HELPS

Clark County Social Service

This government agency has a number of financial assistance programs for the low income, unemployed, and families faced with poverty. One of the main ones is emergency rental assistance, including eviction prevention services and low income housing.

Information for Residents

Education

The Clark County School District is the 6th-largest school system in the nation, serving 318,040 students in the 2014-2015 academic year. Clark County is also home to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada State College and the College of Southern Nevada, among other educational institutions, all tracked and listed courtesy of the Nevada Department of Education. The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District​ also serves as an educational resource for residents and visitors. 

Parks & Recreation

Nevada is a great state to explore and Clark County has some of its richest offerings. Popular local regional parks includeSunset and Desert Breeze, while the Clark County Shooting Complex and the 2,900-acre Wetlands Park are also popular. Southern Nevada is also blessed with the splendor of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Valley of Fire State Park. Meanwhile, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Mount Charleston are additional treasures, about which one can find information on the National Park Service pages.

Surrounding Cities 

Clark County is the largest county in Nevada. Within its borders are several major cities, including North Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Mesquite.

Information for Visitors

Outdoor Attractions

Variety is what you will find in Southern Nevada from the Las Vegas Strip to the mountains to local parks, such as the Wetlands Park with its Nature Preserve, Bird Gallery and amazing plant life. We also offer fabulous outdoor trails through our Nevada Regional System of Trails and Open Spaces, which features the "Neon to Nature" trail routes. The National Park Service also makes it convenient to learn about the wonderful recreation options that make Nevada the unique destination that it is. In the winter you can gamble in the valley and ski at Mt. Charleston, just 45 minutes north of the city. In the summer you can enjoy a day at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which includes engineering marvel the Hoover Dam.

Shooting Complex 

The County operates the state-of-the art Clark County Shooting Complex. The facility sits on 2,900 acres and is open daily, offering a range of services. Operated by our Parks & Recreation Department, the shooting complex won the 2010 Elmer H. Anderson Park Excellence Award presented by the Nevada Recreation & Park Society (NRPS).

The facility features the following venues:

• 24 combination trap and skeet fields with a pro shop and cafeteria
• An archery range and building with a 30-seat classroom and restrooms
• A public rifle and pistol range with a pro shop and convenience store
• A hunter education center with a 90-seat classroom with archery, rifle, pistol and shotgun ranges and a simulated hunting course
• A shotgun center with 80 spaces for recreational vehicles that will house safety officers on-site.

Marriage Licenses

Thousands of people flock to Las Vegas each year to tie the knot. If you are planning your special day, make sure you have reviewed the information available on our site provided by our Clerk's Office which covers the state requirements.

Economic Development

Clark County is the heartbeat of Southern Nevada, encompassing almost 8,000 square miles, five cities, the Las Vegas Strip, and is home to more than 2 million residents. We are a pro-business government in a tax friendly state that values excellence in service to businesses and residents.  Our permitting, inspection and licensing processes are efficient and cost effective.

Clark County is home to four gaming headquarters, making Nevada one of Fortune Magazine's “States That Dominate” meaning states that have more than 50 percent of all company headquarters in a specific industry. Nevada is one of only four states to hold such a designation.

Our Value Proposition

Our Tax Structure

• NO Corporate Income Tax
• NO Unitary, Franchise, Inventory Tax
• NO Personal Income Tax
• NO Inheritance, Estate and/or Gift Tax
• NO Chain Store Tax
• NO Nexus Tax

THE 2014 STATE BUSINESS TAX CLIMATE INDEX

Nevada Rankings:
Corporate Tax - ​​No. 1
Individual Income Tax -​ ​No. 1
Taxes on Businesses ​- ​No. 3

Overall Tax Friendly Rankings:
Nevada - No. 3 (Wyoming No.1, South Dakota No.2)
Texas - No. 11
Arizona - No. 22

Worst ranked states:
New York, New Jersey, California, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin,
North Carolina, Connecticut, Vermont and Maryland.

In 2013, Nevada is ranked 2nd in the nation for being solar friendly according to the Environment America Research and Policy Center. In 2011, the Harris Poll stated, Nevada Remains A Top Choice for Where Americans Would Most Like to Live.  Why Clark County over any other location? Diversity and Rise of the Creative Class – Richard Florida lists Las Vegas as a community whose diversity is on the rise.

Here’s what companies say:

Our business has grown steadily in Clark County in spite of this prolonged recession. In 2010, our decision to locate here was because we would be seen as a big fish in a little pond as opposed to California where we would be a little fish in the ocean.  It's all about location. Southern Nevada is an important emerging market in which to do business, especially in the technology sector. The region has an extremely low instance of natural disasters, great accessibility to high-speed Internet connections, and the dry and mild climate makes cooling efficient and inexpensive. Clark County is an up-and-coming technology center, and a natural fit for any company to seriously consider.

The UNLV National Supercomputing Center enhances Southern Nevada's U.S. business competitiveness as a primary gateway for medical, energy and scientific data flow from coast-to-coast and markets abroad. Southern Nevada is the ideal setting for this facility, considered a "safe-zone" from natural disasters and having a highly sophisticated power grid in a rapidly growing market.

Cord Blood America, Inc. relocated from Southern California to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2009 for two key reasons, transportation and tax advantage. Our business depends on airports for movement of our products and convenient access to McCarran from our facility provided us with the assurance that we needed to maintain continuity to our service offering.  As important was the tax structure and regulatory environment which were more advantageous that what we experienced in California, and factored heavily into our decision to be here.

Excellent State Incentives - Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development 
Foreign Trade Zone #89 – administered by the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance

Computer literate, expanding and cost-effective workforce - Nevada Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR) 

Accessibility:
McCarran International Airport – 8th busiest in the U.S. Interstate Highway and Railroad System 

Center of Excellence in Medicine:

• University Medical Center – Nevada’s only LEVEL I Trauma and Burn Center and only Pediatric LEVEL II Trauma Center.
• Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
• Reliable and expanding energy base - NVEnergy
• Exceptional telecommunications and technology infrastructure - Switch technology

Large Growing Education System:

• Clark County School District
• UNLV Science and Engineering
• UNLV Supercomputing Facility
• UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park

If you have questions about how to obtain a business license, renew your license or change the location of your business, you need the Business License Department.

How Do I...?

• Grow an existing business? To find helpful links that may lead you to the answers you need, visit: How Do I Grow an Existing Business.
• Start a new business? To find helpful links that may lead you to the answers you need, visit: How Do I Start a New Business.

Let us assist and make your business development needs more worry-free.​

Our 4-Step Approach:

1. Company representative is welcome to schedule a time during our open bi-weekly meeting dates to determine business needs and establish rapport.  Company owners and managers may choose to attend or send a representative. Open Meetings will be conducted the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Wickiup Room on the first floor of the Clark County Government Center at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.
2. County department staff and other invited agencies like the Clark County Water Reclamation District or Health District will direct the company to the proper agency or department to serve their needs.
3. Track the company's progress made with the department or agency.
4. Follow-up to ensure the company received direction that was beneficial and resulted in a complete satisfactory transaction.

About Clark County

Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 14th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2.2 million citizens and more than  46 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 8th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to about 952,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development. The famed Las Vegas Strip sits at the heart of Clark County featuring unparalleled attractions like dancing fountains, a replica of the renowned Eiffel Tower, an erupting volcano and some of the world's largest and most beautiful resorts. Millions of people visit annually to enjoy our fine restaurants, shop a dazzling array of stores and relax at our luxurious spas. Las Vegas boasts more than 160,000 hotel rooms and is among the world's top convention destinations. Nevada has no shortage of compelling landscapes, and Clark County is no different. Mt. Charleston and skiing are just 45 minutes away, and Red Rock National Conservation area beckons on the western fringe of the Las Vegas Valley. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, caters to boaters, swimmers, fishermen, hikers, wildlife photographers and roadside sightseers. Meanwhile, gambling is offered in the destinations of Mesquite, Primm and Laughlin, located on the sun-drenched Colorado River.

Clark County Highlights

Tourism's economic impact on Clark County for 2016 was nearly $60 billion, including $6.4 billion spent on gambling on the Las Vegas Strip, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority data. There were 161,000 hotel and motel rooms. The average visitor to Las Vegas was 47.7 years old, stayed 3.4 nights at an average daily room rate of $125.96, spending $122.66 per visit shopping, $61.95 per visit for shows. Las Vegas welcomed nearly 43 million visitors and all of Clark County saw 46.2 million visitors (including Laughlin and Mesquite). Most arrived by ground: roughly 57 percent, while nearly 43 percent arrived by plane. The average party has 2.2 adults and has a gaming budget of $578.54, spending an average of 2.9 hours per day gambling. Sixteen percent of our tourists visit from other nations, 25 percent come from Southern California and 16 percent are first-time visitors​.

Government Structure

Clark County is governed by a seven-member County Commission, elected from geographic districts on a partisan basis for staggered four-year terms. Commissioners biennially elect a chairperson who serves as the Commission's presiding officer. The Commission in turn hires a county manager, who is responsible for administrative operations. The chair is Steve Sisolak (seated in January 2009, elected chair in January 2015). The vice chair is Chris Giunchigliani (​seated in January 2007, elected vice chair January 2017). The other commissioners are Marilyn Kirkpatrick (August 2015), Larry Brown (January 2009​), Lawrence Weekly (March 2007), Susan Brager (January 2007), and Mary Beth Scow (January 2011). Yolanda King has been county manager since December 2016.

Financial Structure

Clark County employs more than 10,000 in 38 departments. It has a fiscal year general fund budget of $1.3 billion and a total budget of $6.5 billion. The County is known for its strong ending-fund balance, overall financial strength and an investment-quality credit rating. It retains the best bond ratings of any local government in the state with an “Aaa” from Moody’s Investors Service and an “AA+” from Standard & Poor’s. The County has committed to policies supporting these high standards in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Health care

Incorporated & Unincorporated Areas

As a “city” government, Clark County responds to the needs of about 952,000 residents in the urban unincorporated areas. Sahara Avenue, which crosses the Strip on the north side of the Sahara Hotel & Casino, is the municipal boundary for the City of Las Vegas. Those residing south of this line receive their traditional urban services from Clark County rather than from any of the County’s five cities: Las Vegas (pop. 640,174), Henderson (pop. 299,279), North Las Vegas (244,793), Boulder City (pop. 16,570) and Mesquite (pop. 20,325). The services provided there include all those functions normally associated with a city, such as public works, building inspections, fire protection, parks and recreation, etc. View a jurisdictional map of significant destinations such as Downtown Summerlin, the Las Vegas Convention Center and Sam Boyd Stadium within the Clark County-Las Vegas Valley area.

Your Clark County Elected Officials