NRA Files Suit Over Preemption Violation in Nevada

Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association is backing a lawsuit filed against Clark County and the City of North Las Vegas in Nevada District Court. This lawsuit aims to defend the state’s firearms preemption law. NRA counsel filed suit on behalf of plaintiff David Hanes in the case Hanes v. Clark County and the City of North Las Vegas.

“The NRA is committed to defending firearms preemption laws in every state where they exist,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “Law-abiding gun owners shouldn’t be subjected to different laws when they cross city or county lines. Nevada's statewide preemption law was designed to prohibit this from occurring.”

Nevada originally passed a preemption law in 1989, meaning that counties and municipalities cannot pass gun laws that are more restrictive than the state law. Some gun ordinances in some parts of the state were “grandfathered” in at that time. However, in 2007, Senate Bill 92 amended the preemption law, removing all grandfathered ordinances with the exception of a handgun registration ordinance.

Unfortunately, to this day, the City of North Las Vegas has failed to fully comply with the amended law. Currently, despite the fact that it is perfectly legal to do so across the state, anyone transporting a firearm through North Las Vegas is in violation of a city ordinance and could face prosecution. David Hanes, a permit holder who frequently hunts and makes trips to the Clark County Shooting Park, is in violation every time he leaves the state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar shooting facility.

“It’s a shame that the City of North Las Vegas has failed to comply with state law and has put so many law-abiding gun owners in jeopardy of a citation just for exercising their Second Amendment rights,” concluded Cox. “The NRA will see this through to ensure that Nevada has a meaningful, statewide firearms preemption law.”

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 Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group.  Four million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime.  The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services.