Nevada rules
Which Nevada lawyer ads must be filed with the State Bar?
Every paid ad a Nevada firm runs gets filed with the State Bar within 15 days, at $100 per ad. What counts, what's exempt, and the disclaimers each ad needs.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
In Nevada, every advertisement disseminated in exchange for something of value must be filed with the State Bar within 15 days of first dissemination, under Rule 7.2A. The State Bar's page today lists a non-refundable $100 fee per ad. Websites are not filed.
Filing is only half of it. Nevada's Rule 7.2 also requires specific disclaimers inside the ad: actors identified, a responsible lawyer named, an opposing-fees warning on any contingency claim, and a past-results disclaimer with gross amounts and fees withheld. Want a binding opinion before an ad runs? Rule 7.2B offers one for $250, issued within 30 days.
Some of our client firms practice in Nevada, and when we build paid ads for a Nevada firm, filing is part of the launch checklist, though the filing decision stays with the firm. This is a plain summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current rule with your bar or law society. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
The filing rule
Rule 7.2A: file every paid ad within 15 days of first use, with a fee.
Nevada files after the fact, not before. The ad can run the day you approve it, and the clock starts that day.
Rule 7.2A(a) requires a lawyer or firm to file two things with the State Bar: a copy or recording of every advertisement disseminated in exchange for something of value, and written or recorded communications the lawyer causes to be sent out to advertise legal services. The rule says websites are not advertisements for filing purposes.
| Item | What the State Bar requires | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Within 15 days of first dissemination | Count from the day the ad first shows, not the day it was approved |
| Fee | $100 per advertisement, non-refundable | Substantively similar ads may go in as one filing |
| Form | One filing form per ad, with a copy uploaded | PDF, Word, MP4 or MP3 are accepted |
| Print and mail | In color; mailers include the front and back of the envelope | The red mailer notice must be visible in the copy |
| Audio and video | A complete written transcript | Non-English ads also need an English translation |
| Changes | Derivatives with no substantive change don't need filing (Guideline 6(D)) | A new offer, claim or result is a substantive change |
Missing a filing has two costs. Rule 7.2A(b) makes it grounds for discipline, and for an unfiled ad the four-year limitation period for discipline only starts when bar counsel actually learns of it. An ad you never filed stays open to review far longer than one you did.
Filed or not
Payment is the test: if the ad was paid to run, assume it gets filed.
The rule and the State Bar's form draw the lines below. Where neither answers the question, we say so rather than guess.
| Marketing | Filed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Firm website and landing pages | No | Rule 7.2A(a): websites aren't advertisements for filing |
| Google search and display ads | Yes | Paid ads; the form's "Other Advertisements" type |
| Boosted or paid Facebook and Instagram posts | Yes | The form lists social media "if disseminated in exchange for something of value" |
| Unpaid posts on the firm's own pages | Unclear | Not on the form as paid, but 7.2A(a)(2) also reaches written communications made to advertise. Ask the State Bar |
| Billboards, TV, radio, print, directories | Yes | Listed on the filing form |
| Direct mail to prospective clients | Yes | Filed with both sides of the envelope, in color |
| Tombstone ads (name, address, phone, admissions, languages and similar) | No | Guideline 6(A) presumes them compliant and exempt |
| Office move or new hire announcements | No | Guideline 6(C) |
Search ads are where volume catches firms out. One responsive search ad can hold 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and launching a new ad group is a new ad. Swapping a headline for a near-identical one is a derivative; adding a results claim or a new practice area is not.
Advance opinion
Rule 7.2B gives you a binding answer before the ad runs, for $250.
Filing under 7.2A is mandatory and after the fact. A 7.2B advance opinion is optional, and it's the only route that protects you in advance.
- What you get
The State Bar's advertising committee issues an opinion within 30 days of the request, saying whether the proposed ad complies and, if not, how to fix it. A finding of compliance binds disciplinary panels and bar counsel, as long as what you submitted was true and not misleading.
- What it doesn't do
A finding of noncompliance isn't binding on discipline, and you can appeal it to the committee. No advance opinion is granted once a disciplinary investigation into that ad has started.
- When it's worth it
For TV and billboard campaigns that run for months, or anything with results, testimonials or actors, $250 and a 30-day wait is cheap insurance. For a search ad that will be rewritten next month, most firms file under 7.2A and keep the copy conservative instead.
Required disclaimers
Nevada requires disclaimers inside the ad itself, and its past-results rule asks for more than most states do.
Rule 7.2(b) lists seven disclosures. Rule 7.2(c) adds that each must appear in every language the ad uses, and 7.2(d) that it must be reasonably prominent.
- Actors (7.2(b)(1)): if actors portray lawyers, firm members or clients, or the ad shows fictionalized scenes, the disclosure must say which people are actors and stay on screen while they appear.
- Responsible lawyer (7.2(b)(2)): every ad names at least one lawyer responsible for its content.
- Practice areas (7.2(b)(3)): any area named must meet Rule 7.4.
- Contingency fees (7.2(b)(4)): a disclaimer that the client may be liable for the opposing parties' fees and costs. Guideline 2(A) offers this wording: "You may have to pay the opposing parties' attorney fees and costs in the event of a loss."
- Fee ranges (7.2(b)(5)): say how long the fee is in effect and any limits.
- Quality claims (7.2(b)(6)): statements about service quality must be provable on request. Guideline 2(C) puts "best" and "most" in this bucket.
- Past results (7.2(b)(7)): the advertising lawyer must have been lead counsel or primarily responsible; the ad says "past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future cases"; dollar figures must have actually reached the client, with the nature of the case and injuries, and if the gross is stated, the fees and expenses withheld.
Mail, injuries and specialists
Targeted mail waits 30 days after an injury and carries a red notice, and "specialist" needs certification plus registration.
Rule 7.3 is Nevada's solicitation rule; Rule 7.4 is the specialist rule. Both are stricter than the ABA model.
- Solicitation (7.3(a))
No soliciting a prospective client with no family or prior professional relationship "by mail, in person or otherwise" for pecuniary gain, except targeted mail under 7.3(d). Solicitation includes letters and any communication directed to a specific recipient.
- The 30-day rule (7.3(d))
After an incident involving personal injury or wrongful death, no written communication to the injured person or their family seeking to represent them for 30 days. The rule also applies to lawyers for actual or potential defendants and insurers.
- The red notice (7.3(c))
Mailers and advertising circulars carry "NOTICE: THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT!" in red ink, on the outside of the envelope and on the communication side of every page.
- Specialist or expert (7.4(d))
Only with certification from an organization approved under Rule 7.4A, at least a third of practice in the field for the past two years, 10 hours of CLE in the field last year, $500,000 in liability coverage, and registration with the State Bar ($250, renewed yearly). The ad names the certifying body.
For personal injury firms the 30-day rule shapes the whole mail program. Search ads and the firm's site aren't targeted at a specific person, so they aren't caught by it, but every paid search ad still gets filed.
Worked example
A hypothetical launch month: five filings, $500 in fees, and one ad that changes before it runs.
Filing fees are small next to ad spend, but they add up when a campaign tests many versions. Planning the ad set with filing in mind keeps the count down.
Say a Las Vegas criminal defense firm launches in one month with three search ads (DUI, domestic violence, drug charges), one boosted Facebook video and one retargeting image. That's five paid ads, so five filings at $100 each, $500, each due within 15 days of its first day live. The website and landing pages aren't filed.
In week two the firm wants a domestic violence ad that mentions a dismissal rate. That's a quality claim needing proof under 7.2(b)(6), and arguably a past results claim under 7.2(b)(7). It's a substantive change, so it's a new filing, and a good candidate to leave out. More on that practice on our criminal defense marketing page.
Log the first-live date
The day an ad first shows, not the day it's approved. That date starts the 15 days.
Group true derivatives
Near-identical versions with no substantive change can share a filing or need none under Guideline 6(D). Note which filed ad each one derives from.
Export a copy
Screenshots of the ad preview for search, the creative and caption for social, the transcript for video.
File and keep the confirmation
The State Bar emails a confirmation. Unless it finds a potential violation, that's the last you'll hear.
Re-check before edits
New claims, offers or practice areas mean a new filing within 15 days of the edit going live.
In our client work
When we run Nevada ads, the filing rule sits next to every ad in our review, and filing stays the firm's call.
We check every Nevada ad against Rule 7.2 before the lawyer sees it, and the review page shows the 7.2A filing reminder with the ads.
Our ad builds for Nevada name the responsible lawyer in a description pinned to the first position, so it shows every time. "No fee unless we win" stays out unless the opposing-fees warning fits in the same ad, which in practice means it stays out. Results, ratings and awards go on the landing page with their disclaimers.
The filing itself is the firm's decision and the firm's action, because the attestation on the State Bar's form is the lawyer's. What we hand over is the list of ads, their first-live dates and the copies, so filing takes minutes. The rules haven't changed much since 2018: the Legislature's copy shows Rules 7.1 to 7.2B last amended effective April 9, 2018, and 7.3 in 2012.
Filed, disclaimed ads still perform. One injury client of ours ran a rideshare accident campaign on Facebook and Instagram that brought in a case that settled for $1.5 million. If you want ads like that run inside Nevada's rules, see our Meta ads and Google Ads work.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The Nevada filing and disclaimer gaps we see most when a firm's existing ads come to us.
Filing only TV and billboards
Rule 7.2A covers every paid ad. Paid search and boosted posts are paid, so they're filed too.
Counting from the approval date
The 15 days run from first dissemination. Log the day the ad first shows.
"No fee unless we win" with no opposing-fees warning
Rule 7.2(b)(4) requires the warning in every ad that mentions contingency fees, not just on the website.
Results without the full breakdown
A dollar figure needs the disclaimer, the case facts and, if gross is stated, the fees and expenses withheld. Most search ads can't carry that.
Unlabeled actors
A generic "actors portrayed" line isn't enough when real lawyers and actors share the screen; Guideline 4 says each actor must be identifiable.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Paid campaigns of the kind Nevada requires firms to file, from our client work.
Identifying details are anonymized to protect our clients. Individual result, not a promise or prediction of any specific outcome for your firm.
FAQ
Questions lawyers ask us.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most.
How long do I have to file a lawyer ad in Nevada?
Fifteen days from first dissemination, under Rule 7.2A(a). The State Bar's page says each ad is filed separately with its own form and fee, and a confirmation email follows. Substantively similar ads may be submitted as one filing.
What does it cost to file an ad with the State Bar of Nevada?
The State Bar's page lists a non-refundable $100 fee per advertisement under Rule 7.2A, and $250 for an advance opinion under Rule 7.2B. We confirmed both on October 11, 2026. Fees are set by the board of governors, so check the page before you file.
Do I have to file my law firm website in Nevada?
No. Rule 7.2A(a) says websites aren't advertisements for filing purposes. The content rules still apply, and Guideline 5 says any required disclaimer should appear on the same page as the claim it relates to.
Do Google Ads and Facebook ads have to be filed in Nevada?
Paid ones, yes. The rule covers every ad disseminated in exchange for something of value, and the filing form lists social media when paid. Each new ad, or a version with a substantive change, is a new filing. Our ad copy guide covers wording that keeps revisions down.
What disclaimer does Nevada require for past results?
Rule 7.2(b)(7) requires a statement that "past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future cases", that the lawyer was lead counsel or primarily responsible, and for dollar amounts, the nature of the case and the fees and costs withheld from any gross figure. Our testimonials guide compares results rules across states.
Can I call myself a specialist in Nevada?
Only with certification from a State Bar-approved organization plus the practice-hours, CLE, insurance and registration requirements in Rule 7.4(d), with the certifying body named in the ad. "Patent Attorney" and admiralty designations have their own exceptions.
Has Nevada changed its advertising rules since 2018?
Not on the Nevada Legislature's copy of the rules we read today: Rules 7.1 to 7.2B show their last amendment effective April 9, 2018, and Rule 7.3 December 13, 2012. Our lawyer advertising rules hub tracks changes in other states, such as New York's 2026 overhaul.
Where we do this
The services this guide touches.
What this looks like when we run it for a firm, with a demo for your practice on each page.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Official pages we read when writing this page. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- State Bar of Nevada, Lawyer Advertising
- Nevada Legislature, Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct (Rules 7.1 to 7.5)
- State Bar of Nevada, Lawyer Advertising Interpretive Guidelines (July 2018)
- Nevada Legislature, Supreme Court Rules (SCR 106, limitation period)
- Google Ads Help, About responsive search ads
Written by
Founder of Ad Hoc Digital. Leads strategy and works directly with every client firm on AI search, Local Services Ads, Google Ads and Meta ads.
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