Article 1, Nevada Constitution

Nevada Constitution
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Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled Declaration of Rights and consists of 22 sections.

Section 1

	Text of Section 1: Inalienable Rights All men are by Nature free and equal and have certain inalienable rights among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty; Acquiring, Possessing and Protecting property and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.

Section 2

Text of Section 2: Purpose of Government; Paramount Allegiance to United States All political power is inherent in the people[.] Government is instituted for the protection, security and benefit of the people; and they have the right to alter or reform the same whenever the public good may require it. But the Paramount Allegiance of every citizen is due to the Federal Government in the exercise of all its Constitutional powers as the same have been or may be defined by the Supreme Court of the United States; and no power exists in the people of this or any other State of the Federal Union to dissolve their connection therewith or perform any act tending to impair[,] subvert, or resist the Supreme Authority of the government of the United States. The Constitution of the United States confers full power on the Federal Government to maintain and Perpetuate its existance [existence], and whensoever any portion of the States, or people thereof attempt to secede from the Federal Union, or forcibly resist the Execution of its laws, the Federal Government may, by warrant of the Constitution, employ armed force in compelling obedience to its Authority.

Section 3

Text of Section 3: Trial by Jury; Waiver in Civil Cases The right of trial by Jury shall be secured to all and remain inviolate forever; but a Jury trial may be waived by the parties in all civil cases in the manner to be prescribed by law; and in civil cases, if three fourths of the Jurors agree upon a verdict it shall stand and have the same force and effect as a verdict by the whole Jury, Provided, the Legislature by a law passed by a two thirds vote of all the members elected to each branch thereof may require a unanimous verdict notwithstanding this Provision.

Section 4

Text of Section 4: Liberty of Conscience The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall forever be allowed in this State, and no person shall be rendered incompetent to be a witness on account of his opinions on matters of his religious belief, but the liberty of consciene [conscience] hereby secured, shall not be so construed, as to excuse acts of licentiousness or justify practices inconsistent with the peace, or safety of this State.

Section 5

	Text of Section 5: Suspension of Habeas Corpus The privilege of the writ of Habeas Corpus, shall not be suspended unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require its suspension.

Section 6

	Text of Section 6: Excessive Bail and Fines; Cruel or Unusual Punishments; Detention of Witnesses Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor shall cruel or unusual punishments be inflicted, nor shall witnesses be unreasonably detained.

Section 7

	Text of Section 7: Bail; Exception for Capital Offenses and Certain Murders All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties; unless for Capital Offenses or murders punishable by life imprisonment without possibility of parole when the proof is evident or the presumption great.

Amendments

• Amended in 1980. Proposed and passed by the 1977 legislature; agreed to and passed by the 1979 legislature; and approved and ratified by the people at the 1980 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1977, p. 1697; Statutes of Nevada 1979, p. 1941.

Section 8

Text of Section 8: Rights of Accused in Criminal Prosecutions; Jeopardy; Rights of Victims of Crime; Due Process of Law; Eminent Domain 1.  No person shall be tried for a capital or other infamous crime (except in cases of impeachment, and in cases of the militia when in actual service and the land and naval forces in time of war, or which this State may keep, with the consent of Congress, in time of peace, and in cases of petit larceny, under the regulation of the Legislature) except on presentment or indictment of the grand jury, or upon information duly filed by a district attorney, or Attorney General of the State, and in any trial, in any court whatever, the party accused shall be allowed to appear and defend in person, and with counsel, as in civil actions. No person shall be subject to be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense; nor shall he be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself. 2.  No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. 3.  Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been first made, or secured, except in cases of war, riot, fire, or great public peril, in which case compensation shall be afterward made.

Amendments

• Amended in 1912 and 1996. The first amendment was proposed and passed by the 1909 legislature; agreed to and passed by the 1911 legislature; and approved and ratified by the people at the 1912 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1909, p. 346; Statutes of Nevada 1911, p. 454. The second amendment was proposed and passed by the 1993 legislature; agreed to and passed by the 1995 legislature; and approved and ratified by the people at the 1996 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1993, p. 3065; Statutes of Nevada 1995, p. 2880.
• Amended with the approval of Nevada Question 1, Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (2018) on November 6, 2018.

Section 9

Text of Section 9: Liberty of Speech and the Press Every citizen may freely speak, write and publish his sentiments on all subjects being responsible for the abuse of that right; and no law shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press. In all criminal prosecutions and civil actions for libels, the truth may be given in evidence to the Jury; and if it shall appear to the Jury that the matter charged as libelous is true and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the party shall be acquitted or exonerated.

Section 10

	Text of Section 10: Right to Assemble and to Petition The people shall have the right freely to assemble together to consult for the common good, to instruct their representatives and to petition the Legislature for redress of Grievances.

Section 11

Text of Section 11: Right to Keep and Bear Arms; Civil Power Supreme 1. Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes. 2. The military shall be subordinate to the civil power; No standing army shall be maintained by this State in time of peace, and in time of War, no appropriation for a standing army shall be for a longer time than two years.

Amendments

• Amended in 1982. Proposed and passed by the 1979 legislature; agreed to and passed by the 1981 legislature; and approved and ratified by the people at the 1982 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1979, p. 1986; Statutes of Nevada 1981, p. 2083.

Section 12

	Text of Section 12: Quartering Soldier in Private House No soldier shall, in time of Peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of War, except in the manner to be prescribed by law.

Section 13

	Text of Section 13: Representation Apportioned According to Population Representation shall be apportioned according to population.

Section 14

Text of Section 14: Exemption of Property from Execution; Imprisonment for Debt The privilege of the debtor to enjoy the necessary comforts of life shall be recognized by wholesome laws, exempting a reasonable amount of property from seizure or sale for payment of any debts or liabilities hereafter contracted; And there shall be no imprisonment for debt, except in cases of fraud, libel, or slander, and no person shall be imprisioned [imprisoned] for a Militia fine in time of Peace.

Section 15

	Text of Section 15: Bill of Attainder; Ex Post Facto Law; Obligation of Contract No bill of attainder, ex-post-facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts shall ever be passed.

Section 16

	Text of Section 16: Rights of Foreigners Repealed.

Amendments

• Repealed in 1924.
• Sec. 16 of the original constitution was repealed by vote of the people at the 1924 general election. See: Statutes of Nevada 1921, p. 416; Statutes of Nevada 1923, p. 407. The original section read: “Foreigners who are, or who may hereafter become Bona-fide residents of this State, shall enjoy the same rights, in respect to the possession, enjoyment and inheritance of property, as native born citizens.”

Section 17

	Text of Section 17: Slavery and Involuntary Servitude Prohibited Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever be tolerated in this State.

Note: Article 1 was amended through Question 4, approved on November 5, 2024.

Section 18

Text of Section 18: Unreasonable Seizure and Search; Issuance of Warrants The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable seizures and searches shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue but on probable cause, supported by Oath or Affirmation, particularly describing the place or places to be searched, and the person or persons, and thing or things to be seized.

Section 19

	Text of Section 19: Treason Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war against it, adhering to its enemies or giving them Aid and Comfort. And no person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

Section 20

	Text of Section 20: Rights Retained by People This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to impair or deny others retained by the people.

Section 21

Text of Section 21: 1. The State of Nevada and its political subdivisions shall recognize marriages and issue marriage licenses to couples regardless of gender. 2. Religious organizations and members of the clergy have the right to refuse to solemnize a marriage, and no person has the right to make any claim against a religious organization or member of the clergy for such a refusal. 3. All legally valid marriages must be treated equally under the law.

Amendments

• Added in 2002. Proposed by initiative petition and approved and ratified by the people at the 2000 and 2002 general elections.
• Amended with the approval of Nevada Question 2 on November 3, 2020.

Section 22

Text of Section 22: Eminent Domain Proceedings: Restrictions and Requirements [Effective through November 22, 2010, and after that date unless the proposed repeal is agreed to and passed by the 2009 Legislature and approved and ratified by the voters at the 2010 General Election.] Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution to the contrary: 1. Public use shall not include the direct or indirect transfer of any interest in property taken in an eminent domain proceeding from one private party to another private party. In all eminent domain actions, the government shall have the burden to prove public use. 2. In all eminent domain actions, prior to the government’s occupancy, a property owner shall be given copies of all appraisals by the government and shall be entitled, at the property owner’s election, to a separate and distinct determination by a district court jury, as to whether the taking is actually for a public use. 3. If a public use is determined, the taken or damaged property shall be valued at its highest and best use without considering any future dedication requirements imposed by the government. If private property is taken for any proprietary governmental purpose, then the property shall be valued at the use to which the government intends to put the property, if such use results in a higher value for the land taken. 4. In all eminent domain actions, just compensation shall be defined as that sum of money, necessary to place the property owner back in the same position, monetarily, without any governmental offsets, as if the property had never been taken. Just compensation shall include, but is not limited to, compounded interest and all reasonable costs and expenses actually incurred. 5. In all eminent domain actions where fair market value is applied, it shall be defined as the highest price the property would bring on the open market. 6. Property taken in eminent domain shall automatically revert back to the original property owner upon repayment of the original purchase price, if the property is not used within five years for the original purpose stated by the government. The five years shall begin running from the date of the entry of the final order of condemnation. 7. A property owner shall not be liable to the government for attorney fees or costs in any eminent domain action. 8. For all provisions contained in this section, government shall be defined as the State of Nevada, its political subdivisions, agencies, any public or private agent acting on their behalf, and any public or private entity that has the power of eminent domain. 9. Any provision contained in this section shall be deemed a separate and freestanding right and shall remain in full force and effect should any other provision contained in this section be stricken for any reason.

Amendments

• Added in 2008. Proposed by initiative petition and approved and ratified by the people at the 2006 and 2008 General Elections.]—(Proposed repeal passed by the 2007 Legislature; effective November 23, 2010, if agreed to and passed by the 2009 Legislature and approved and ratified by the voters at the 2010 General Election. See Statutes of Nevada 2007, p. 3598.

Section 23

Text of Section 23: 1. Each person who is the victim of a crime is entitled to the following rights: (a) To be treated with fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process. (b) To be reasonably protected from the defendant and persons acting on behalf of the defendant. (c) To have the safety of the victim and the victim’s family considered as a factor in fixing the amount of bail and release conditions for the defendant. (d) To prevent the disclosure of confidential information or records to the defendant which could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family. (e) To refuse an interview or deposition request, unless under court order, and to set reasonable conditions on the conduct of any such interview to which the victim consents. (f) To reasonably confer with the prosecuting agency, upon request, regarding the case. (g) To reasonable notice of all public proceedings, including delinquency proceedings, upon request, at which the defendant and the prosecutor are entitled to be present and of all parole or other postconviction release proceedings, and to be present at all such proceedings. (h) To be reasonably heard, upon request, at any public proceeding, including any delinquency proceeding, in any court involving release or sentencing, and at any parole proceeding. (i) To the timely disposition of the case following the arrest of the defendant. (j) To provide information to any public officer or employee conducting a presentence investigation concerning the impact of the offense on the victim and the victim’s family and any sentencing recommendations before the sentencing of the defendant. (k) To be informed, upon request, of the conviction, sentence, place and time of incarceration, or other disposition of the defendant, the scheduled release date of the defendant and the release of or the escape by the defendant from custody. (l) To full and timely restitution. (m) To the prompt return of legal property when no longer needed as evidence. (n) To be informed of all postconviction proceedings, to participate and provide information to the parole authority to be considered before the parole of the offender and to be notified, upon request, of the parole or other release of the offender. (o) To have the safety of the victim, the victim’s family and the general public considered before any parole or other postjudgment release decision is made. (p) To have all monetary payments, money and property collected from any person who has been ordered to make restitution be first applied to pay the amounts ordered as restitution to the victim. (q) To be specifically informed of the rights enumerated in this section, and to have information concerning those rights be made available to the general public. 2. A victim has standing to assert the rights enumerated in this section in any court with jurisdiction over the case. The court shall promptly rule on a victim’s request. A defendant does not have standing to assert the rights of his or her victim. This section does not alter the powers, duties or responsibilities of a prosecuting attorney. A victim does not have the status of a party in a criminal proceeding. 3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, no person may maintain an action against this State or any public officer or employee for damages or injunctive, declaratory or other legal or equitable relief on behalf of a victim of a crime as a result of a violation of this section or any statute enacted by the Legislature pursuant thereto. No such violation authorizes setting aside a conviction. 4. A person may maintain an action to compel a public officer or employee to carry out any duty required by this section or any statute enacted by the Legislature pursuant thereto. 5. The granting of these rights to victims must not be construed to deny or disparage other rights possessed by victims. A parole authority shall extend the right to be heard at a parole hearing to any person harmed by the offender. 6. The Legislature shall by law provide any other measure necessary or useful to secure to victims of crime the benefit of the rights set forth in this section. 7. As used in this section, “victim” means any person directly and proximately harmed by the commission of a criminal offense under any law of this State. If the victim is less than 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated or deceased, the term includes the legal guardian of the victim or a representative of the victim’s estate, member of the victim’s family or any other person who is appointed by the court to act on the victim’s behalf, except that the court shall not appoint the defendant as such a person.

Amendments

• Added with the approval of Nevada Question 1, Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (2018) on November 6, 2018.

Section 24

	Text of Section 24: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.

Amendments

• Section 24 was added with the approval of Question 1 on November 8, 2022.

See also

• State constitution
• Constitutional article
• Constitutional amendment
• Constitutional revision
• Constitutional convention
• Amendments
  • Initiated constitutional amendment
  • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment
  • Publication requirements for proposed state constitutional amendments
  • Rules about constitutional conventions in state constitutions
  • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures

External links

Suggest a link

• Nevada State Legislature, "Nevada Constitution"
• Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE), "Nevada Statehood"

Additional reading

• Bowers, Michael W. (2014). The Nevada State Constitution, New York, New York: Oxford University Press
• Bushnell, Eleanor, and Don Driggs. (1984). The Nevada Constitution: Origin and Growth, Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press
• Johnson, David Alan. (1992). Founding the Far West: California, Oregon, and Nevada, 1840-1890, Berkeley, California: University of California Press