Lyon County, NV Gambling & Gaming: Casino Zoning Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- Tourist Commercial - Suburban (TC-S)
- Purpose clause
- names casinos and nonrestricted gaming
- Height limit
- 55 feet under section 15.330.03(E)
- Minimum lot size
- one net acre
- Residential setback
- 20 feet from residential property lines
- State license
- separate NRS 463 gaming license still required
Summary
Unincorporated Lyon County, Nevada zones for casinos through its Tourist Commercial - Suburban (TC-S) district, defined at Lyon County Code section 15.313.06(A) to provide areas for "tourist related commercial and retail services, including casinos" and nonrestricted gaming as defined by Nevada Revised Statutes 463, alongside hotels, RV parks and resorts. The Board of County Commissioners caps TC-S building height at 55 feet, and any casino use still needs a separate state gaming license under Nevada Revised Statutes 463.
15.313.06: TOURIST COMMERCIAL - SUBURBAN (TC-S): A. Purpose: ... The purpose of this district is to provide suitable areas for tourist related commercial and retail services, including casinos, including nonrestricted gaming as defined in Nevada Revised Statutes 463, hotels, RV parks, and resorts in Suburban Character Districts. The TC-S District implements the commercial land use designation of the Master Plan. ... Building height 55 feet subject to subsection 15.330.03E of this title. ... F. Miscellaneous Requirements: See section 15.320.03, table 15.320-2 of this title, suburban character area land use. See chapter 360 of this title, commercial design standards.
Full Breakdown
Lyon County's Title 15 zoning code creates several Tourist Commercial districts along the county's commercial corridors near Fernley, Dayton and the Walker River valleys. Two of the three, Tourist Commercial - Historic (TC-H, section 15.313.04) and Tourist Commercial - Rural (TC-R, section 15.313.05), list "nonrestricted gaming, as defined in Nevada Revised Statutes 463" among the tourist uses their purpose clauses allow. The third, Tourist Commercial - Suburban (TC-S) at section 15.313.06(A), goes further and names "casinos" outright alongside nonrestricted gaming, hotels, RV parks and resorts as the intended uses of Suburban Character Districts.
TC-S carries a 55-foot base building height (subject to the countywide height rules of section 15.330.03(E)), a minimum lot size of one net acre, and setbacks of 20 feet from residential property lines and from adjacent public rights-of-way, 10 feet from a front line if the building fronts a public sidewalk, and 10 feet at the rear (0 feet with an alley). Zoning approval only fixes where a casino use may locate; the operator still needs the applicable state gaming license issued under Nevada Revised Statutes 463 by the state's gaming licensing authority before any gaming can begin. Development also must follow the suburban character-area land use table at section 15.320.03 and the commercial design standards of chapter 360.
Violations & Fines
Operating a casino or nonrestricted gaming use outside a district that permits it, or building beyond the TC-S 55-foot height limit or its setbacks, violates Lyon County Code Title 15. Under the general penalty at section 1.04.01, an unclassified zoning violation is a misdemeanor under Nevada Revised Statutes, or a civil infraction penalty of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Community Development can deny or revoke permits until the use or structure conforms to the TC-S standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lyon County have a zoning district that names casinos?
Do the other Tourist Commercial districts also allow casinos?
How tall can a casino building be in Lyon County's TC-S district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lyon County
Compare Lyon County to another location·View the Nevada gambling & gaming overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.