Elko County, NV Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Section 6-15-17 of the Elko County Code is the one measured distance from schools and community facilities in the cannabis business licensing chapter, and it governs advertising, not where a store can be built. Under subsection (A)2(a), no cannabis establishment can place or maintain, or cause to be placed or maintained, an advertisement for cannabis or cannabis products in any form or through any medium whatsoever within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a community facility or a school that provides formal education associated with preschool or kindergarten through grade twelve. The same section requires every establishment to follow Elko County Code and Nevada Revised Statutes rules on signs and advertising, and bars advertising that is misleading, deceptive, false, or designed to appeal to minors. The Board of County Commissioners adopted the section as Ordinance 06-2020 on November 4, 2020.

Siting is handled through zoning and licensing. Section 6-15-2 declares cannabis establishments not allowed in the unincorporated area of Elko County as a permitted, conditional or accessory use in any zoning district, including the unincorporated towns, except in the unincorporated town of Jackpot. Section 4-14-1 creates the Adult Cannabis (AC) District, where the listed cultivation, production, testing, retail store, distributor and dispensary uses must be conducted entirely within an enclosed building. Yards must be 30 feet in front, 20 feet in the rear and 10 feet at the side. Buildings cannot exceed fifty feet or four stories, or twenty feet when located within fifty feet of an R District. Before approving a zone change, the Planning and Zoning Board can attach conditions on manner of operation, odor control, parking, traffic movement and aesthetics, and the applicant can appeal those conditions to the Board of County Commissioners under Section 4-9-10.

Licensing adds a neighborhood test. Under Section 6-15-5(A)4, the Board of County Commissioners can deny a license if the business would be located in an area not suited for a cannabis establishment, and Section 6-15-3 requires a separate license for each location. The Elko County Sheriff's Office takes the application and places it on the next available Board agenda. This county code covers unincorporated Elko County only: the cities of Elko, Carlin, Wells and West Wendover have their own codes.