Nevada Primary Sources

This guide explains where to find information about Nevada's laws, both in print and online. You can find hard copies at the Law Library and electronic versions on legal research websites. If you want to research Nevada court cases, you can use the Law Library's guide for information on opinions from the Nevada Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Trial court opinions are usually not available in print, but some can be found online. Appellate court opinions are important because they help everyone understand how laws are applied, unlike trial court opinions which only affect the specific case at hand.

The purpose of this guide is to describe the publications (official and unofficial), that contain Nevada's laws, and where to find a physical and/or electronic copy. Hard copies are typically found in the Law Library, and online copies can be found on both free and commercial legal research websites. 

• If you would like to research Nevada case law, please view the Law Library's guide on Researching Nevada Judicial Opinions.

This guide covers judicial opinions from the Nevada Supreme Court and the Nevada Court of Appeals (as published officially in the Nevada Reports and unofficially in the Pacific Reporter), current and historical (pre-Nevada Revised Statutes) statutory codes, and administrative regulations published by the state's many executive agencies.

Unfortunately, some of the resources in this guide are not freely available on the Internet. Please contact the Law Library at reference@nvcourts.nv.gov or 775-684-1640 if you need assistance locating a resource.