Nevada Break Laws (2026)
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · Meal and paid rest breaks
| Adult meal break | 30 min if 8+ h; max 8 h straight |
|---|---|
| Adult rest break | 10 min paid: 1 for 3.5–7 h, 2 for 7–11 h |
| Minors | No separate rule — adult rules (if any) apply |
| Lactation | Paid or unpaid breaks; child under 1 |
| Enforcing agency | Nevada Labor Commissioner (Office of the Labor Commissioner) |
Nevada break scheduler
Pick a state and enter the shift. You'll get every break the law requires, the latest time each can start, a suggested schedule, and — if you enter the breaks actually taken — a compliance check with California premium pay.
Nevada · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
On site 10 h · hours worked 9 h 30 min (unpaid meal time excluded)
Doesn't apply where only one person is employed at the location, or to employees under a collective bargaining agreement. Employees may voluntarily forgo breaks (employer must prove the agreement).
- Rest break 1 · 10 min · paidSuggested: 10:30 AM
Insofar as practicable in the middle of each work period.
- Meal break 1 · 30 min · unpaid if fully relievedSuggested: 1:00 PM
Must start by 4:00 PM.
Shift with at least 8 hours of work: no more than 8 consecutive hours without a meal.
- Rest break 2 · 10 min · paidSuggested: 3:45 PM
Insofar as practicable in the middle of each work period.
Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the Nevada break law page for citations.
Nevada meal break law
An employer shall not employ an employee 'for a continuous period of 8 hours' without permitting a meal period of at least one-half hour. No period of less than 30 minutes interrupts a continuous period of work.
- Who's covered
- All employers except where only one person is employed at a particular place of employment, and except employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Labor Commissioner may grant exemptions for business necessity (individually or by regulation for categories of employers).
- Paid or unpaid
- Statute does not require pay; NAC 608.145(2) refers to an 'unpaid lunch break' (federal rule: unpaid only if completely relieved of duty).
- Waivers
- An employee may voluntarily agree to forego any rest period or meal period; the employer has the burden to prove the agreement (NAC 608.145(3)).
- Exemptions
- Single-employee workplaces; CBA-covered employees; Labor Commissioner exemptions for business necessity (NRS 608.019(3)-(5)).
Source: NRS 608.019(1); NAC 608.145
Nevada rest break law
Every employer shall authorize and permit rest periods, insofar as practicable in the middle of each work period, based on total hours worked daily 'at the rate of 10 minutes for each 4 hours or major fraction thereof.' Not required for employees whose total daily work time is less than 3 1/2 hours. Rest periods count as hours worked with no deduction from wages. NAC 608.145 sets the schedule by continuous hours worked; an unpaid lunch break is not counted toward hours worked for this purpose.
How many: NAC 608.145: at least 3.5 and less than 7 continuous hrs: one 10-min rest; at least 7 and less than 11: two; at least 11 and less than 15: three; at least 15 and less than 19: four. Under 3.5 hrs: none.
Pay: Paid (counted as hours worked; no deduction from wages).
Source: NRS 608.019(2); NAC 608.145
Breaks for minors in Nevada
No minor-specific break rule found in NRS chapter 609 (Employment of Minors); the general NRS 608.019 meal and rest rules apply to minors.
Source: NRS ch. 609 (no break provision); NRS 608.019 (general)
Lactation breaks in Nevada
Each employer must provide an employee who is the mother of a child under 1 year of age with (a) reasonable break time, 'with or without compensation,' to express breast milk as needed, and (b) a place, other than a bathroom, reasonably free from dirt or pollution, protected from view and free from intrusion. If a CBA requires break time to be paid, covered lactation breaks must be paid. If compliance causes undue hardship, employer may agree on (or, failing agreement, select) a reasonable alternative. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt if the requirements would impose an undue hardship. Licensed contractors are exempt for employees at construction jobsites at least 3 miles from the regular place of business. Retaliation prohibited.
Pay: With or without compensation (paid if a CBA requires paid breaks).
Federal floor (PUMP Act): reasonable break time and a private space that isn't a bathroom for one year after birth, for nearly all employees; unpaid unless the employee isn't fully relieved of duty. Employers with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt only if compliance would cause undue hardship.
Source: NRS 608.0193 (added 2017)
Frequently asked questions
Are breaks required by law in Nevada?
30-minute meal before 8 continuous hours; paid 10-minute rest breaks (1 for 3.5–7 hours, 2 for 7–11, 3 for 11–15). Not required where only one person works at a location. Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks that are given must be paid and unpaid meal periods must be duty-free.
How many breaks do you get for an 8-hour shift in Nevada?
For an 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. shift (8 hours worked plus an unpaid meal), Nevada requires 1 meal period (the first starting by 4:00 PM) and 2 paid rest breaks for adult employees. Doesn't apply where only one person is employed at the location, or to employees under a collective bargaining agreement. Employees may voluntarily forgo breaks (employer must prove the agreement).
Do minors get breaks in Nevada?
No minor-specific break rule found in NRS chapter 609 (Employment of Minors); the general NRS 608.019 meal and rest rules apply to minors.
Are lactation breaks required in Nevada?
Each employer must provide an employee who is the mother of a child under 1 year of age with (a) reasonable break time, 'with or without compensation,' to express breast milk as needed, and (b) a place, other than a bathroom, reasonably free from dirt or pollution, protected from view and free from intrusion. If a CBA requires break time to be paid, covered lactation breaks must be paid. If compliance causes undue hardship, employer may agree on (or, failing agreement, select) a reasonable alternative. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt if the requirements would impose an undue hardship. Licensed contractors are exempt for employees at construction jobsites at least 3 miles from the regular place of business. Retaliation prohibited. The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.
Official Nevada sources
Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07- Meal break — NRS 608.019(1); NAC 608.145
- Rest breaks — NRS 608.019(2); NAC 608.145
- Minors — NRS ch. 609 (no break provision); NRS 608.019 (general)
- Lactation — NRS 608.0193 (added 2017)
- Nevada Labor Commissioner (Office of the Labor Commissioner)
- U.S. DOL — Breaks and meal periods (FLSA)
- 29 U.S.C. 218d — PUMP Act
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Also “Meal and paid rest breaks”: California, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington
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Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with Nevada Labor Commissioner (Office of the Labor Commissioner).