Which office licenses you, what the cards and the bill cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar here, on the Strip or Downtown.
Liquor is licensed locally, by Clark County for most of the Strip and by the City of Las Vegas for Downtown. Check which side of the line your address sits on. Liquor licenses come from the Clark County Department of Business License.
No closing hour was found in Clark County’s liquor chapter or in the City’s code, and this guide doesn’t claim 24-hour service. In the City, a nightclub’s hours are set by its license, and hours the Council approved on the liquor license or land-use approval control over it.
In unincorporated Clark County, staff who sell or serve alcohol, run service or work security need a valid alcohol education card.
MoreIt comes from a program certified under state law. Whether the City requires it too for ordinary bar staff wasn’t confirmed.
Source: County CodeCounty venues need an LVMPD work identification card for owners, managers and staff before they work. City venues need the City’s work card for alcoholic beverages for anyone who manages, pours or does security.
MoreThe cards are not interchangeable. The City exempts staff registered with the Gaming Control Board for nonrestricted gaming at the location.
Source: County CodeCounty security guards need the LVMPD work card and an alcohol education card. In the City, security needs the City work card unless licensed or registered as private patrol under state law and carrying that card with photo ID.
MoreKeep a list with registry numbers and expiry dates ready for inspectors. Whether bouncers need a state card wasn’t confirmed.
Source: City liquor codeBoth codes bar selling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21, and to anyone intoxicated.
MoreMinors may not be in a nightclub, except in a restaurant area for meals from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Accepted ID types and scanner rules weren’t confirmed.
Source: County CodeIn the City, an indoor or outdoor entertainment venue with an occupancy load of 100 or more, a dance floor and music or other entertainment as its main draw needs a nightclub license, on top of its liquor license.
MoreIt needs a security plan approved before it issues, is per location and can’t be transferred. In the county, a nightclub means a main bar in a resort hotel; other rooms are licensed as taverns or full-service bars.
Source: City nightclub codeCity test: amplified sound plainly audible 50 feet from its source is prima facie evidence of a violation. County test: no unreasonable noise.
MoreNightclubs must keep interior noise inaudible past the property line with doors closed. Downtown, an overlay district limits outdoor speakers. No county decibel limit was found.
Source: City noise codeNo daily closing hour appears in the county liquor chapter. In the City, the Director sets a nightclub’s hours when the permanent license is approved.
MoreCouncil conditions on the liquor license or land use win over the nightclub license if they conflict. No separate late-hours permit appears in the county chapter.
Source: City nightclub codeIn the county, a special event permit for full alcohol service costs $150 an event. In the City, a licensed room that isn’t a nightclub needs the Director’s approval for the form of live entertainment, such as a DJ with dancing.
MoreKaraoke, stage shows and live music are in the same City approval.
Source: County feesRetailers may buy liquor only from a state-licensed wholesaler.
MoreThere is no state liquor monopoly: licensing of retail premises is local.
Source: County CodeTwo offices issue liquor licenses here. The route depends on whether the address is in unincorporated Clark County, which covers most of the Strip, or inside the City of Las Vegas.
A large part of the valley has a Las Vegas mailing address but is unincorporated Clark County. Use the county’s locator. Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Mesquite have their own licensing.
Source: County guideGet the Nevada state business license, register with the Department of Taxation and register a fictitious firm name with the County Clerk if you use one.
Source: County guideComprehensive Planning checks zoning. A tavern’s entrance generally sits at least a 2,000 foot radius from the nearest tavern, with exceptions for commercial centers and gaming districts, and 1,500 feet from a school or church unless the Board waives it after a hearing.
Source: County CodeSource: County guideMail the application, supplemental questionnaire, floor plan, notarized personal history and LVMPD release forms, and financial questionnaires for every owner with 10% or more. Applications can’t be submitted online, and an incomplete one is terminated with no refund.
Source: County guidePlanning, the Southern Nevada Health District, Fire Prevention and other agencies review it, then the Director approves. The county says processing, investigation and issuance take about six months on average.
Source: County guideSource: County FAQApply for a full alcohol on-premise or beer and wine on-premise license with all forms, fees, ownership and entity documents and proof of property rights. A full alcohol license needs an approved alcohol control plan before any alcohol is served. Every principal is investigated.
Source: City liquor codeAt 100 or more occupancy with a dance floor, the nightclub license also needs the same establishment’s liquor license, nightclub land-use entitlement and an approved security plan.
Source: City nightclub codeOnce the principals’ investigation packets are in and a preliminary suitability finding is made, a temporary license can let you open. The county can extend it once by 90 days. The City can extend it twice, by up to six months each.
Source: County CodeSource: City liquor codeA City licensee must start operating within 30 days of issue. A county temporary license must be activated within 30 days.
Source: County CodeSource: City liquor codeIssued by the Clark County Department of Business License
General information, not legal advice. Laws and license conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with Clark County Business License or the City before acting on it.
How a table’s bill adds up once tax and a service charge are on it, and what guests pay at the door.
| Minimum spend | $1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 20%, added by the venue | $200.00 |
| Sales tax 8.375% of the spend | $83.75 |
| Guest pays | $1,283.75 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
Clark County’s sales tax rate is 8.375%. This example applies it to the minimum spend only, as an illustration.
Source: Nevada Department of TaxationWhether sales tax applies to a mandatory service charge, and whether it counts as a tip for staff, wasn’t confirmed. Ask the Department of Taxation before you set your pricing.
Source: Nevada Department of TaxationThe state’s 9% Live Entertainment Tax applies to the admission charge at venues with 200 or more occupancy that offer live entertainment, a DJ included. Any service charge on the admission price is in the base. Whether a table minimum or bottle package counts as admission wasn’t confirmed, so it isn’t in this example.
Source: Nevada Department of TaxationRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
$25 to $100
Typically about $40
The lowest general admission on one Strip nightclub’s own event pages for Thursday to Saturday nights, before fees. That low price is women’s entry; men pay $50 to $75 the same nights, and a headliner night is $100 for everyone.
$750 to $1,500
A typical table, about $1,000
The lowest table minimum two Strip nightclubs publish on their own event pages for Thursday to Saturday nights, before tax and fees. Prime sections run far higher.
Figures are estimates from the sources and samples listed. They change often and may be wrong. Check with the venue or the relevant authority before relying on them. Venues and events named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide. Price sources: Wynn Nightlife.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bartenders$12.00 to $22.85 | $16.23 | |
| Servers$12.00 to $29.49 | $13.03 | |
| Hosts$12.09 to $23.89 | $15.84 | |
| Security and door$13.99 to $23.04 | $17.89 | |
| Cooks$14.61 to $28.13 | $18.65 | |
| Managers$23.09 to $62.51 | $31.45 |
Minimum wage $12.00 an hour, since 1 July 2024Source: Nevada Office of the Labor Commissioner
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Nevada has one minimum wage. Ballot Question 2 ended the lower tier for employers that offered qualifying health benefits. No separate City of Las Vegas or Clark County minimum wage was found.
Source: Nevada Office of the Labor CommissionerThis guide doesn’t state tip credit, tip pool or service charge rules for staff, because they weren’t confirmed. Check with the Office of the Labor Commissioner.
Source: Nevada Office of the Labor CommissionerFor the Live Entertainment Tax, gratuities passed on to employees at the venue can be deducted from the taxable admission, with documentation.
Source: Nevada Department of TaxationWhether the wage figures above include tips isn’t confirmed.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
The morning after New Year’s Eve, usually just before CES.
One of the city’s largest conventions: it fills hotels and drives corporate and after-hours demand.
Official siteA three-day weekend.
The dinner and date crowd. When it falls midweek, couples book the weekend before too.
Watch parties and visitors.
A three-day weekend.
One of the year’s biggest bar nights, whatever the weekday.
No city-wide dates
The festival fills the Speedway weekend and the Strip after-parties.
Official siteA three-day weekend and a pool-season opener for many venues.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
In the Strip corridor, package liquor in glass can’t be sold from 6 a.m. on July 4 to 6 a.m. on July 5; drinks served inside a bar aren’t affected.
Official siteNo city-wide dates
A three-day weekend.
A three-day weekend.
When it falls midweek, the parties run the weekend before.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
A race-weekend surge on and around the Strip, the week before Thanksgiving.
The Wednesday before is a big night out.
Rodeo nights at the Thomas & Mack Center.
When it falls on a weekend, the federal holiday is observed on the nearest weekday.
In the Strip corridor, package liquor in glass can’t be sold from 6 a.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1; drinks served inside a bar aren’t affected.
Official site
Las Vegas’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
Most of the Strip is unincorporated Clark County, licensed by the county even though its addresses say Las Vegas. The county defines a nightclub as a main bar in a resort hotel.
Licensed by the City of Las Vegas, with a Downtown Entertainment Overlay District that limits outdoor speakers and package alcohol sales.
Who lives in and visits the area. These describe the population and visitors, not any venue’s guests. The City of Las Vegas total leaves out the Strip, most of which is unincorporated Clark County.
Sell tickets, take table bookings with deposits, run the guest list and check guests in at the door, in one place. Built for clubs, lounges and bars.
$12.00 an hour since 1 July 2024, one rate for all employers: Ballot Question 2 ended the lower tier for employers that offered qualifying health benefits. No separate City of Las Vegas or Clark County minimum wage was found. The median for Las Vegas-area bartenders is $16.23 an hour.
Clark County’s sales tax rate is 8.375%. Venues with 200 or more occupancy that offer live entertainment, a DJ included, also owe the state’s 9% Live Entertainment Tax on the admission charge. Whether sales tax applies to a service charge wasn’t confirmed.
No closing hour was found in Clark County’s liquor chapter or in the City of Las Vegas code, and this guide doesn’t claim 24-hour service. In the City, a nightclub’s hours are set by its license, and hours the Council approved on the liquor license or land use control over it.
It depends on the address. Most of the Strip is unincorporated Clark County: mail a packet to the Department of Business License, which says processing takes about six months on average. Downtown is the City of Las Vegas: apply to its Department of Business Licensing for a full alcohol or beer and wine on-premise license.
In Clark County, a tavern or pub license is $300 a quarter and a main bar is $525, plus a $50 application processing fee and a $350 investigation deposit. In the City, a full alcohol on-premise license is $1,200 every six months and beer and wine is $700, after a non-refundable $5,000 application fee.
The county says processing, investigation and issuance take about six months on average. A temporary license for up to 90 days can be issued after a preliminary suitability finding, and extended once by 90 days. The City publishes no processing time.
In the City of Las Vegas, yes at an occupancy load of 100 or more with a dance floor and entertainment as the main draw, on top of a liquor license and an approved security plan. In Clark County a nightclub means a main bar in a resort hotel; other rooms are licensed as taverns or full-service bars.
In unincorporated Clark County, staff who sell or serve alcohol, run service or work security need a valid alcohol education card, plus an LVMPD work card. In the City, the work card for alcoholic beverages is required; whether the state card is also required for ordinary bar staff wasn’t confirmed.
In the City, amplified sound plainly audible 50 feet from its source is prima facie evidence of a violation, and nightclubs must keep interior noise inaudible past the property line with doors closed. In unincorporated Clark County, unreasonable noise is a misdemeanor, and no decibel limit for venues was found.
In Clark County, security guards need an LVMPD work card and an alcohol education card. In the City, security needs the City’s alcohol work card unless licensed or registered under state private patrol law. Whether door staff need a state work card wasn’t confirmed.
21. Both codes bar selling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21, and to anyone intoxicated. Minors can’t be in a nightclub, except in a restaurant area for meals from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A 9% state tax on the admission charge for live entertainment at venues with a maximum occupancy of 200 or more, a DJ included. Any service charge on the admission price is in the base, and venues under 200 occupancy are exempt. Whether table minimums or bottle service count wasn’t confirmed.
VenueStack publishes this guide for general information. We take care to keep it accurate and list our sources and review dates, but we can’t guarantee it is complete, current or correct, and we aren’t responsible for decisions made on it. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, minimums and wages are estimates from the samples described and don’t represent any particular venue. Venues, events and organisations named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Data gathered in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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