County · Nevada
ADU rules in Clark County
These are the primary sources for accessory dwelling unit regulations in Clark County: the county's own zoning code, planning department pages, and permit guides. Start here before talking to anyone: the rules below are what your permit reviewer will apply.
Unincorporated areas only
County zoning applies only outside city limits. If your property is inside a city or town, that municipality's own ADU ordinance governs instead, even though it sits within Clark County.
Find your city's rules in NevadaRules at a glance
An accessory living quarters (the county's term for an ADU/casita) may be 'a separate structure located on the same lot as the primary dwelling'. Allowed as an accessory use (A) in the RS single-family districts (RS80 through RS2) and RM18, plus a few other districts per Table 30.03-1; blank (prohibited) in most multi-family and commercial districts.
Title 30 Sec. 30.07.02 (definition of Accessory Living Quarters); Sec. 30.03.03.A.2 and Table 30.03-1The definition covers a unit 'in a portion of the primary dwelling without interior access' to the main home; an internal unit with interior access to the primary dwelling does not qualify as an accessory living quarters.
Title 30 Sec. 30.07.02 (definition of Accessory Living Quarters)No fixed square-footage cap; the limit scales with the primary dwelling.
Title 30 Sec. 30.03.03.A.2.ii(a)-(c)No owner-occupancy requirement appears in the accessory living quarters standards, and a full-text search of the current Title 30 found no owner-occupancy condition anywhere in the code.
Title 30 Sec. 30.03.03.A.2 (standards contain no owner-occupancy condition)Table 30.04-2: Minimum Required Parking lists 'Accessory Living Quarters: 1 per unit', in addition to the primary dwelling's parking. This matches the AB 396 ceiling of no more than one additional space.
Title 30 Sec. 30.04.04.D, Table 30.04-2Accessory living quarters carry an 'A' (accessory use, allowed by right with the listed standards) in the eligible districts in Table 30.03-1; no special use permit is required where the use is listed. Building permits through the Department of Building and Fire Prevention still apply (see BPG-182).
Title 30 Table 30.03-1 legend (A = Accessory Use) and Sec. 30.03.03.A.2This is a reversal of the county's historic rule; before the 2026 update, accessory living quarters (casitas) could not be rented separately from the main home. The AB 396-driven update added rental authorization to the definition.
Title 30 Sec. 30.07.02 (definition of Accessory Living Quarters); Clark County Code Ch. 7.100 (STR licensing, per the county's STR licensing page)The fine print: 7 caveats that can change the picture
- Applies to UNINCORPORATED Clark County only; Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas each have their own ADU codes.
- The county's code term is 'accessory living quarters', not 'accessory dwelling unit'; it is allowed as an accessory use only in the RS single-family districts, RM18, and a few other districts per Table 30.03-1, and only in conjunction with a single-family residence.
- Prohibited on lots under 4,000 sq ft and within manufactured or tiny home parks; only 1 accessory living quarters per lot or parcel (Nevada AB 396 lets localities allow up to 2 but does not require it).
- The 75% size cap on lots under 10,000 sq ft expressly cannot be waived or varied; other standards may be eligible for the county's waiver/variance processes.
- Design standards: similar roofline, complementary colors and building materials to the primary dwelling; a recreational vehicle cannot serve as an accessory living quarters; an attached unit must have no interior access to the primary dwelling.
- Per BPG-182 (2017 guide), detached secondary habitable structures need their own water source, and detached structures with plumbing need their own sanitation (sewer/septic) verification; confirm current utility requirements at permitting.
- Nevada AB 396 (2025) took full effect July 1, 2026: it required Clark County to authorize ADUs and bars ordinances from prohibiting separate kitchens, requiring more than one extra parking space, imposing tighter side/rear setbacks than the primary residence, or banning long-term rental (STR bans remain allowed). An accessory living quarters does not count as an additional dwelling unit for density.
Summarized from Clark County's ordinance text, read July 2026; every row links the code section it came from. Rules often vary by zone and lot, so treat this as orientation, not a permit determination, and confirm with the planning department before you commit to a design.
ADU regulations
- clarkcountynv.govOfficial sourceVerified July 2026https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/comprehensive_planning_department/library/title-30
- clarkcountynv.govOfficial sourceVerified July 2026https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:12f7b7a3-0d0c-4c67-ab3e-16bc6e80fd1e/original/as/OFFTitle30.EFF.07.02.26.pdf
- clarkcountynv.govOfficial sourceVerified July 2026https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:9e959e43-79a3-4463-93fd-faf3ee09cdf0/original/as/bpg182.pdf
- clarkcountynv.govOfficial sourceMay have movedhttps://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/administrative_services/code_enforcement_-_public_response_office/services/building_violations-single_family_residential.phpView archived copy (Wayback Machine)
Short-term rental rules
Planning to rent your ADU on Airbnb or VRBO? Clark County regulates short-term rentals separately; check these before counting on nightly rental income.
Nevada statewide law also applies
Nevada sets baseline ADU rights at the state level. Where local rules are stricter than state law allows, state law usually wins, so both are worth reading.
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