Changes occur at the Churchill County Sheriff’s office

Churchill County Sheriff Rich Hickox said licenses and permits issued by state or by local jurisdictions that are set to expire during this state of emergency have been extended 90 days either from their current expiration date or 90 days after the state of emergency is lifted, whichever is later.

He also said any person whose annual business license renewal fee is due during the declaration of emergency will have a 60-day grace period after the end of the state of emergency to file, renew and pay dues. Penalties on these licenses will not accrue for late payment.

With this order eliminating the immediate and pressing need, he said the CCSO has decided to take the following actions to try and ensure the safety and reduce the possibility of one staff member or residents becoming exposed to COVID-19.

“The safety of the members of the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office as well as the public we serve and protect is extremely important to me as your sheriff,” Hickox said. “The last few weeks dealing with this Covid-19 pandemic have forced all of us around the world to face realities and deal with problems we never imagined in an effort to stay safe and curb the spread of this virus.”

Effective on Monday, the doors to the front lobby will remain locked. Hickox said the closure will only affect the Civil Division and all other functions of the sheriff’s office will continue to operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

“If you come to the sheriff’s office to report a crime or need assistance, there is a phone located just inside the first set of doors that will be available to contact our dispatch center,” he said.

According to Hickox, a member of the staff is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except noon to 1 p.m. to answer questions about licenses or civil process paperwork. Residents can also call 775-423-8083 to ask questions.

Concealed firearms permits

With the Declaration of Emergency to facilitate the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic issued by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on March 12, 2020, and the subsequent emergency directives issued as well, many Nevada sheriff’s offices including Churchill County have reduced their daily operations to only essential functions.

In an effort to avoid unnecessary person to person contact and to help stop the spread of COVID-19, administrative functions such as fingerprinting have been suspended which are a necessary part of the investigation for a permit or permit renewal under Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 202.366 and 202.3677.

The sheriffs of Nevada recognize that there are concealed firearm permit holders whose valid permits will expire pursuant to NRS 202.366.4 during this time of declared emergency and who have no way of renewing their valid permit until the issuing Sheriff’s Office can again conduct the investigation. There has been no emergency legislation or directive to remedy this circumstance. As such, the sheriffs of Nevada agree that an extension for those affected concealed firearm permits is warranted and is as follows:
• Any Nevada concealed firearm permit that expires on or after March 12, 2020, will be valid until July 15, 2020.
• This is not a rolling 120 days but rather a block of time to allow for the emergency to end and sheriff’s offices to resume administrative functions to complete the required investigation per NRS 202.366.
• An extension of the emergency will necessitate re-evaluation of this sheriff’s agreement.
The 17 elected sheriffs of Nevada have been queried this date and agree to this extension for the benefit of the citizens they serve. They are requesting that any law enforcement personnel in Nevada and in states who recognize Nevada permits honor this extension as outlined above.

“We are continuing to process the Concealed Carry Permits that have already been submitted to our office,” Hickox said. “If you have already applied for a Concealed Carry permit, we will be contacting you and setting up an appointment for you to come in and pick it up.”

Because of the COVID pandemic, he said the CCSO will not be accepting new CCW applications at this time.

“We will however continuously monitor these conditions and will begin accepting applications as soon as it is safe to do so,” he added.