103 Ways to Have Fun in Las Vegas
If you want to have a great time in Vegas and leave with no legal problems following you home, this guide is for you!
As a 17-year Vegas lawyer, I have seen many tourists come to Vegas and go home with legal problems large and small.
But with this guide, you can have a fantastic time in Las Vegas with no legal issues following you home.
Check it out:
Topics Discussed in this Article
Driving In Las Vegas
- Speeding on The Strip: Reduce your speed once you hit MGM and New York. If you go over 35 mph north of Tropicana on The Strip, you’ll get a speeding ticket.
- Turning on a red light might be a traffic violation. In Vegas, you can make a right turn on red if it’s safe, you stop first, and no signs are saying, “No turn on red.” Otherwise, plan on a ticket for running a red-light, which carries a $305 fine.
- Are you confused by the turning signs in Vegas? Turn from the wrong lane, and you’re looking at a $395 fine and a 4-point demerit.
- Stay out of the carpool lanes unless you have two or more passengers. Carpool lane violations are $352 traffic tickets.
- You can’t hold your cell phone and drive in Vegas. The first violation is a fine.
- Passing in a no-passing or on the shoulder of the highway is a big No-No in Vegas. It’s a misdemeanor, a $305 fine, and a four-point demerit against your license.
- There are lots of one-way streets in Vegas. Driving the wrong way on a one-way street is a misdemeanor and will result in a traffic ticket.
- If you borrow a car or rent a car in Vegas, make sure your insurance is up to date. The penalty for driving without insurance includes fines of $500 to $1,200.
- Mopeds are a great way to get around Vegas, but as of October 1, 2019, you must wear a helmet, or you will get a ticket.
- Make sure your home state driver’s license is valid. Driving on a canceled, revoked or suspended license is a misdemeanor. That means it is punishable by up to six months in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, and further license suspension or revocation.
- Las Vegas is an excellent place for outdoor recreation. Keep in mind that you must ride your off-road vehicle, ATV, dirt bike, or snowmobile in designated areas. Failing to do so will result in a traffic ticket.
Walking Around Las Vegas
- Vegas is a great town for walking. But crossing the street outside of a marked crosswalk is jaywalking and carries a $160 fine.
- If you walk your dog or another animal on the strip, between the hours of 5 AM to 12 PM, it must be on a leash no longer than 3 feet. Snakes cannot be longer than 2 feet in length.
- Hula hoops are NOT allowed on Fremont Street. Yes, this is a real law!
- If you’re planning to walk down Fremont Street, you need to watch your noise levels between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. It’s a misdemeanor to be loud in downtown Las Vegas.
- It is illegal to litter in Las Vegas. Use one of the many trash receptacles throughout the City if you want to dispose of your trash.
- You cannot carry glass containers on the strip, even nonalcoholic beverages.
Visiting Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston or Red Rock?
- Driving too fast in either federal park can result in a speeding ticket – a federal offense.
- Boating at Lake Mead with your family might be fun, but your child must be over the age of 14 to operate your boat.
- If you’re taking a boat out at Lake Mead, prepare to have lots of fun. But don’t operate a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It’s against the law in Nevada.
- If you have a boating accident at Lake Mead, you must report it to the National Park Service within 24 hours.
- If you plan to hike with your dog at Red Rock, he must always be on a leash and never left unattended.
- If you plan to go biking at Red Rock, make sure you follow directions. The roads are one-way, and you can’t bike on the designated hiking trails.
- You can fly your drone at Red Rock but don’t launch or land them in Red Rock Canyon’s Wilderness Areas.
- You can camp outside of designated campgrounds in National Forests. Many people call this dispersed camping. The most popular location for it is Spring Mountain.
- While dispersed camping, make sure you are outside designated recreation areas.
- You can have a campfire if it is in a designated area, and there are no fire warnings.
- Understand that it is against the law to shoot off fireworks at Mt Charleston. You also can’t use exploding targets or tracer and incendiary ammo either. The same goes for other public lands in Las Vegas.
Staying in A Hotel Room In Las Vegas
- It is against the law to smoke marijuana inside of your hotel room. Some hotels can charge up to $2,000 for a smoking fee if you smoke weed in your hotel room.
- When visiting Vegas, the complimentary mini bar doesn’t always mean what’s inside is free. If you take items from the minibar and don’t pay, that is theft, and if you steal more than $650 worth of stuff, it is grand theft.
- Swimming, urinating, or otherwise defacing public fountains is a crime. Plus it’s nasty.
- Failing to pay your hotel bill is a crime. If you leave your hotel and don’t pay, the chances are good that you can expect a fraud charge.
- If you have young children, don’t leave them alone in your hotel room. If someone complains, you may end up having to speak to Child Protective Services and the police. You might then lose your children and need to deal with the Department of Family Services. Plus, face possible criminal charges.
- Climbing trees in front of casinos could result in a ticket. Injuring, uprooting, or harming casino trees and shrubs is a misdemeanor in Vegas.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to go to the topless pools in Las Vegas.
Drinking In Las Vegas
- You can carry alcohol and walk the strip if you’re over age 21. But if you are drunk and disruptive or hostile in public, and you can get arrested for disturbing the peace.
- The legal age for drinking alcohol in Las Vegas is 21. Be prepared to show ID to prove you are over 21.
- It is illegal for parents to provide alcohol to their children if the children are under age 21. Serving alcohol to minors or furnishing minors with alcohol is a misdemeanor — punishment of up to 6 months in jail and $1,000 in fines.
- If you are under age 21 and try to use a fake ID to buy alcohol, you have committed a misdemeanor.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol is a misdemeanor in Las Vegas. The limit for all Nevada drivers is .08 blood alcohol concentration or above. If you’re wondering, this equates to about two beers.
- In Vegas, drinking isn’t allowed within 1,000 feet of a church or synagogue. Schools, hospitals, withdrawal management facilities, and homeless shelters fall in this category too.
Gambling In Las Vegas
- Late betting, if you are playing roulette, also known as past posting, is a form of cheating in Las Vegas and is a crime. It is a felony and carries fines up to $10,000 and spend one to six years in jail.
- You must be over 21 years old to gamble in Las Vegas. Minors caught gambling face a misdemeanor, can spend up to 6 months in jail, and pay up to $1,000 in fines.
- If you are playing poker or blackjack, it is against the law to mark or bend the cards. Doing so to cheat the casino or other players is a felony.
- Phones, laptops, or any other mobile devices aren’t allowed at the window of a sportsbook in Vegas.
- It’s not illegal to take pictures inside of a Las Vegas Casino. But most hotels don’t appreciate it and may ask you to leave or to stop taking pictures.
- Card counting is not cheating. But chances are the casino is going to kick you out and have you trespassed so that you can’t come back.
- Not repaying your casino marker is a crime in Las Vegas. If the unpaid marker is under $250, it is a misdemeanor, anything more than $650 is a felony.
- Using a device to alter or trick a slot machine is a felony punishable by up to six years in jail and $10,000 in fines.
- Claiming someone else’s winnings in a casino is a felony in Las Vegas.
- If you find chips in a casino, chances are you can keep them. If you steal someone else’s chips, that is a felony.
Visiting Las Vegas Strip Clubs
- Despite what people think, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas. Soliciting a prostitute (asking to exchange sex for money) is a misdemeanor. Penalties range up to 6 months in jail and $1,000 in fines.
- Using illegal drugs in a Vegas strip club is against the law. The penalties for violating this law depend on the type of drug. It also depends on the number of drugs in your possession, and whether you are trying to sell drugs or buy them.
- Sometimes people get carried away in strip clubs. Having sex in public in Las Vegas, even at a strip club, is a crime. If caught, you can expect to catch an open and gross lewdness charge.
- While the strippers might be topless or nude, patrons cannot expose their genitalia. Do that, and you will face criminal prosecution for indecent exposure – up to 1 year in jail and $2,000 in fines.
- Local Las Vegas laws limit how dancers and patrons can touch each other. Patrons charged with an improper touching face a misdemeanor charge. Such crimes carry significant fines and jail time so be on your best behavior while in such situations.
- We shouldn’t have to say it, but we will, anyway, don’t get a stripper pregnant. Believe us, it happens (a lot), and the consequence is a custody battle and child support. Unless you are in a committed relationship with the stripper, use a condom.
- Many strip clubs cater to couples. But if your significant other punches a stripper out of jealousy, expect charges. Misdemeanor battery carries penalties up to 6 months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. If your significant other punches you, they could catch a Las Vegas domesetic violence case.
Marijuana Use In Las Vegas
- Anyone who is 21 years old and over can buy cannabis in Nevada for recreational purposes.
- You can buy up to 1 oz. of marijuana in Las Vegas for recreational use.
- It is still against the law to smoke marijuana in public in Vegas.
- It is illegal to transport purchased marijuana in Nevada to another state.
- Driving under the influence of marijuana is a crime in Las Vegas. A first-time conviction of DUI of marijuana carries:
- a fine
- DUI school
- a victim impact panel
- a three-month driver’s license suspension.
Attending a Sporting Event In Las Vegas
- Planning to attend a UNLV football game or another sporting event in Vegas? No streaking or otherwise interfering with the game. Doing so is a misdemeanor in Las Vegas.
- No doubt that Golden Knights tickets are among the hottest in town. But if you go there and throw things on the ice, expect to catch a case.
- It is still against the law to try to bribe someone to change the outcome of a sporting event in Las Vegas. Sports bribery is a category C felony and punishable by one to five years in Nevada State Prison. It also carries a fine of up to $10,000.
- It is against the law to discharge fireworks or firecrackers at a sporting event in Las Vegas.
- If you attend a sporting event in Las Vegas, it is a misdemeanor to fight with a player or referee in the game.
- You can’t bring alcohol or glass containers to a sporting event in Las Vegas. But you can tailgate in parking lots where permitted.
- If you plan to re-sell your tickets (scalping) to an event in North Las Vegas, you’ll need a permit or license.
- You can’t bring your Vuvuzela to a UFC fight in Las Vegas.
Gun Laws In Las Vegas
- You can carry a concealed weapon in Las Vegas if you have a valid carrying concealed weapons (CCW) permit. For non-Nevada residents, the DPS recognizes CCW permits from these states.
- You can keep a handgun in your vehicle if it is visible. If it is under a seat or in the glovebox, you need a CCW.
- Nevada is an open-carry state, but you must be 18 years old to have a firearm.
- You can bring your gun into a restaurant that serves alcohol (watch for “no guns” signs). But you can be charged with a crime if you consume alcohol, your blood alcohol is 0.10, and you have a gun on you.
- You cannot have your gun in the following areas in Las Vegas:
- airports (past the secure areas) and planes
- childcare facilities (without written permission)
- public schools and private schools (without written permission)
- legislative buildings
- post offices
- VA facilities
- Hoover Dam
- military bases
- federal facilities
- If you’re using a gun to hunt in Clark County, you need to have a license. Hunting without a license is a misdemeanor and comes with up to six months in jail and $1,000 in fines.
- It is illegal to shoot pigeons without a license in Las Vegas.
- You cannot shoot within two miles of paved roads, and 1 mile of forest roads and trails. This prohibition applies to BLM land and Clark County, as well. Shooting at Lovell Canyon is wholly prohibited.
Visiting Parks In Las Vegas
- It is illegal to have glass beverage containers inside Las Vegas City Parks.
- Unless you have a license or specific permission, it is against the law to camp inside a park in Las Vegas.
- You can barbeque inside designated areas of Las Vegas parks. You cannot have a fire for purposes of grilling inside a public park.
- It is against the law to hit golf balls inside a public park.
- It is illegal to bath, shower, or wash clothes in a public park in Las Vegas unless it involves the use of a swimming pool.
- Generally, it is against the law to discharge a firearm inside a public park in Las Vegas.
Miscellaneous
- Feeding pigeons is against the law in Las Vegas.
- Taxi cabs cannot stop and pick up a rider in Las Vegas. Instead, they must stop in an area designated for cabs.
- If you visit Mt. Charleston, you can’t throw items from the chair lifts at the ski resort. It’s a crime.
- Dentures are considered a medical device in the State of Nevada, and it is illegal to pawn them.
- There once was a time where people used to go out into the desert in Henderson and have huge parties and bonfires. Those days are gone. It is now against the law to have a fire on Henderson’s public land without a permit.
- Are you thinking of visiting the District or Sam Boyd Stadium? Leave your stink bombs at home. In Henderson, Nevada, it’s against the law to sell or use any stink bomb. The same goes for other nauseous smelling preparation intended to annoy persons.
- No firecrackers on the streets of Henderson. Plain and simple. It’s against the law.
- If you visit a public library in the Vegas Valley, keep the books excellent and pristine. Destroying a library book is a crime. That includes marking the text, tearing the paper, or otherwise defacing the book.
- Not paying your cab driver is a crime. Las Vegas’s criminal code says that failing to pay your cab driver is a fraud, and you could go to jail.
- If you shop in a local store or one with a shopping cart, make sure to return the shopping cart. Removing a shopping cart is a misdemeanor. Taking it outside of the owner’s premises can result in fees, fines, and jail time.
- In Las Vegas, children under the age of 18 must follow curfew laws. If they are out and about at certain times, they must be with an adult. Those times include Sunday through Thursday nights between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM. On Friday and Saturday, the curfew shifts from midnight to 5 AM. There are exceptions for special events and holidays.
- Making obscene phone calls is a misdemeanor.
- Writing a check knowing you don’t have the money to cover it, is a crime in Las Vegas. The penalties for writing a bad check depends on how much you tried to scam on your bad check.
- Getting married (even if your drunk) when you’re already married is a crime. Bigamy means having two spouses at one time, knowing that the former spouse is still alive. In Las Vegas, it is a Category D felony.
- Wet N Wild is a fantastic place. But if you plan to go to the park and ride the rides, you must be responsible. Watch where you walk. Watch how the rides get loaded and unloaded. If you don’t, you could end up injured or injuring someone else. This, in turn, could lead to a lawsuit, doctor bills, and other fees.
- It is against the law to rent a house in residential areas of Clark County for less than 30 days. Offending homeowners can expect a fine of up to $1,000 a day. Additionally, there is potential for a misdemeanor charge.
- It is often prohibited to take pictures at a Vegas show like Le Reve or Cirque Du Soleil. They usually announce if it’s allowed to take photos or not so to avoid unnecessary hassles. Getting your camera or phone taken away and having to retrieve them after the show would be a drag. You might even get kicked out of the place itself.
- If you come to Vegas and happen to get married, you can file for a Las Vegas annulment even if you don’t live in Vegas.
Offsite Resources You May Find Helpful
Here are some resources that can provide a wealth of information on fun activities and attractions in Las Vegas:
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority: The official tourism website for Las Vegas, it offers a comprehensive guide to hotels, shows, restaurants, and attractions in the city.
Vegas.com: This site provides information on Las Vegas tours, shows, attractions, nightlife, and more.
Las Vegas Weekly: This news and entertainment weekly offers a detailed guide to events, dining, and culture in Las Vegas.
The Neon Museum: This museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs.
Fremont Street Experience: This is a five-block entertainment district in historic downtown Las Vegas.
Red Rock Canyon: A short drive from Las Vegas, this national conservation area offers hiking, biking, and climbing opportunities for nature lovers.
