Nevada Free Public Records Directory

Planning a vacation to “America’s Playground?” Nevada is home to desert resorts, alpine adventures, and unparalleled entertainment venues. But what else comes to mind when you think of this southwestern destination? Gambling? Burning Man? Hoover Dam? Area 51? Indeed, the state of Nevada offers something for everyone’s recreational tastes.

The state is situated between Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, Utah to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and California to the west. It is the 7th largest state in the US, covering 110,577 square miles of mostly desert terrain. The Great Basin Desert, the largest desert in the country, occupies the majority of Nevada’s territory. The Mojave Desert covers the remaining third of the state to the south. Because of its arid environment, Nevada is the driest state in the nation, with an average annual rainfall of 7 inches. ^[1]

This desert landscape, however, is broken up by several mountain ranges. In fact, Nevada is the most mountainous state in the contiguous US. Of course, with mountain ranges come lush valleys and lakes, and Nevada is no exception. Lake Tahoe, situated between the Nevada and California state line, is the largest alpine lake in the North America. 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet, it is the 2nd deepest lake in the US (after Crater Lake in Oregon). A major tourist destination for both Nevada and California, Lake Tahoe offers year-round outdoor activities, including a variety of snow and water sports, surrounded by breathtaking scenery.

Despite its vast geographic area, there are only 8 states in the country that are less densely populated than Nevada. The state has experienced one of the strongest prolonged growth rates in the country, however, ranking 6th in the nation with an 11.02% increase in population between 2010 and 2017, according to US Census Bureau projections. ^[2] The relative affordability of the state and its stable economy may provide the contemporary lure for new residents.

But what drove early migration to Nevada? Prospectors flocked to the state in 1858, when silver ore was discovered in Comstock Lode, the first major silver-mining district in the United States. Nevada is officially known as the “Silver State” for this metal’s significance to its history and economy. Nevada is the country’s second-largest producer of silver, after Alaska.

Mining remains a major industry in the state, but silver is not the only precious metal found in there. Gold is in abundance; Nevada’s gold mines produced 78% of all gold in the US in 2017. ^[3]

What other industry drives Nevada’s economy? Tourism. This industry serves as the state’s largest employer. Las Vegas, heralded as the “Entertainment Capitol of the World”, offers an array of luxury hotels, restaurants, and nightlife, and draws over 40 million visitors annually.

For some adult visitors, Nevada offers a unique, libertarian allure with its “vice attractions” of gambling, prostitution, and permissive alcohol laws. Gambling and prostitution are legal in Nevada. Casinos are open 24 hours; prostitution is permitted in certain counties (which must vote to allow the practice) and is regulated in licensed brothels. Relaxed drinking laws allow establishments serving alcohol to stay open 24 hours with no “last call” or legally mandated closing hour; stores may sell liquor any day or any hour. Are Nevada drug laws equally libertarian? Only in 2017 did the recreational use of marijuana become legal in the state of Nevada. Adults (21 and older) can possess one ounce of marijuana. Time will tell if recreational drug use laws evolve as liberally as the state’s other “vice laws.”

What other attractions draw tourists to Nevada? There are many historical sites and unique destinations in the state.

Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression and completed in 1935, is considered an engineering and construction feat. Nearly a million visitors tour the Dam annually.

At the height of the arms race for dominance in nuclear warfare, the US government was developing and testing weapons at the Nevada Test Site, just 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. There has been a nuclear testing moratorium since 1992, and the location regularly draws visitors (and some protestors) annually to its site.

For those with a fascination for UFO lore, Area 51 shares a border with the Yucca Flat region of the Nevada Test Site. The secrecy surrounding this classified location has generated several conspiracy theories about alien encounters and spacecraft storage. Tourists flock to this mysterious site to determine for themselves “is the truth is really out there?”

For those seeking a more artistic and communal pursuit, Burning Man Festival draws thousands to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert annually to share art, performance, and communal experiences during the week preceding Labor Day.

Now who can argue that Nevada doesn’t offer a venue to indulge every interest, conspiracy theory, or recreational pursuit? To stay apprised of the state’s property records, see our public records directory below before you land in a secret, restricted area or a bonfire-free zone.

Abbreviation	NV
Capital	Carson City
Population	2,940,058 (2016 est.)
Area size	110,577 sq. mi
Demonym	Nevadan
Primary languages spoken	English
Governor	Brian Sandoval
Lieutenant Governor	Mark Hutchinson
U.S. Senators	Dean Heller, Catherine Cortez Masto
U.S. House Delegation	3 Democrats, 1 Republican
Time Zone	Pacific: UTC -8/-7

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. ^[4] The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.