Nevada Dusts Off Old Law

Decides Parents Ought to Know What Their Kids Are Up To

After gathering dust on the legal shelf for nearly four decades, Nevada’s long-ignored parental notification law is finally making its debut, much to the satisfaction of some and the dismay of others. Starting April 30, doctors in the Silver State will have to let parents know before performing an abortion on a minor unless a judge grants an exception.

This turn of events follows a federal judge’s decision to lift an injunction that had kept the law locked away since 1985, back when shoulder pads were stylish–and folks still thought Roe v. Wade was a settled matter. U.S. District Judge Anne Traum, appointed by President Joe Biden, ruled that the legal basis for blocking the law vanished when the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022.

The law, mothballed for so long that many Nevadans likely forgot it existed, requires physicians to notify a parent before proceeding. Planned Parenthood of Washoe County successfully argued against this issue in the 1980s, and the courts agreed—until now. In December, district attorneys from several Nevada counties decided it was time to revisit the subject, and the judge ultimately sided with them.

Nevada is now joining 36 other states that require some form of parental notification for minors seeking abortions. Critics warn of burdens on young women, while supporters hail it as a victory for parental rights and common sense. Meanwhile, Nevada voters recently backed an effort to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, though that effort won’t get done unless approved again in 2026.

For now, the Attorney General’s office remains tight-lipped, and if an appeal gets filed, the case will head to the famously unpredictable Ninth Circuit.

But come April 30–Nevada parents will be more informed about their children—whether their kids like it–or not.