If you want to give paid psychic readings in the Las Vegas area — tarot, astrology, palmistry, mediumship, or any form of fortunetelling — you'll need a Psychic Arts license. It's the local business license that legally allows you to charge for readings in Clark County and the cities around it, and it's a good deal more involved than the standard license most small businesses pull.
That's because the Psychic Arts license is a regulated (sometimes called "privileged") license. Instead of a simple form and a fee, it triggers a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) background investigation, fingerprinting, notarized suitability paperwork, and a zoning and use-permit step — and the whole thing has to be done in the right jurisdiction, with the right packet, in the right order.
This guide breaks down exactly what a Psychic Arts license is, who needs one, which office issues it, what it costs, and how to get through the process without having your application bounced back.
In Southern Nevada, "psychic arts" is a broad licensing category. Under the Clark County and City of Las Vegas codes, it covers anyone who practices — or professes to practice — astrology, spiritualism, seership, psychic art or science, palmistry, phrenology, life reading, fortunetelling, cartomancy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, crystal gazing, hypnotism, mediumship, prophecy, augury, divination, or necromancy. (For the record, it files under NAICS code 812990.)
The trigger isn't the label you use — it's whether you take money. If you carry on the practice and demand or receive a fee for it, directly or indirectly, the license applies. The code is written broadly enough that it captures payment taken as a "gift" or "donation," and it applies whether readings are your whole business or a sideline to something else, like a spa, a metaphysical shop, or a salon.
One important distinction: if you only read as an entertainer at special events — a party, a corporate event, a festival booth — and aren't running paid private sessions out of a business location, the full Psychic Arts license may not be required, and there's a separate temporary/convention path (more on that below). But the moment you're charging for private readings at a fixed address, you're in regulated-license territory.
There is no single statewide psychic license in Nevada. Licensing happens at the city or county level, and the Las Vegas Valley is split among six licensing jurisdictions: unincorporated Clark County, the City of Las Vegas, the City of Henderson, the City of North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and the City of Mesquite.
You apply where your business is physically located. A reader operating out of a storefront on the east side of town might fall under unincorporated Clark County; the same business a few blocks away could be inside City of Las Vegas limits — and the two have separate applications, contacts, and fees. If you're based in one city but travel into the County to do business, you may need a Clark County license in addition to your city license.
This guide focuses on the two most common jurisdictions — the City of Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County — but the structure is similar across the valley. If you're not sure which jurisdiction your address falls in, that's the first thing to confirm before you file anything.
The Psychic Arts license pulls together several requirements that have to be satisfied at the same time. Here's what to expect.
Before any local licensing, you need a registered business entity in Nevada — an LLC, corporation, or sole proprietorship — and a Nevada State Business License from the Secretary of State. The state license runs $200 per year for most entities and sole proprietors (corporations pay $500). You'll also want your federal EIN and, if you're operating under a trade name, a fictitious firm name filing.
This is the step that makes a Psychic Arts license different from an ordinary one. As a regulated license, every owner or principal has to clear a suitability investigation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. In practice, that means:
LVMPD then investigates each principal's character and reputation, criminal history, and any pending litigation. Felony convictions and certain other issues can affect eligibility, so this is the part of the process that most often determines both whether you're approved and how long it takes.
A Psychic Arts license can only be issued for a location zoned for professional office or commercial/industrial use — not a home. On top of that, Clark County requires a special use permit from its Department of Comprehensive Planning, and the commercial address generally has to be inspected and approved for the use. Confirming zoning and securing that use permit is its own mini-process, and it's worth handling early. (Clark County's planning and zoning line is (702) 455-4314.)
In the City of Las Vegas, psychic arts applications are taken by appointment only, Monday through Thursday — you book through the Business Licensing office at (702) 229-1840. The packet includes the application, ownership documents, a suitability package for each principal, and a Responsible Party Acknowledgement form, with an optional temporary-license request. Show up more than 15 minutes late or with an incomplete packet, and the appointment is cancelled.
In unincorporated Clark County, you'll complete the regulated business license packet — the regulated checklist, the Clark County business license application, and a temporary license request form — along with the LVMPD personal history form, the two notarized authorization forms per owner, and a business supplemental questionnaire.
The psychic arts category carries a few quirks written into the code that surprise nearly everyone the first time through:
Costs vary by jurisdiction and by your business setup, but here's a realistic breakdown:
All in, most applicants should budget up to around $700 in licensing and processing fees to get started — plus the use permit and any costs tied to your commercial location — with annual renewals after that. Just as important as the money is the timeline: because everything waits on the LVMPD background check, it's realistic to budget up to six months from start to approved license, though it can move faster if your investigation clears quickly.
Fees and requirements change and differ by jurisdiction, so always confirm the current numbers with the issuing city or county — or have a consultant verify them for your specific address.
Treating it like a standard business license. This is a regulated license. The background investigation alone can add weeks or months, and you can't shortcut it.
Incomplete suitability paperwork. Missing tax years, unsigned or un-notarized authorization forms, and gaps in the personal history form are the most common reasons a packet gets returned.
Skipping the zoning step — or picking the wrong address. A residential address won't qualify, and forgetting the special use permit stalls everything.
Ignoring the appointment-only rule. Walking in, arriving late, or showing up with an incomplete packet in the City of Las Vegas means starting over.
Filing in the wrong jurisdiction. Confirm whether your location is City of Las Vegas, unincorporated Clark County, or another city first — and check whether you need both a city and a county license.
Assuming "donations only" is exempt. The code captures fees taken as gifts or donations, too.
The Psychic Arts license sits at the intersection of business formation, local regulated licensing, LVMPD suitability paperwork, and zoning — and any one of those can derail a first-time applicant. At Silent G Consulting, we handle the entire process end to end: forming your Nevada entity, securing your state and city or county business license, preparing the regulated packet and the LVMPD personal-history and authorization forms, and coordinating the zoning and use-permit step — then following through with the city or county until your license is issued.
We've helped readers, spiritual and metaphysical shops, and event practitioners across the Las Vegas Valley get licensed without the back-and-forth that comes from incomplete applications or a missed requirement.
If you're ready to get your Psychic Arts license in Las Vegas, call Silent G Consulting at (702) 587-5652 or schedule a consultation to get started.
Let's Talk About Your Psychic Arts License. Call Now: (702) 587-5652.
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