Reviewed against primary sources September 9, 2026

Nevada divorce records are public by default, and the law most people are thinking of when they assume otherwise no longer exists. Two statutes did the work for more than a century: NRS 125.080, which required a judge to close the divorce trial whenever either spouse demanded it, and NRS 125.110, which required the clerk to seal most of the file on one party’s written request. Senate Bill 432 repealed both. The Governor signed it on June 10, 2025, and it took effect October 1, 2025.

If you filed in Nevada before that date and were told your file was sealed, the statute that sealed it is gone. That does not automatically unseal your old file — we’ll get to that. But going forward, the default has flipped.

What the old law said

This is worth reading in the original, because the language is stronger than most people remember.

NRS 125.080, as it read through the 2022 codification: “In any action for divorce, the court shall, upon demand of either party, direct that the trial and issue or issues of fact joined therein be private.” (NRS 125.080, 2022 codification) The word is shall. The judge had no discretion. One spouse said the word, and the courtroom closed.

NRS 125.110(2) did the same for the paperwork: “All other papers, records, proceedings and evidence, including exhibits and transcript of the testimony, shall, upon the written request of either party to the action, filed with the clerk, be sealed and shall not be open to inspection except to the parties or their attorneys, or when required as evidence in another action or proceeding.” (NRS 125.110, 2022 codification) A narrow list — summons, complaint, findings, orders, judgment — stayed public. Everything else sealed on request.

Both statutes now carry the same notation on the Legislature’s own site: “Repealed. (See chapter 505, Statutes of Nevada 2025, at page 3332.)” (Nevada Legislature, NRS Chapter 125)

Why the law changed — a First Amendment case, not a custody case

The repeal did not start with a fathers’ rights campaign or a legislative study. It started with a newspaper.

In Falconi v. Eighth Judicial District Court, 140 Nev. Adv. Op. 8, decided February 15, 2024, the Nevada Supreme Court held that NRS 125.080 and two Eighth Judicial District local rules were unconstitutional to the extent they allowed a family court proceeding to close without a judge exercising discretion. (Falconi v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct., Docket 85195 — full opinion) The court held that before closing a proceeding a district court must find an overriding interest likely to be prejudiced, keep any closure no broader than necessary, consider reasonable alternatives, and make findings adequate to support the closure.

The Legislature’s own summary of SB 432 says the same thing in plainer words: “Existing law requires the court in any action for divorce to close a proceeding upon the demand of either party to the action. (NRS 125.080) In 2024, the Nevada Supreme Court held that such a statute is unconstitutional because it permits closed court proceedings without the exercise of judicial discretion.” (S.B. 432, Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 83rd Session)

That framing matters. This was a public-access ruling driven by press-freedom litigation. It applies to every parent in the courtroom, regardless of who they are.

What the law says now

SB 432 replaced the automatic rule with a standard. Family law proceedings are presumptively open. A judge may close a proceeding or part of one “only if the court determines that closure is necessary to serve a compelling interest,” and must weigh the presumption of openness, the best interest of each child in the proceeding, the risk of exposing protected personal identifying information, and whether openness creates a substantial risk of “harassment, indignity, undue embarrassment or any other physical or emotional harm.” (S.B. 432 enrolled text, Section 3)

Sealing works the same way. A court may seal or redact a record only where a compelling interest outweighs the public interest in access.

Two details most coverage misses:

Some categories are still protected. Section 4 identifies records a court may seal or redact, including financial disclosure forms, confidential exhibits, child custody evaluations, and medical, psychiatric or psychological evaluations and reports, along with anything federal or state law or court rule keeps confidential.

The public cannot move to unseal. Under Section 4, a sealed record may be unsealed on written stipulation of all parties, on the court’s own motion for good cause, or on a party’s motion for good cause. There is no provision in that section for a nonparty or member of the press to file a motion to unseal. “Presumptively open” governs what gets sealed going forward — it is not a public key to files already closed.

SB 432 also added a new crime: willfully and intentionally posting or displaying in public another person’s personal identifying information that law, regulation, or court rule requires to be kept private, without consent, is a category D felony.

The before-and-after, in one table

What this changes for a parent filing today

Assume what you file can be read.

The old habit — file everything, seal it later on request — no longer has a statute behind it. Declarations, text-message exhibits, and accusations you would not want read aloud are, by default, part of an open record. Write filings you would be comfortable having quoted. If you want help preparing a Nevada family court filing, Family Court Help Line works with Nevada parents on exactly that.

Family Court Help Line is an affiliated service inside the same network that owns this publication.

Know which documents have a protected path.

Financial disclosure forms and custody evaluations sit in the enumerated categories a court may seal. That is not automatic; it still takes a motion and a finding. But there is a route. Fathers Help Line Las Vegas provides support for Las Vegas fathers in an active custody case.

Do not confuse “presumptively open” with “already unsealed.”

An order sealing your 2018 file remains an order. Changing it takes a motion and good cause, and the statute routes that motion through the parties or the court.

The felony provision cuts both ways.

Publishing an opposing party’s protected personal identifying information — a Social Security number, a protected address — is now chargeable as a category D felony. Fathers’ groups that circulate filings online should read Section 5 carefully before posting anything.

How to check any of this yourself

Do not take our word for it, and do not take a law firm blog’s word for it either. The enrolled bill is at legiscan.com/NV/text/SB432/id/3259425. The bill’s official record, including its history and votes, is on the Legislature’s NELIS system at leg.state.nv.us — SB 432 Overview. The repeal notation for both statutes is on the Legislature’s NRS Chapter 125 page. Because SB 432 carried no separate effective-date clause, it took effect under Nevada’s default rule: an act becomes effective October 1 following passage. (NRS 218D.330)

Not legal advice

Equal Rights for Divorced Fathers is a publication, not a law firm. This article describes what a statute and a court opinion say as of August 14, 2026. It is not legal advice, it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and it cannot account for the facts of your case, standing orders in your department, or local rules. Talk to a Nevada-licensed attorney before you file, seal, unseal, or publish anything.

Nevada SB 432: quick answers

Six questions we are asked most often, each answered against the statute or the opinion itself.

Are divorce records public in Nevada?

Yes, by default. As of October 1, 2025, Nevada family law proceedings are presumptively open. NRS 125.110, the statute that sealed most of a divorce file on one party’s written request, was repealed by SB 432. A judge can still seal specific records, but only on a finding that a compelling interest outweighs public access.

What did Nevada SB 432 do?

It repealed NRS 125.080 and NRS 125.110, made family law proceedings presumptively open, and set a compelling-interest standard for closing a hearing or sealing a record. It also made it a category D felony to publicly post another person’s legally protected personal identifying information. Approved by the Governor on June 10, 2025 as Chapter 505, effective October 1, 2025.

Why did Nevada change the law on closed divorce hearings?

Because the Nevada Supreme Court held the old rule unconstitutional. In Falconi v. Eighth Judicial District Court, 140 Nev. Adv. Op. 8, decided February 15, 2024, the court ruled that NRS 125.080 and two local rules impermissibly allowed a proceeding to close without the judge exercising discretion. SB 432 rewrote the law to match that ruling.

Can a judge still close a family court hearing in Nevada?

Yes, but not on demand. The court must determine that closure is necessary to serve a compelling interest, weighing the presumption of openness, the best interest of each child in the proceeding, the risk of disclosing personal identifying information that law or court rule protects, and whether an open proceeding creates a substantial risk of harassment, indignity, undue embarrassment or other physical or emotional harm.

Which divorce documents can still be sealed in Nevada?

The statute lists financial disclosure forms, documents and evidence already filed under seal, child custody evaluations, and medical records including any psychiatric or psychological evaluation or report, along with anything federal or state law, regulation or court rule keeps confidential. Sealing still requires a court finding. It is not automatic.

Does SB 432 unseal my old Nevada divorce file?

No. A prior sealing order stays in force until a court changes it. Under SB 432 a sealed record may be unsealed on written stipulation of all parties, on the court’s own motion for good cause, or on a party’s motion for good cause. That section provides no route for a nonparty.

Need help with a Nevada filing? Family Court Help Line works with Nevada parents on court process and document preparation, and Fathers Rights Help Line of Las Vegas supports fathers in active Clark County custody cases. Both are affiliated services inside the same network as this publication, and neither is a law firm.

Every statute, section number and date on this page was checked against the enrolled text of SB 432, the Nevada Legislature’s repeal notation for NRS Chapter 125, and the Falconi opinion. Last verified September 9, 2026.