Know Your Rights

Everyone has basic rights under the U.S. Constitution and civil rights laws. Learn more here about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and what to do when your rights are violated.

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Know Your Rights
Jan 22, 2025
Collage graphic on a blue background showing immigrant families and community members. On the left, a blue-tinted image shows adults and children sitting closely together, reading or looking at documents. On the right, a red-tinted image shows people gathered in a line, bundled in coats, suggesting community support and shared resilience.
  • Equal Protection

Immigrants' Rights

Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights. This guide is not individualized legal advice, but we hope it helps you and your loved ones prepare for any eventuality.
Know Your Rights
Jun 12, 2023
Collage graphic featuring a megaphone and a black-and-white photo of a person holding an ACLU sign that reads ‘Dissent is Patriotic.’ Blue geometric shapes frame the image, symbolizing protest rights and free expression.
  • First Amendment

Protest Rights in Nevada

Exercising your right of free speech and assembly is clearly protected under the First Amendment. However, with mass demonstrations can come unwanted police contact, arrests, injuries and even death. If you’re going out to protest, here’s what you need to know about your rights.
Know Your Rights
Jun 12, 2023
Collage graphic showing a black-and-white Las Vegas Metropolitan Police vehicle alongside a police hat, overlaid with blue shapes.
  • Smart Justice

Stopped by Police in Nevada

An encounter with law enforcement can be a stressful and intense situation. It’s easy to forget what rights you are entitled to when in the presence of a police officer who may seem to have all the authority in the world.

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Know Your Rights
Apr 09, 2026
Collage graphic featuring a rainbow pride flag on the left and a black-and-white photo of two people smiling at each other on the right.
  • Equal Protection

LGBTQ+ Nevadans

Every Nevadan deserves to live with dignity, safety, and respect, regardless of who they are or who they love.
Know Your Rights
Apr 09, 2026
Collage graphic showing a person speaking into a megaphone at a protest on the left and a purple-tinted image of the Statue of Liberty on the right.
  • Equal Protection

Equal Protection for K-12 Students

When young people feel they belong and have access to diverse spaces, they can fully engage academically, increase understanding and respect across differences, and succeed in society.  
Know Your Rights
Oct 27, 2025
Graphic featuring a black-and-white photo of a graduate wearing a cap and gown, viewed from behind while walking up steps. The image is overlaid with yellow geometric shapes and crossed yellow pencils, representing education, achievement, and the right to learn.
  • First Amendment

Free Speech in Higher Education

Free speech is a fundamental right protected by both the U.S. Constitution and Nevada law. If you are a student at a college or university in Nevada, it is important to understand the scope of your rights and the limitations that may apply to free expression on campus. The First Amendment and Nevada law protect the right to express opinions, even if those views are controversial or offensive to others.
Know Your Rights
Oct 27, 2025
Collage-style graphic showing a black-and-white classroom scene with several students raising their hands as a teacher stands at the front of the room. A large, empty paper-textured speech bubble overlays the left side, framed by yellow geometric shapes, symbolizing student voices and participation.
  • First Amendment

Free Speech: K-12 Schools

Public school students do not lose their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. The First Amendment protects the right to express opinions, wear expressive clothing, and participate in peaceful protest or assembly, even on controversial topics. The Nevada Constitution mirrors these protections and also protects race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry, and national origin. However, schools may place reasonable restrictions on speech to maintain order, protect the rights of others, and ensure that education is not disrupted.
Know Your Rights
Sep 16, 2025
Collage-style graphic with a purple and pastel color palette. At the center is a photo of two hands holding U.S. passports in front of a historic building. To the right is a stylized graphic of a jagged-edged shape resembling a file tab or paper tear over a stack of documents or folders, symbolizing identity paperwork or bureaucratic processes.
  • Equal Protection

Name Changes, Gender Markers, and Birth Certificates

The process of officially changing your name and gender marker on identity documents can be intimidating, but Nevada laws and policies respect the rights of people who are transgender, nonbinary, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming and more to have their identities reflected on their IDs.
Know Your Rights
Jul 22, 2021
Collage-style graphic with a pink and gray color palette. At the center is a photo of a person holding a protest sign that reads: “TRANS PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED & WILL ALWAYS EXIST,” surrounded by a crowd at a rally. To the right, there is a grayscale-striped flag representing the agender pride flag.
  • Gender and LGBTQ+ Equality

Trans and Gender Diverse Students

At a time when transgender and gender diverse students are being singled out for political gain, it’s more important than ever to Know Your Rights.
Know Your Rights
Sep 14, 2020
Collage graphic featuring a hand placing a ballot into a box, paired with a purple-tinted ‘I Voted’ sticker.
  • Voting Rights

Voting In Nevada

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest.