In 2025, abortion news is a cacophony. In April, a Nevada judge lifted an injunction on a 40-year-old law requiring parental notification before a minor receives an abortion. Twenty-four days later, another judge renewed the injunction. That same month, Planned Parenthood said that the Rocky Mountain division, which has served the Southern Nevada area since the 1990s, would be replaced by one in Mar Monte, California — for now reducing Las Vegas abortion services from two local clinics to one.
Federal court cases, bill vetoes, ballot mandates, and more have followed, adding up to the confusing patchwork that has come to define Nevada’s (and many other states’) current reproductive laws.
Given this, is Nevada truly a reproductive care “sanctuary state,” as has been said? The short answer is sort of. The long answer is actually multiple answers, involving multiple assumptions. Here’s what you need to know.
Is terminating a pregnancy in Nevada fully legal?
Yes, at least up to 24 weeks, or just before the end of the second trimester. For now, that’s only codified in our revised statutes, not, as is commonly asserted, the state constitution. Yet. Question 6 aims to change that, bringing us into line with states like California. In 2024, 64 percent of voters said “yes” to that measure. It goes before voters for a second and final approval in 2026.
For terminations after 24 weeks, it’s more complicated. Abortion is legal for pregnancies that jeopardize the safety of the mother. In other circumstances, even if the substance used to induce is not a prescribed drug, it’s considered felony manslaughter. A Winnemucca woman made headlines last year for her cinnamon-induced miscarriage, earning her two years in prison (her convication was set aside in 2021).
In the 2025 session, SB139 would have removed these criminal penalties, but it died before exiting committee.
Once the right to an abortion is enshrined in the state constitution, does that make it permanent?
Yes, unless one of two things happens. First, if Nevada voters so choose, the constitutional amendment can be removed by yet another ballot measure. Second, federal law — and Supreme Court decisions — supersede state law. That means, if the highest court in the land decides to go further than overturning Roe v. Wade, or the U.S. Congress enacts legislation restricting abortion, that would nullify Nevada’s laws.
Are patients who travel to Nevada from other, more restrictive states protected from prosecution?
Yes. In 2023, Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a bill that barred Nevada from cooperating in criminal investigations of people who received abortions here. And it’s still technically illegal for a state with tougher laws, say Florida or Texas, to prosecute someone if they travel to procure a legal abortion in Nevada (or other states).
Are medical records related to abortions in Nevada protected from authorities in other states?
It’s becoming murkier. In June 2025, a federal judge in Texas struck down a shield law that prevented law enforcement from obtaining health records related to abortion. However, experts say patients are still protected by federal HIPAA law.
Have more women traveled to Nevada for abortions each year since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022?
Actually, no. A Guttmacher Institute study showed that rates of travel to Nevada for abortion care dropped by over 47 percent last year, compared to 2023. Nevada also ranks roughly 12th highest in the nation for self-pay abortion costs. So, experts think patients might be skeptical of the legality and price of Nevada’s reproductive care.
