OFFENSES PERTAINING TO MINORS

Reno Administrative Code tit. 8, ch. 8.16

in effect

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.010 Curfew.

Sec. 8.16.010. - Curfew. (a) Preamble. The Reno City Council finds and declares as follows: (1) There has been an increase in juvenile violence, juvenile gang activity, and crime by persons under the age of 18 in the City of Reno; (2) Persons under the age of 18 are particularly susceptible by their lack of maturity and experience in participate in unlawful and gang-related activities; (3) Persons under the age of 18 are particularly vulnerable by their lack of maturity and experience to being victimized by older perpetrators of crimes; (4) The downtown corridor is geographically the largest concentration of businesses providing gaming, alcohol and adult entertainment in the city, participation in which is prohibited to minors, thus requiring additional regulation in that area; (5) The City of Reno has an obligation to provide for the protection of minors from each other and from other persons, for the enforcement of parental control over and responsibility for children, for the protection of the general public, and for the reduction of the incidence of juvenile criminal activities; (6) A curfew for those under the age of 18 will be in the interest of the public health, safety, and general welfare and will help to attain the foregoing objectives and to diminish the undesirable impact of such conduct on the citizens of and visitors to the City of Reno. (b) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, it is unlawful for any minor under the age of 18 to be in or upon any public street, sidewalk, highway, park, vacant lot or other public place between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m. (c) It is unlawful for any minor under the age of 18 to be in or on the streets of the downtown corridor between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the succeeding day. The downtown corridor consists of that area inside the following specified boundaries beginning at the outside curb line of all designated streets: (1) North Boundary: I80 from North Arlington to Lake Street; (2) South Boundary: Liberty Street from South Arlington Avenue to Sinclair Street; (3) West Boundary: Arlington Avenue from I80 to Liberty Street, to include Wingfield Park West and Barbara Bennett Park; and (4) East Boundary: Lake Street from I80 to Pine, Sinclair from Pine to Liberty Street. (d) Exceptions. It is an exception to the operation of the curfew that the minor is: (1) Accompanied by the minor's parent or guardian; (2) On an errand as directed by the minor's parent or guardian, without any detour or stop; (3) Engaged in an employment activity, or going to or returning home from an employment activity, without any detour or stop; (4) Attending a meeting or place of public entertainment, such as a movie, play or sporting event, or a school, social or religious activity; or going to or returning home therefrom, without any detour or stop; (5) In a motor vehicle engaged in interstate travel; (6) Involved in an emergency; (7) On the sidewalk abutting the minor's residence or abutting the residence of a next-door neighbor if the neighbor did not complain to the police department about the minor's presence; (8) Exercising First Amendment rights protected by the United States Constitution, such as the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly; or (9) Is married or has been judicially emancipated in accordance with Chapter 129 of Nevada Revised Statutes. (e) Permitting violation by child unlawful. It is unlawful for any parent, guardian, or other person having legal care, custody, or control of any minor under the age of 18 to allow or permit such minor to be in or upon any place in violation of this section. (f) Enforcement. Before taking any enforcement action under this section, a peace officer shall ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being in the public place. The officer shall not issue a citation or make an arrest under this section unless the officer reasonably believes that an offense has occurred and that, based on any response and other circumstances, no exception in subsection (d) is applicable. Any peace officer who reasonably believes that a violation of this section has occurred may cite the minor for such violation and release the minor into the custody of the minor's parent or guardian, release the minor, or take the minor into custody for the purpose of placing the minor into a juvenile detention facility. (g) Penalty. A person violating a provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Code 1966, § 11.12.310; Ord. No. 4599, §§ 1, 2, 3-12-96; Ord. No. 4655, § 1, 7-9-96; Ord. No. 4776, § 1, 7-22-97)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.020 Purchase or consumption, or impairment through the use, of alcoholic beverage by a minor prohibited.

Sec. 8.16.020. - Purchase or consumption, or impairment through the use, of alcoholic beverage by a minor prohibited. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of 21 years to: (1) Purchase or consume any alcoholic beverage in public; or (2) Be impaired to any degree by the use of an alcoholic beverage. (b) For the purposes of this section, "impairment" is defined as any observable signs or symptoms commonly associated with the use of alcoholic beverages. (c) For the purposes of this section, possession "in public" includes possession: (1) On any street or highway; (2) In any place open to the public; and, (3) In any private business establishment which is in effect open to the public. (d) Exceptions: (1) Possession or consumption for an established religious purpose; (2) Possession or consumption in the presence of the person's parent, spouse or legal guardian who is 21 years of age or older within a private residence. This exception does not relieve the parent, spouse or legal guardian of their responsibilities or legal obligations in relation to child neglect or abuse laws; (3) Possession or consumption in accordance with a prescription issued by a person statutorily authorized to issue prescriptions; (4) The selling, handling, serving, or transporting of alcoholic beverages by a person in the course of his lawful employment by a licensed manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer of alcoholic beverages. (Code 1966, § 11.02.010; Ord. No. 5048, § 1, 9-28-99)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.030 Loitering in places where alcoholic beverages are sold.

Sec. 8.16.030. - Loitering in places where alcoholic beverages are sold. (a) Any person under 21 years of age who shall loiter or remain on the premises of any saloon, bar, club, or resort where spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are sold shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) Nothing in this section shall apply to: (1) Establishments wherein spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are served only in conjunction with regular meals and where dining tables or booths are provided separate from the bar; or (2) Any grocery store, discount store or drugstore where spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are not sold by the drink for consumption on the premises. (Code 1966, § 11.02.020)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.040 Possession of alcoholic beverages.

Sec. 8.16.040. - Possession of alcoholic beverages. It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of 21 years to have any alcoholic beverage in his custody or possession at any time. (Code 1966, § 11.02.030)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.050 False representation by minor.

Sec. 8.16.050. - False representation by minor. (a) It is unlawful for any minor to counterfeit, forge, alter, erase or obliterate any card, writing, paper or document which bears the age of the holder or purported holder thereof, with the intention that such card, writing, paper or document should be used by a minor for the purpose of obtaining any alcoholic beverage, to gain access to premises restricted to minors, or for the purpose of any illegal act, or to sell, lend or give away any such card, writing, paper or document to any minor. (b) It is unlawful for any minor to use or attempt to use or proffer any counterfeited, forged, erased or obliterated card, writing, paper or document of the kind mentioned in subsection (a) for any purpose considered illegal to minors. (Code 1966, § 11.02.040)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.060 Duties of parents, guardians and all adult persons.

Sec. 8.16.060. - Duties of parents, guardians and all adult persons. (a) It is unlawful for any adult to contribute to the delinquency of any minor without regard to age. The crime shall consist in any act by such adult in aiding, abetting or furthering the breach of any municipal ordinance or state statute by any minor, either before, after or during the fact thereof. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person who is a parent or guardian, or for any person who has been entrusted by a parent or guardian, to fail to supervise and attend a child or children under the age of ten years. (Code 1966, § 11.12.320; Ord. No. 4369, § 1, 2-22-94; Ord. No. 4380, § 1, 5-10-94; Ord. No. 4661, § 1, 8-13-96)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.080 Gaming or employment in gaming prohibited for persons under 21 years of age.

Sec. 8.16.080. - Gaming or employment in gaming prohibited for persons under 21 years of age. (a) A person under the age of 21 years shall not: (1) Play, be allowed to play, place wagers at, or collect winnings from, whether personally or through an agent, any gambling game, slot machine, race book, sports pool or pari-mutuel operator. (2) Loiter, or be permitted to loiter, in or about any room or premises wherein any licensed game, race book, sports pool or pari-mutuel wagering is operated or conducted. (3) Be employed as a gaming employee except in a counting room. (b) Any licensee, employee, dealer or other person who violates or permits the violation of any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. (c) In any prosecution or other proceeding for the violation of any of the provisions of this section, it is no excuse for the licensee, employee, dealer or other person to plead that he believed the person to be 21 years old or over. (d) It is unlawful for a parent or guardian, or other person having the charge, care, custody or control of any person under the age of 21 years, to permit such person to play any gambling game or gaming device, or any slot machine, or to loiter about any room or premises where nay gambling game, gaming device or slot machine device is operated or conducted. (Ord. No. 4767, § 3, 7-8-97)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.090 Sale or furnishing of alcoholic beverage to minor; aiding minor to purchase or procure alcoholic beverage.

Sec. 8.16.090. - Sale or furnishing of alcoholic beverage to minor; aiding minor to purchase or procure alcoholic beverage. (a) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if he/she: (1) Sells, gives or otherwise furnishes an alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age; (2) Leaves or deposits any alcoholic beverage in any place with the intent that it will be procured by any person under 21 years of age; or (3) Furnishes, gives, or causes to be given any money or thing of value to any person under 21 years of age with the knowledge that the money or thing of value is to be used by the person under 21 years of age to purchase or procure any alcoholic beverages. (b) Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) does not apply to a parent, guardian or physician of the person under 21 years of age. (Ord. No. 4767, § 3, 7-8-97; Ord. No. 5110, § 1, 1-11-00)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.100 Preparation, transfer, use, or possession of false identification regarding person under 21 years of age; penalties; demand of proof of age as defense to certain proceedings

Sec. 8.16.100. - Preparation, transfer, use, or possession of false identification regarding person under 21 years of age; penalties; demand of proof of age as defense to certain proceedings (a) Every person who counterfeits, forges, alters, erases, or obliterates, or who attempts to counterfeit, forge, alter, erase, or obliterate any card, writing, paper, or document, or any photocopy print, photostat, or other replica of any card, writing, paper or document which is designed for the purpose of personal identification and which bears the age of the holder or purported holder thereof, or which, although not designed for the purpose of personal identification, is commonly used, or capable of being used for the purpose of personal identification and bears the age of the holder or purported holder thereof, with the intention that such card, writing, paper or document, or photocopy print, photostat or other replica thereof, be used by a person under the age of 21 years to establish falsely or misrepresent his actual age for the purpose of purchasing alcoholic liquor or being served alcoholic liquor in a place where it is served for consumption on the premises, or entering gaming establishments, or engaging in gambling in gambling establishments, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For the purposes of this subsection, the cards, writings, papers or documents and the photocopy prints or other replicas thereof which, although not designed for the purpose of personal identification, are commonly used, or capable of being used, for the purpose of personal identification, include, but are not limited to, an operator's license, chauffeur's license, fishing or hunting license, selective service card, organizational membership card, certificate of discharge from the Armed Forces, or certificate or other record of birth. (b) Every person under the age of 21 years who uses or attempts to use or proffers any counterfeited, forged, erased or obliterated card, writing, paper, document, or any photocopy print, photostat or other replica thereof, of the kind mentioned in subsection (a), for the purpose and with the intention of purchasing alcoholic liquor or being served alcoholic liquor in a place where it is served for consumption on the premises, or entering gambling establishments, or engaging in gambling in gambling establishments, or who actually purchases alcoholic liquor or is actually served alcoholic liquor in a place where it is served for consumption on the premises, or actually enters a gambling establishment or actually gambles therein, when the purchase, service, entering or gambling is induced or permitted by the presentation of any such card, writing, paper, or document, or any photocopy print, photostat or other replica thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (c) Every person under the age of 21 years who possesses any document for the purpose of establishing a false status, occupation, membership, license, or identity for himself or any other person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of this section, identity shall include age. (Ord. No. 4767, § 3, 7-8-97; Ord. No. 4937, § 2, 11-24-98)

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.110 Reserved

Reno Administrative Code § 8.16.120 Saloon keeper allowing minor to remain in establishment.

Sec. 8.16.120. - Saloon keeper allowing minor to remain in establishment. Any proprietor, keeper or manager of a saloon or resort where spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are sold, who shall, knowingly, allow or permit any person under the age of 21 years to remain therein shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this section shall apply to: (1) Establishments wherein spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are served only in conjunction with regular meals, and where dining tables or booths are provided separate from the bar; or (2) Any grocery store or drugstore where spirituous, malt or fermented liquors or wines are not sold by the drink for consumption on the premises. (Ord. No. 4767, § 3, 7-8-97)

Source: City of Reno, Nevada, Administrative Code, City Charter and Annexation and Land Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/nv/reno/codes/administrative_code?nodeId=PT2READCO_TIT8PUPESAMO_CH8.16OFPEMIFetched: 11/1/2026