Buying or selling a cannabis business in Reno, Nevada

The licence pool in Washoe County

Reno’s ceiling is statutory. NRS 678B.260 allows 20 adult-use retail store licences in a county of 100,000 to 699,999 people, which is Washoe. Reno shares that pool with Sparks and the unincorporated county. The allocation was made years ago, so a buyer acquires an existing licensee. State mechanics, including Board approval of the ownership change, are on the Nevada page.

What the City of Reno requires

Zoning. Reno’s Table 3-1 of allowed uses permits an adult-use retail store in the MU, MS, GC, MU-MC and ME districts. The table marks it with an asterisk, meaning the use-specific standards in 18.03.304(g)(3) apply and can trigger enhanced review. Adult-use cultivation and production are permitted in MD-ID, MU, MS, I, IC, ME and MA. A retail store may not sit on a parcel:

Rule	Standard
Other adult-use stores	Not within 2,500 feet
Licensed drug or alcohol treatment facility	Not within 500 feet
Residential zoning	Not on an adjacent parcel
Geography	Not on federal land, nor south of Mount Rose Highway or Geiger Grade
State buffers restated in the code	1,000 feet from schools, 300 feet from community facilities, 1,500 feet from nonrestricted gaming

Distances run in a straight line from the store’s front door to the nearest parcel line on the Washoe County Assessor’s records, certified by a licensed surveyor. Hours may not exceed 8 a.m. to midnight. Signage is limited to state-approved logos, with no window or temporary signs. Medical dispensaries operating before 30 April 2018 could convert in place. If one sits outside today’s permitted districts, it is legal nonconforming, a status a buyer should confirm before relying on it.

Licence. Chapter 5.22 requires a separate city business licence for each establishment type. It lets the city attach conditions on products, hours and signage, require a surety bond of at least $500,000, and set insurance minimums. The licence tax is set by the city’s adopted fee schedule rather than printed in the code. NRS 268.0977 caps a city’s cannabis licence tax at 3% of gross revenue, plus a one-time application fee.

Ownership and relocation. Under section 5.22.017, a Board-approved ownership change must be reported to the license division within 30 days, with the Board’s written approval and a city change application. Relocating requires a City Council public hearing, a zoning verification letter and a surveyor’s report (5.22.025).

What unincorporated Washoe County requires

Outside Reno and Sparks, Washoe County Code chapter 25 applies. Section 25.720 sets 1,000 feet from schools and 300 feet from community facilities, measured from the front door, and bans outdoor cultivation. The county’s Table 110.302.05.3 allows retail stores in the GC, NC, TC and I districts. Cultivation, manufacturing, testing and distribution are limited to GC and I.

The county licence is quarterly and priced by the board’s master fee schedule. Under section 25.748 it may not be transferred to another person. Ownership changes must be disclosed at renewal with proof of Board approval, and a new address needs board approval first. Neither Reno’s nor Washoe’s chapter contains a social equity provision.

Market size and shape

Washoe reported $105.8 million of taxable sales in fiscal 2025, against $567.6 million in Clark County. Demand is mostly resident and steadier than on the Strip. Northern California’s legal market means no cross-border inflow. The Reno-Sparks industrial corridor gives cultivation a cost advantage. Reno’s 2,500-foot spacing rule protects an existing store’s trade area inside city limits. No state-licensed lounge was open in northern Nevada as of April 2026, per The Nevada Independent; see consumption lounges.

Practical points

• Confirm the jurisdiction, the zoning district and any licence conditions from the parcel record. Reno, Sparks and Washoe County run separate files; see local control and municipal approvals.
• Check what sits within 2,500 feet of a Reno store. The spacing rule is part of what the buyer is paying for.
• Test trailing revenue against Metrc and tax filings, as in verifying revenue with track-and-trace data.
• Stay out of operations until the Board approves. Its April 2024 notice sets the standard on management agreements. A 20-minute intro call can cover whether a northern Nevada target fits.

This page is educational and is not legal or tax advice.