, 140 Nev., Adv. Op. 55, 557 P.3d 996, 998 (Ct. App. 2024).

Short cite: Griffith, 140 Nev., Adv. Op. 60, 555 P.3d 1171 at 1174.

Id.: Id. at 1174.

No Pacific Reporter Available: Soldo-Allesio v. Ferguson, 141 Nev., Adv. Op. 9, _ P.3d. _ (Feb. 13, 2025).

Unpublished Orders

Not all orders/opinions issued by the Nevada Appellate Courts are "published." Check NRAP 36(c): Unpublished Supreme Court dispositions are not citable authority if issued before January 1, 2016 and unpublished Court of Appeals dispositions are not citable authority if issued before August 15, 2024.

Court of Appeals (Westlaw): Smith v. State, No. 81136, 2021 WL 4238042, at *1 n.3 (Nev. Ct. App. Sep. 16, 2021) (Unpublished Disposition).

Court of Appeals (Lexis): Smith v. State, No. 81136, 2021 Nev. Unpub. LEXIS 663, at *1 n.3 (Nev. Ct. App. Sep. 16, 2021) (Unpublished Disposition).

Supreme Court (Westlaw): Wells Fargo Bank v. Renslow, No. 58283, 2015 WL 3368883, at *2 (Nev. May 21, 2015) (Unpublished Disposition).

Supreme Court (Lexis): Wells Fargo Bank v. Renslow, No. 58283, 2015 Nev. Unpub. LEXIS 640, at *2 (Nev. May 21, 2015) (Unpublished Disposition).

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Citing Nevada Case Law

Published Opinions

Advance Opinions

Unpublished Orders