Courts & Legal Help in Washoe County, Nevada
A directory of the courts that serve Washoe County — and where the official self-help and law-library resources are. This page describes where things are; it does not tell anyone what to file or where to file it.
By Ask Nevada Law Editorial · Updated
Which judicial district serves Washoe County
Under NRS 3.010, Nevada is divided into 11 judicial districts, and Washoe County belongs to the Second Judicial District. Washoe County is the only county in this district. For how the districts fit together statewide, see our map of Nevada's judicial districts.
The size of the district's bench is set by statute as well: the Second Judicial District has 16 judges under NRS 3.012 and NRS 3.0125 — 9 district judges plus 7 family court judges. Under NRS 3.100, district courts hold court at the county seat of each of their counties — for Washoe County, court is held at the county seat, Reno.
Washoe County alone forms Nevada's second-largest judicial district by bench size, with a dedicated family court alongside its general-jurisdiction district judges in Reno. It is also one of the few counties whose court system runs its own self-help operation — the Washoe Courts Resource Center — and its own law library, both linked below, instead of relying on the statewide self-help center.
District court
The district court is Nevada's main trial court — the level that handles felonies, family matters, probate, and larger civil cases. The Second Judicial District Court serves Washoe County, whose county seat is Reno.
Justice courts
Justice courts are township-level courts that handle smaller civil claims, small claims, evictions, and misdemeanors. Washoe County has several township justice courts, including Reno, Sparks, Incline Village, and Wadsworth townships.
Township boundaries decide which justice court hears a matter. The Nevada Judiciary's statewide justice court directory lists every justice court, with addresses and phone numbers.
Self-help & law library resources
These are the official self-help and law-library resources that cover Washoe County. They publish court forms, plain-language guides, and research materials.
Official links
Court links on this page were checked against official sources on . Court locations, hours, and contact details change — the linked official sites are always the current authority.