Transfers & Finding Someone in Nevada (NDOC)
How Nevada intake works, how to find where someone is held with the NDOC inmate search, and how classification, transfers, and facility closures change a person's location.
Finding where a person is held in Nevada starts with the NDOC inmate search, which lists the current institution for people in Nevada Department of Corrections custody. Where a person is held is set by intake processing, then classification and any later transfers, so the listed institution can change over time.
Intake and reception
A newly committed person enters NDOC through an intake (reception) center, where the department assigns an NDOC number and completes classification before the person is assigned to a long-term institution.
- Men are processed at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs (southern Nevada) or the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City (northern Nevada).
- Women are processed at the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center in North Las Vegas.
The intake institution is frequently not the person’s long-term assignment. After classification, a person may be transferred to another institution based on custody level, programming, and bed space.
How to find someone
The NDOC inmate search (Offender Search) locates people in Nevada Department of Corrections custody. Search by name or by NDOC number; the NDOC number returns the most precise result, particularly for common names. The record lists the person’s current institution.
The search covers NDOC custody only. It does not include people held in county jails (such as the Clark County Detention Center or Washoe County), people in federal custody, or people held in other states.
Why a location changes
The institution shown at intake is often temporary. A person’s location changes for several reasons:
- Classification. After intake, NDOC assigns a custody level and an institution that matches it; a change in custody level can prompt a transfer.
- Transfers. People are moved between institutions for programming, medical or mental-health needs, bed space, or security reasons.
- Facility changes. Nevada’s institution roster changes over time. The minimum-custody conservation camps and transitional housing are a separate tier, and the set of open facilities shifts: the former Warm Springs Correctional Center has been closed since 2022, and two conservation camps — Carlin and Jean — are set to close in July 2026, which moves the people held there to other facilities.
Because of these moves, the institution on a months-old record may no longer be current. The NDOC inmate search reflects the current assignment.
County jails are separate
County jails — including the Clark County Detention Center and Washoe County — are run by county sheriffs, hold people who are awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences, and are not part of NDOC. People in county custody do not appear in the NDOC inmate search; each county runs its own inmate-locator system.
Verify Before Acting
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.