Nevada’s 40-year-old parental notification for abortion law now in effect

By Brittany Sheehan  

Nevada News and Views

Picture this: your 14-year-old daughter needs surgery. The doctor has to call you first, right? Well, in Nevada, that wasn’t the case if the surgery was an abortion. Until now.

After four decades of legal battles, Nevada’s 1985 parental notification law is finally in effect as of Tuesday, July 23, 2025. The law requires doctors to notify parents before performing an abortion on a minor. It’s common sense stuff that most Americans already thought was the law everywhere.

What Took So Long?

This story starts back in 1985. Nevada passed Senate Bill 510, requiring parental notification for minors seeking abortions. But before the ink was even dry, Planned Parenthood and a Reno doctor filed a lawsuit to stop it.

The law got stuck in court for 40 years. Think about that. An entire generation of Nevada kids grew up without their parents knowing about major medical decisions. Federal courts kept the law blocked because it supposedly violated Roe v. Wade.

Then came 2022. The Supreme Court overturned Roe in the Dobbs decision. District attorneys Jason D. Woodbury from Carson City and Stephen B. Rye from Lyon County, along with others from Storey and Douglas counties, filed a lawsuit in December 2023 asking for the old injunction to be lifted. They argued that without Roe, there was no reason to keep blocking Nevada’s parental notification law.

U.S. District Court Judge Anne Traum ruled earlier this year that the law would take effect. The judge said the Dobbs decision meant the injunction blocking the law was no longer legally sound. As of July 23, 2025, the law is now active for the first time since it was passed 40 years ago.

Melissa Clement from Nevada Right to Life was thrilled.

“So incredibly ecstatic about this news! We won in federal court and the 9th Circuit. Now Planned Parenthood is running to state court to try and make sure abusers, sex traffickers and abortionists don’t lose their profits and power. #ParentsShouldBeInvolved,” Clement said on social media.

She also emphasized the family aspect: “When a child is facing an unplanned pregnancy, she needs support and love from those who know her best,”

She pointed out something troubling: “As it stands now, girls as young as 10 years old can get an abortion without a parent knowing, making a life-changing medical decision.”

Why This Matters to Conservatives

This isn’t just about abortion. It’s about who gets to raise our kids. As James Bopp Jr., a lawyer for the district attorneys, put it: “That protects minors, and it protects the rights of parents to raise their children, so there are very important interests at stake.”

Think about it this way. Schools need permission slips for field trips. But until now, abortion clinics in Nevada could perform surgery on kids without telling mom and dad. That’s backwards.

Currently, 36 states require some form of parental notification for a physician to perform an abortion on a minor. Nevada was behind the curve. Now it’s catching up to what most Americans consider basic common sense.

What the Opposition Says

Of course, Planned Parenthood isn’t happy. They filed a new lawsuit in Clark County District Court trying to block the law. They argue the law will “delay abortion access for patients” and create “increased medical risks”.

Lindsey Harmon from Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada said “parental notification requirements routinely do more harm than good”. She claims medical groups oppose these laws because they delay healthcare.

But conservatives see this differently. A little delay for a life-changing decision isn’t necessarily bad. It gives families time to talk, support each other, and make informed choices together.

The Numbers Tell a Story

The data shows this affects a small but important group. In 2022, patients under 19 made up about 8.5 percent of reported abortion procedures in Nevada. Adolescents younger than 15 made up 0.2 percent of abortions and teens aged 15 to 19 made up 8.6 percent.

These aren’t huge numbers. But every one represents a family that should be involved in major medical decisions affecting their child.

The Current Battle

The law is now in effect, but the fight continues. Planned Parenthood filed a new lawsuit Monday in Clark County District Court, trying to halt the law’s implementation. They argue the law creates a “hazy, inadequate” process for minors to get court approval without telling parents.

Planned Parenthood’s attorneys wrote that: “absent injunctive relief from [the district court, the law] imminently will become effective and enforceable for the first time in more than four decades.”

But as of Tuesday, the law is active and doctors must notify parents.

What Conservatives Can Do

First, celebrate this victory. After 40 years, parental notification is finally the law in Nevada.

Second, stay informed about the new court challenge. Planned Parenthood is trying to stop the law again, so this fight could continue.

Third, support the district attorneys who made this happen. They showed that persistence pays off. Even laws blocked for decades can come back when the legal landscape changes.

Fourth, get involved in 2026 when Nevada votes again on the constitutional amendment. The outcome could affect not just abortion access but parental rights too.

Finally, use this victory as a model for other states. Nevada proves that conservative principles can win, even in purple states, when the right legal moment comes.

This fight shows that conservative principles — like parental rights and family involvement in major decisions — still have strong support in America. It just takes persistence and the right legal moment to make progress.

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Brittany Sheehan is a Las Vegas-based mother, policy advocate and grassroots leader. She is active in local politics, successful in campaign work and passionate about liberty.