Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 202 - Crimes Against Public Health and Safety
NRS 202.2491 - Smoking tobacco: Unlawful in certain public places; posting signs; designation of areas for smoking. [Effective through December 31, 2021.] Smoking tobacco: Unlawful in certain public places; posting signs; designation of areas for smo...

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 5 and 6 and NRS 202.24915, the smoking of tobacco in any form is prohibited if done in any:
(a) Public elevator.
(b) Public building.
(c) Public waiting room, lobby or hallway of any:
(1) Medical facility or facility for the dependent as defined in chapter 449 of NRS; or
(2) Office of any chiropractor, dentist, physical therapist, physician, podiatric physician, psychologist, optician, optometrist or doctor of Oriental medicine.
(d) Hotel or motel when so designated by the operator thereof.
(e) Public area of a store principally devoted to the sale of food for human consumption off the premises.
(f) Child care facility.
(g) Bus used by the general public, other than a chartered bus, or in any maintenance facility or office associated with a bus system operated by any regional transportation commission.
(h) School bus.
(i) Video arcade.
2. The person in control of an area listed in paragraph (c), (d), (e) or (g) of subsection 1:
(a) Shall post in the area signs prohibiting smoking in any place not designated for that purpose as provided in paragraph (b).
(b) May designate separate rooms or portions of the area which may be used for smoking, except for a room or portion of the area of a store described in paragraph (e) of subsection 1 if the room or portion of the area:
(1) Is leased to or operated by a person licensed pursuant to NRS 463.160; and
(2) Does not otherwise qualify for an exemption set forth in NRS 202.24915.
3. The person in control of a public building:
(a) Shall post in the area signs prohibiting smoking in any place not designated for that purpose as provided in paragraph (b).
(b) Shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, designate a separate area which may be used for smoking.
A school district which prohibits the use of tobacco by pupils need not designate an area which may be used by the pupils to smoke.
4. The operator of a restaurant with a seating capacity of 50 or more shall maintain a flexible nonsmoking area within the restaurant and offer each patron the opportunity to be seated in a smoking or nonsmoking area.
5. A business which derives more than 50 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages or 50 percent of its gross receipts from gaming operations may be designated as a smoking area in its entirety by the operator of the business.
6. The smoking of tobacco is not prohibited in:
(a) Any room or area designated for smoking pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 2 or paragraph (b) of subsection 3.
(b) A licensed gaming establishment. A licensed gaming establishment may designate separate rooms or areas within the establishment which may or may not be used for smoking.
7. As used in this section:
(a) "Child care facility" means an establishment operated and maintained to furnish care on a temporary or permanent basis, during the day or overnight, to five or more children under 18 years of age, if compensation is received for the care of any of those children. The term does not include the home of a natural person who provides child care.
(b) "Licensed gaming establishment" has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 463.0169.
(c) "Public building" means any building or office space owned or occupied by:
(1) Any component of the Nevada System of Higher Education and used for any purpose related to the System.
(2) The State of Nevada and used for any public purpose, other than that used by the Department of Corrections to house or provide other services to offenders.
(3) Any county, city, school district or other political subdivision of the State and used for any public purpose.
If only part of a building is owned or occupied by an entity described in this paragraph, the term means only that portion of the building which is so owned or occupied.
(d) "School bus" has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 483.160.
(e) "Video arcade" means a facility legally accessible to persons under 18 years of age which is intended primarily for the use of pinball and video machines for amusement and which contains a minimum of 10 such machines.
(Added to NRS by 1975, 462; A 1977, 649, 958; 1985, 1755; 1987, 428; 1989, 870, 1626; 1991, 591, 644, 1132, 1695; 1993, 363, 2227; 1999, 1692; 2001, 1108; 2001 Special Session, 230; 2003, 289; 2005, 462)

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 5 and 6 and NRS 202.24915, the smoking of tobacco in any form is prohibited if done in any:
(a) Public elevator.
(b) Public building.
(c) Public waiting room, lobby or hallway of any:
(1) Medical facility or facility for the dependent as defined in chapter 449 of NRS; or
(2) Office of any chiropractic physician, dentist, physical therapist, physician, podiatric physician, psychologist, optician, optometrist or doctor of Oriental medicine.
(d) Hotel or motel when so designated by the operator thereof.
(e) Public area of a store principally devoted to the sale of food for human consumption off the premises.
(f) Child care facility.
(g) Bus used by the general public, other than a chartered bus, or in any maintenance facility or office associated with a bus system operated by any regional transportation commission.
(h) School bus.
(i) Video arcade.
2. The person in control of an area listed in paragraph (c), (d), (e) or (g) of subsection 1:
(a) Shall post in the area signs prohibiting smoking in any place not designated for that purpose as provided in paragraph (b).
(b) May designate separate rooms or portions of the area which may be used for smoking, except for a room or portion of the area of a store described in paragraph (e) of subsection 1 if the room or portion of the area:
(1) Is leased to or operated by a person licensed pursuant to NRS 463.160; and
(2) Does not otherwise qualify for an exemption set forth in NRS 202.24915.
3. The person in control of a public building:
(a) Shall post in the area signs prohibiting smoking in any place not designated for that purpose as provided in paragraph (b).
(b) Shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, designate a separate area which may be used for smoking.
A school district which prohibits the use of tobacco by pupils need not designate an area which may be used by the pupils to smoke.
4. The operator of a restaurant with a seating capacity of 50 or more shall maintain a flexible nonsmoking area within the restaurant and offer each patron the opportunity to be seated in a smoking or nonsmoking area.
5. A business which derives more than 50 percent of its gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages or 50 percent of its gross receipts from gaming operations may be designated as a smoking area in its entirety by the operator of the business.
6. The smoking of tobacco is not prohibited in:
(a) Any room or area designated for smoking pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 2 or paragraph (b) of subsection 3.
(b) A licensed gaming establishment. A licensed gaming establishment may designate separate rooms or areas within the establishment which may or may not be used for smoking.
7. As used in this section:
(a) "Child care facility" means an establishment operated and maintained to furnish care on a temporary or permanent basis, during the day or overnight, to five or more children under 18 years of age, if compensation is received for the care of any of those children. The term does not include the home of a natural person who provides child care.
(b) "Licensed gaming establishment" has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 463.0169.
(c) "Public building" means any building or office space owned or occupied by:
(1) Any component of the Nevada System of Higher Education and used for any purpose related to the System.
(2) The State of Nevada and used for any public purpose, other than that used by the Department of Corrections to house or provide other services to offenders.
(3) Any county, city, school district or other political subdivision of the State and used for any public purpose.
If only part of a building is owned or occupied by an entity described in this paragraph, the term means only that portion of the building which is so owned or occupied.
(d) "School bus" has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 483.160.
(e) "Video arcade" means a facility legally accessible to persons under 18 years of age which is intended primarily for the use of pinball and video machines for amusement and which contains a minimum of 10 such machines.
(Added to NRS by 1975, 462; A 1977, 649, 958; 1985, 1755; 1987, 428; 1989, 870, 1626; 1991, 591, 644, 1132, 1695; 1993, 363, 2227; 1999, 1692; 2001, 1108; 2001 Special Session, 230; 2003, 289; 2005, 462; 2021, 534, effective January 1, 2022)