Nevada AI Laws and Regulation (2026)

Nevada addressed artificial intelligence through multiple targeted laws during its 2025 legislative session, covering mental health AI, deepfake crimes, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and election transparency. Governor Joe Lombardo signed four AI-related bills into law while vetoing one that would have restricted AI use in health insurance decisions. The state has not enacted comprehensive AI regulation, but its targeted approach addresses several high-priority concerns.

This guide covers every enacted and pending Nevada AI law, how federal AI policy affects the state, and what businesses and residents need to know. This article is for informational purposes only. Consult an attorney for advice specific to your situation.

AI in Mental and Behavioral Health Care (AB 406)

Governor Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 406 on June 5, 2025, making Nevada one of the first states to explicitly ban AI from providing mental and behavioral health care services. The law took effect on July 1, 2025.

What AB 406 Prohibits

The law contains several distinct prohibitions targeting different actors in the mental health care system:

Prohibition	Details
AI therapy services	No person or entity may offer AI systems designed to provide services that constitute the practice of professional mental or behavioral health care
False representations	No one may represent that an AI system can provide mental or behavioral health care
Credential requirements	Anyone representing themselves as a mental health professional must possess valid credentials issued by a governmental entity
School restrictions	Public schools may not use AI to perform mental health-related functions of school counselors, psychologists, or social workers

What Is Allowed

Licensed mental health professionals may still use AI for limited administrative purposes. These include scheduling appointments, managing records, and handling other non-clinical tasks. However, the law strictly prohibits using AI directly in patient care. Providers must independently review any AI-generated reports and ensure compliance with patient privacy laws.

Penalties

Violations of AB 406 carry civil penalties of up to $15,000 per incident for AI providers. Licensed health care professionals who violate the law face potential disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of their professional license. The Nevada Division responsible for overseeing mental health care has authority to investigate potential violations and enforce these penalties.

AI-Generated Child Pornography (SB 263)

Governor Lombardo signed Senate Bill 263 on June 6, 2025, updating Nevada's child pornography statutes to explicitly cover AI-generated and computer-generated content. The law took effect on October 1, 2025.

Expanded Definitions

SB 263 defines "computer-generated child pornography" broadly to cover two scenarios. The first covers a child who has been "created, adapted, or modified" by computer technology or artificial intelligence to depict a child in a sexual manner. The second covers any person over 18 years of age who is modified by computer technology or AI to appear as a minor and is then depicted in a sexual manner.

Criminal Penalties

The law establishes significant criminal penalties based on the offender's history:

Offense Level	Classification	Prison Sentence	Fine
First offense	Category B felony	1 to 15 years	Up to $15,000
Repeat offense	Category A felony	Minimum 10 years	Determined by court

These penalties apply under NRS 200.725, Nevada's existing statute governing the advertising and distribution of child pornography. Senator Nicole Cannizzaro introduced the bill.

Nonconsensual Deepfake Intimate Images (SB 213)

Governor Lombardo signed Senate Bill 213 on June 5, 2025, expanding Nevada's existing "revenge porn" statute to cover AI-generated and digitally manipulated intimate images.

Criminal Classification

SB 213 makes it a category D felony to knowingly distribute or cause to be distributed an intimate image of another person without their prior consent, including images that could reasonably be mistaken for actual depictions of the individual. This covers content created using artificial intelligence, deepfake technology, or other digital manipulation tools.

Penalties

A category D felony in Nevada carries 1 to 4 years in Nevada State Prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Convicted defendants are not required to register as sex offenders under this statute.

Exceptions

The law includes exceptions for legitimate public interest reporting, law enforcement activities, and legal proceedings. These carve-outs ensure the law does not interfere with journalism, criminal investigations, or court cases where such images may be relevant evidence.

AI Disclosure in Election Materials (AB 73)

Governor Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 73 into law, with an effective date of January 1, 2026. Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar introduced the bill, which passed with unanimous bipartisan support.

Disclosure Requirements

AB 73 requires that any paid communications relating to candidates, groups of candidates, or political parties must disclose the use of AI-generated content in a "clear and conspicuous manner." The law applies to communications made or paid for by individuals, organizations, candidate campaign committees, political action committees, or political party committees.

The bill specifically targets any image, audio, or video that has been intentionally manipulated by AI or generative AI to create a realistic but fake depiction of a real person.

Format Requirements

The law specifies detailed disclosure formats depending on the type of media:

Media Type	Disclosure Requirement
Image	Must state: "This image has been manipulated"
Video	Disclosure must appear for the entire duration of the video
Audio only	Disclosure must be clearly spoken at the beginning, the end, and every 2 minutes for longer recordings

Enforcement

Candidates who are depicted in AI materials that lack the legally required disclosures may seek a legal injunction to stop people or groups from distributing the altered content. This private enforcement mechanism gives candidates a direct tool to address unauthorized AI-generated campaign materials.

Health Care AI: The Vetoed SB 128

The Nevada Legislature passed Senate Bill 128, which would have prohibited health insurers from using AI systems or automated decision tools as the sole method for denying prior authorization requests, modifying care requests, reducing service coverage, or terminating previously approved care. The bill would have required a licensed health care professional with appropriate expertise to review medical documentation before denying any request.

SB 128 passed the Senate on April 22, 2025, with a 15-6 vote and the Assembly on May 31, 2025, with a 23-16 vote. However, Governor Lombardo vetoed the bill on June 10, 2025, stating that it "goes too far" and could hinder innovation and the use of technology to lower patient costs.

A related bill, SB 186, which would have required health care providers using generative AI for patient communications to include a disclaimer, also did not advance during the 2025 session.

Government Use of AI

Nevada is actively deploying AI tools in government operations, raising new questions about transparency and citizen rights.

AI for Unemployment Appeals

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is rolling out a Google-powered AI tool to process appeals on unemployment benefit decisions. The project has a total price tag of $2.6 million, with approximately $1.1 million spent as of early 2026.

Under the new process, the AI tool reviews all information from an appeals hearing, including documents and relevant Nevada laws, and issues a ruling that must receive sign-off from a human referee. Officials say the tool can issue a ruling in five minutes, compared to 10 minutes to several hours for a human-only process.

State lawmakers have raised concerns about the system. Senator Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) questioned the lack of consent requirements, noting that citizens' rights are being processed through AI without their knowledge or agreement.

Federal AI Policy and Nevada

Federal AI policy has become increasingly relevant to Nevada's regulatory landscape, particularly following a December 2025 executive order from President Trump.

December 2025 Executive Order

On December 11, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence." The order directs the Attorney General to establish an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state AI laws, directs the Secretary of Commerce to evaluate existing state AI laws that may conflict with federal goals, and threatens to block states with targeted AI regulations from receiving Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) broadband funding.

Impact on Nevada

Nevada's enacted AI laws could face challenges under this executive order. The state's ban on AI therapy (AB 406), in particular, could be characterized as the type of innovation-restricting regulation the executive order targets. However, the executive order itself cannot overturn existing state law. Only an act of Congress or a court ruling can do that. Until any legal challenges are resolved, Nevada's AI laws remain enforceable and companies face potential penalties for noncompliance.

Nevada has not joined the group of Republican governors who opposed a proposed congressional moratorium on state AI regulation, nor has it taken a formal position supporting the federal preemption approach.

Summary of Nevada AI Laws

Law	Subject	Status	Effective Date	Key Provision
AB 406	Mental health AI ban	Enacted	July 1, 2025	Prohibits AI from providing mental/behavioral health care; $15,000 per incident penalty
SB 263	AI-generated child pornography	Enacted	October 1, 2025	Category B felony (1-15 years); Category A for repeat offenders
SB 213	Deepfake intimate images	Enacted	2025	Category D felony (1-4 years, up to $5,000 fine) for nonconsensual distribution
AB 73	AI in election materials	Enacted	January 1, 2026	Mandatory disclosure of AI use in political communications
SB 128	AI in health insurance	Vetoed	N/A	Would have banned AI-only prior authorization denials
SB 186	AI health care disclosure	Did not advance	N/A	Would have required AI disclaimers in patient communications

More Nevada Laws

• Nevada Recording Laws
• [Nevada Data Privacy Laws](/us-laws/data-privacy-laws/nevada-data-privacy-laws)
• Nevada Surveillance Camera Laws
• Nevada Background Check Laws
• Nevada Sexting Laws