Mar/Apr 2026 - Jaywalking Is Legal In LVMPD's Jurisdiction

Nevada law prohibits pedestrians from crossing roadways outside of intersections and crosswalks. That said, the department may order you not to cite people for violating the statute. Since 2001, policy prohibits you from stopping, detaining, or citing pedestrians for jaywalking. However, some supervisors have directed officers to cite pedestrians for jaywalking using other pedestrian offenses.

We have advised our members to follow the department's administrative notice and not cite pedestrians for crosswalk violations using unrelated statutes. Using other statutes to address jaywalking could lead our members to violate clearly established law and risk losing qualified immunity.

LVMPD AN-014-23 Jaywalking

In 2021, the department issued AN-009-21 directing officers not to enforce jaywalking laws. Again, in 2023, the department published AN-014-23, which states: "It is the policy of this department that officers will not stop, detain, or issue civil infraction tickets for jaywalking."

The statutes do not use the term "jaywalking," but it is understood that NRS 484B.287 prohibits pedestrians from crossing roadways outside an intersection or crosswalk. We have been informed that some supervisors have instructed our members to look for other statutes to enforce "jaywalking" laws. We have warned our members that doing so will result in their loss of qualified immunity.

NRS 484B.287 - Pedestrian crossing roadways outside of an intersection or crosswalk

The statute explicitly prohibits pedestrians from crossing a roadway except at a marked crosswalk or a traffic-controlled intersection. This statute specifically bans jaywalking. Therefore, citing people for jaywalking using the statutes discussed below will result in unlawful citations.

NRS 484B.297(1) Pedestrian walking on a highway

This statute prohibits pedestrians from walking on a highway when a sidewalk is available. Subsection 6 provides an exception for roadway obstructions. In our view, it would be unlawful for our members to cite people for jaywalking under this statute.

NRS 484B.297(3) Pedestrian standing on a highway

This law bans pedestrians from standing on a highway to stop a cab or Uber driver. It also makes it illegal to stand on a highway to ask for money. The law does not apply to jaywalking.

NRS 484B.283(1)(b) Walking in the path of a vehicle

This statute's clear language refers to actual accidents rather than hypothetical situations. If a driver can avoid hitting a pedestrian who steps off a sidewalk, then it is possible, not impossible, for the driver to yield. This statute does not apply to jaywalking violations.

Unless the department rescinds AN-014-23, you should not stop, detain, or cite a pedestrian for jaywalking using any statute or ordinance.