Nevada Background Check Guide · 2025
Working on the Las Vegas Strip means going through one of the most scrutinized hiring environments in the country. Whether you're applying for a gaming license, a hotel role at MGM or Caesars, a position at Tesla's Sparks Gigafactory, or a teaching job in Clark County, the employer is running a background check, usually a fingerprint-based one. The good news is that Nevada makes it easy and cheap to pull the same record on yourself.
This guide explains how to request your Nevada criminal history, what shows up, and how NRS 179.245 record sealing, which got even friendlier in the 2026 legislative update, can clean up old records.
Nevada's hiring environment is dominated by the gaming industry, which runs the most thorough employment background checks of any sector in the country. Even outside gaming, the volume of fingerprint checks across Nevada means small errors can be costly. Running a self-check is the cheapest insurance against an unexpected denial.
Nevada's criminal record database is maintained by the DPS Records Bureau and fed from law enforcement agencies across 17 counties plus Carson City. Errors show up, particularly cases that were dismissed in justice or municipal court but never closed at the state level. Catching these before a Gaming Control Board check is far less stressful than disputing them mid-application.
NRS 179.245 sealings require a court order that's then transmitted to the DPS and the originating law enforcement agency. The transmission isn't always clean. Running a $27 self-check after a sealing is granted confirms the record actually disappeared from the state file.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board runs the most invasive licensing check in the country, covering employment, finances, associates, and criminal history. Healthcare boards, the Real Estate Division, and the Private Investigators Licensing Board all use fingerprint-based checks. Knowing what's on your record in advance gives you time to prepare disclosures or seek sealing first.
Landlords across Nevada, particularly in tight markets like Henderson and Summerlin, pull criminal background reports through commercial screening services. The data ultimately comes from state and local records. Fixing errors at the source is the only durable solution.
Felony convictions and most misdemeanor convictions processed in Nevada district, justice, and municipal courts appear on the DPS record. The report shows offense, court, conviction date, and sentence.
Nevada includes arrest records on the criminal history report, including arrests that didn't result in conviction. The DPS does not automatically remove these arrests, you have to petition for sealing under NRS 179.245.
Open and pending charges appear on the DPS record. If a case was dismissed and the disposition wasn't transmitted to the DPS, the record will still appear "pending" until corrected.
Federal court records, out-of-state convictions, juvenile records (sealed), most traffic offenses (excluding DUI), and civil litigation are outside the DPS Records Bureau system. A complete personal check usually pulls federal and out-of-state records separately.
This is the official statewide check. Submit a Personal Identification Number (PIN) request through rccd.nv.gov, get fingerprinted at an authorized vendor, and submit fingerprint cards with a $27 money order or certified check to the DPS Records Bureau. Turnaround is typically 5–10 business days.
If you only need to check Clark County records, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's SCOPE check is the cheaper option. Submit a request at any LVMPD records office for $13. Note that SCOPE covers Clark County only, not statewide.
Each Nevada county runs its own court database. The Eighth Judicial District (Clark County) at clarkcountycourts.us is the largest. The Nevada Supreme Court's eFlex system aggregates appellate records. This catches case histories that may not yet be in DPS data.
For a single report combining Nevada DPS data with federal courts, multi-state records, and sex offender registries, a professional service is fastest. Background-Check.com consolidates all of this in one report.
For nationwide coverage based on fingerprints, request an Identity History Summary from the FBI. Useful if you've lived or been arrested in multiple states or want to verify what gaming licensors will see.
Nevada's record-sealing law is among the most accessible in the country. Waiting periods from completion of sentence:
Sex offenses and crimes against children are not eligible for sealing. The petition is filed in the court of conviction.
Nevada state agencies cannot ask about criminal history on initial job applications. The question can be asked later in the hiring process. This applies to state government only, private employers in Nevada can still ask on the initial application unless they're in Las Vegas or North Las Vegas (which have local ban-the-box rules).
Nevada's employment anti-discrimination statute lists protected classes but does not specifically protect criminal history. EEOC guidance on individualized assessment of criminal history is followed by the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.
Third-party background checks in Nevada are governed by the FCRA: written consent required before the check, pre-adverse-action notice required, right to dispute errors, and 7-year cap on non-conviction reporting.
Anyone applying for a gaming work card or gaming license undergoes a Gaming Control Board investigation that goes far beyond a standard criminal check. Disqualifying offenses are spelled out by statute and Board regulation, and rehabilitation evidence is heavily weighted.
For anyone applying for gaming, healthcare, or licensed-profession roles, absolutely yes. The Nevada Gaming Control Board's investigation is one of the most thorough in the country, and any disposition mismatch or unsealed dismissed charge can cause delays. Even outside gaming, a $27 DPS check is worth running if you have any sealed records, older convictions, or arrests without confirmed dispositions.
For a comprehensive personal report combining Nevada DPS data with federal records, sex offender registries, and out-of-state convictions, run a multi-source check through Background-Check.com.
The official statewide route is the Nevada DPS Records Bureau personal criminal history check: $27, fingerprint-based, 5–10 business days. For Clark County only, the LVMPD SCOPE check is $13. For broader coverage, request an FBI Identity History Summary or use a professional multi-state service.
Nevada has no state cap on conviction reporting. The federal FCRA caps non-conviction records (arrests not leading to conviction) at 7 years on third-party employment reports. Sealed records are removed entirely.
Records sealed under NRS 179.245 are removed from the DPS database and should not appear on FCRA-compliant employer background reports. Gaming Control Board investigations may still uncover sealed records under specific statutory authority, sealing protects you from most employers but not from gaming regulators.
DPS personal criminal history: $27 + fingerprinting fees. LVMPD SCOPE (Clark County only): $13. FBI Identity History Summary: $18. Gaming work card application: varies by jurisdiction. Professional comprehensive multi-state checks: $20 to $80.
Yes, when they use a third-party background check company, the federal FCRA requires written authorization. State agencies and certain local government employers covered by ban-the-box rules cannot ask about criminal history on the initial application. You always have the right to see any report used in a hiring decision and dispute inaccuracies.