Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Nevada? (2026 Law)

Brass knuckles are illegal in Nevada. NRS 202.350(1)(a) makes it a crime for a person in Nevada to make, import, sell, give, lend or simply possess "metal knuckles," and a first offense is a gross misdemeanor while any later offense is a category D felony.

Nevada also bans metal knuckles on school, university and child care property (NRS 202.265) and makes possessing them in a jail or prison a category B felony (NRS 212.185). For other states, see our guide to brass knuckles laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-09. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Nevada Revised Statutes 202.265, 202.340 and 202.350 (chapter 202, 2025 revision), NRS 202.320 (drawing a deadly weapon), NRS 200.471 and 200.481 (assault and battery), NRS 212.160 and 212.185 (prisoners), NRS 392.466 and 393.410 (schools), the deadly weapon enhancement NRS 193.165, the penalty sections NRS 193.130, 193.140 and 193.150, and the local preemption statutes NRS 244.364, 268.418 and 269.222. It does not cover Nevada court decisions, city or county ordinances, airport or courthouse rules, federal law or federal property, or the law of other states.

Are brass knuckles illegal in Nevada?

Yes. Nevada's dangerous-weapon statute names metal knuckles in a list of banned instruments:

"1. Except as otherwise provided in this section and NRS 202.3653 to 202.369, inclusive, a person within this State shall not: (a) Manufacture or cause to be manufactured, or import into the State, or keep, offer or expose for sale, or give, lend or possess any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, billy, sand-club, sandbag or metal knuckles;" NRS 202.350(1)(a)

The offense is possession itself. The paragraph has no intent element, and NRS 202.350 contains no exception for keeping knuckles at home, for self-defense or for collecting. That sets Nevada apart from states that regulate only concealed carry or use. Because the ban covers possession, keeping knuckles in a car or a bag is no different from carrying them in a pocket.

The penalty is set in NRS 202.350(2)(a): a violation of paragraph (a) is a gross misdemeanor for the first offense and a category D felony for any subsequent offense.

NRS 193.140 sets the gross misdemeanor penalty "unless the statute in force at the time of commission of such gross misdemeanor prescribed a different penalty."

Who is exempt from Nevada's knuckles ban?

NRS 202.350(4) lists the only exemptions. The section does not apply to:

• sheriffs, constables, marshals, peace officers, correctional officers employed by the Department of Corrections, special police officers, police officers of the state, whether active or honorably retired, or other appointed officers;
• a person summoned by a peace officer to assist in making arrests or preserving the peace, while actually assisting;
• a full-time paid peace officer of a federal agency or another state or its political subdivision, when carrying out official duties in Nevada; and
• members of the United States Armed Forces when on duty.

Under NRS 202.350(5), those exemptions do not include a former peace officer retired for disability unless the former employer has approved his or her fitness to carry a concealed weapon.

What counts as metal knuckles in Nevada?

Nevada does not define the term. The definitions in NRS 202.350(8) cover "concealed weapon," "honorably retired," "nunchaku," "pneumatic gun," the two qualified-officer terms, "silencer" and "trefoil," but not metal knuckles. The statute describes the item as an instrument or weapon "of the kind commonly known as" metal knuckles.

Because the wording is "metal knuckles," plastic, polymer or other non-metal knuckles are not expressly named in NRS 202.350(1)(a), and this article does not discuss any Nevada court decision on how far the term reaches. The same section separately makes it an offense to carry concealed upon the person any "Pistol, revolver or other firearm, other dangerous or deadly weapon or pneumatic gun" (NRS 202.350(1)(d)(3)), a category C felony under NRS 202.350(2)(b). The statute does not say when concealed knuckles would be charged under that paragraph rather than under paragraph (a). For knuckle knives and other blades, see our guide to Nevada knife laws.

Can a sheriff's permit allow brass knuckles?

NRS 202.350(3) lets the sheriff of a county, on written application by a county resident "showing the reason or the purpose for which a concealed weapon is to be carried," issue a permit to carry "the concealed weapon described in the permit." The subsection does not authorize a sheriff to issue a permit for a pistol, revolver or other firearm. The statute does not say whether such a permit can cover metal knuckles, which paragraph (a) bans outright, and this article does not discuss any Nevada court decision or sheriff policy on that question.

Brass knuckles at Nevada schools and child care facilities

NRS 202.265(1) provides that a person "shall not carry or possess while on the property of the Nevada System of Higher Education, a private or public school or child care facility, or while in a vehicle of a private or public school or child care facility," among other weapons, "(d) A blackjack or billy club or metal knuckles." A violation is a gross misdemeanor (NRS 202.265(2)).

The section does not prohibit possession on the property of a school or child care facility by a peace officer, a school security guard, or a person with written permission from the president of a branch or facility of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the principal of the school or the person a child care facility designates to give permission (NRS 202.265(3)(a)). For a child care facility in a private home, the section applies only during the facility's normal business hours (NRS 202.265(4)).

Two other education statutes also name metal knuckles:

• School nuisance and trespass. Under NRS 393.410(3), a person who possesses a "dangerous weapon" while committing a nuisance, loitering or trespass violation described in paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of subsection 1 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. Subsection (4)(b) defines a dangerous weapon to include "A blackjack or billy club or metal knuckles."
• Student discipline. NRS 392.466(20)(c), part of the statute governing pupil discipline, defines "dangerous weapon" to include "a blackjack, slungshot, billy, sand-club, sandbag, metal knuckles, dirk or dagger," among other items. Under NRS 392.466(5), a pupil found in possession of a dangerous weapon other than a firearm on the premises of a public school, at a public school activity or on a school bus may be removed from the school immediately, pending proceedings for suspension, expulsion or permanent expulsion; a pupil under 11 may not be expelled or permanently expelled under that subsection.

Minors and sales

Nevada's ban already covers selling, giving or lending metal knuckles to anyone, of any age: NRS 202.350(1)(a) prohibits keeping, offering or exposing them for sale, and giving or lending them. No separate Nevada statute among those covered here sets a minors-only rule for knuckles; the general ban and the school rules apply to young people as they do to adults.

Jails, prisons and people in custody

"1. A person who is incarcerated in the state prison or any county or city jail or detention facility or other correctional facility in this State, ... and who possesses or has in his or her custody or control any: (a) Instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, billy, sand-club, sandbag or metal knuckles; ... is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years." NRS 212.185(1)(a)

A person not authorized by law who knowingly furnishes, attempts to furnish, or aids or assists in furnishing a deadly weapon to a prisoner confined in an institution of the Department of Corrections, or another place where prisoners are authorized to be or are assigned by the Director of the Department, commits a category B felony punishable by 1 to 6 years in the state prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000 (NRS 212.160(1)(a)). Knowingly leaving a deadly weapon where a prisoner may obtain it counts as furnishing it (NRS 212.160(2)).

What happens to confiscated knuckles?

Under NRS 202.340(1), when any instrument or weapon described in NRS 202.350 is taken from a person charged with a public offense or crime, or from a child charged with a delinquent act, it must be surrendered to the police department, state law enforcement agency or sheriff, depending on who detected it. NRS 202.340(5)(a) directs the officer to destroy, or direct the destruction of, any instrument or weapon determined to be dangerous to the safety of the public, unless a judge, the Attorney General or the district attorney has directed that it be retained as evidence.

Can Nevada cities regulate knuckles?

Nevada's local preemption statutes are written for guns. NRS 244.364(1)(b) places the regulation of "firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition" within "the exclusive domain of the Legislature," and NRS 268.418 and 269.222 are parallel provisions for cities and towns. They do not mention knuckles. Since state law already bans possession of metal knuckles statewide, the state rule applies everywhere in Nevada regardless of local ordinances.

Using brass knuckles in a crime

Nevada's weapon sentence enhancement, NRS 193.165, defines "deadly weapon" to include a dangerous or deadly weapon specifically described in NRS 202.350, which names metal knuckles (NRS 193.165(6)(c)). A person who uses a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime faces an additional prison term of 1 to 20 years, which runs consecutively and may not exceed the sentence imposed for the crime (NRS 193.165(1), (2)). The enhancement does not apply where use of a deadly weapon is a necessary element of the crime (NRS 193.165(4)).

Nevada's assault and battery statutes also carry heavier penalties when a deadly weapon is used. Assault, meaning unlawfully attempting to use physical force against another person or intentionally placing another person in reasonable apprehension of immediate bodily harm, is a category B felony punishable by 1 to 6 years in the state prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both when it is made with the use of a deadly weapon or the present ability to use one (NRS 200.471(1)(a), (2)(b)). Battery, meaning any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another, committed with the use of a deadly weapon is a category B felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in the state prison and a possible fine of up to $10,000 when no substantial bodily harm results, and 2 to 15 years and a possible fine of up to $10,000 when substantial bodily harm results or the battery is committed by strangulation (NRS 200.481(1)(a), (2)(e)).

Under NRS 202.320, a person having or carrying a deadly weapon who, in the presence of two or more persons, draws or exhibits it in a rude, angry or threatening manner not in necessary self-defense, or who in any manner unlawfully uses it in any fight or quarrel, is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless a greater penalty is provided in NRS 202.287. A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both (NRS 193.150).

Felons and self-defense

Nevada's prohibited-person statute, NRS 202.360, concerns ownership or possession of a firearm. Brass knuckles are already banned for everyone under NRS 202.350, so a felony record does not change whether possession is legal. Lawful self-defense options and their limits are covered in our guides to Nevada self-defense laws and Nevada pepper spray and stun gun laws.

Related pages

• Brass knuckles laws by state
• Nevada knife laws
• Nevada self-defense laws
• Nevada pepper spray and stun gun laws
• California brass knuckles laws
• Arizona brass knuckles laws

This article provides general legal information about Nevada state law, not legal advice. Weapons laws change. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Nevada or your local law enforcement agency.

Last updated: 2026-10-09.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in Nevada?

No. NRS 202.350(1)(a) bans manufacturing, importing, selling, giving, lending or possessing metal knuckles. A first offense is a gross misdemeanor and any later offense is a category D felony under NRS 202.350(2)(a).

What is the penalty for having brass knuckles in Nevada?

A first offense under NRS 202.350(1)(a) is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in the county jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both under NRS 193.140. A subsequent offense is a category D felony, punishable by 1 to 4 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000 under NRS 193.130(2)(d).

Can I keep brass knuckles at home in Nevada?

NRS 202.350(1)(a) bans possessing metal knuckles and contains no exception for keeping them at home, for self-defense or for collecting. The exemptions in NRS 202.350(4) cover only listed officers, people assisting an officer and on-duty members of the Armed Forces.

Are plastic knuckles legal in Nevada?

NRS 202.350(1)(a) names metal knuckles and does not define the term, so non-metal knuckles are not expressly named. The same section separately bans carrying any other dangerous or deadly weapon concealed upon the person (NRS 202.350(1)(d)(3)).

Can you bring brass knuckles to a Nevada school or university?

No. NRS 202.265 makes carrying or possessing metal knuckles on the property of the Nevada System of Higher Education, a public or private school or a child care facility, or in their vehicles, a gross misdemeanor. Exceptions cover peace officers, school security guards and people with written permission from the president, principal or child care facility's designee.