Las Vegas, NV Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

The Unified Development Code defines a Residential, Accessory Dwelling Unit as a structure accessory to the principal dwelling, detached, attached, or built within the primary residence on the same residential parcel, that provides an independent living space with kitchen facilities for the occupants of the principal dwelling, their tenants, domestic employees, or temporary guests, per LVMC 19.12.070. Only one ADU is permitted per lot. The unit is subject to the development standards of whatever zoning district the lot sits in (setbacks, height, lot coverage from that district's rules still apply), and it can never exceed the total gross floor area of the primary dwelling unit, so a homeowner cannot build an ADU larger than the house it serves.

Unlike most conditional uses in Chapter 19.12, an ADU is exempted from the Special Use Permit process: the Special Use Permit provisions of LVMC 19.12.040(B) do not apply, so it is reviewed as a conditional use rather than requiring separate SUP hearings before the Planning Commission. The use carries its own parking add-on: one additional off-street parking space beyond whatever the principal dwelling already requires. This ADU provision was set by Ord. 6963 Section 7, effective 07/01/26. It sits within LVMC Title 19, Chapter 19.12 (Permissible Uses), Section 19.12.070, distinct from the neighboring "Residential Accessory Structure" use, which covers detached structures without independent living space and is instead governed by Chapters 19.06 and 19.09.