Freelancers and self-employed workers in Nevada have no safety net. No payment protections, no legal backup, no recourse when a client disappears without paying. Nevada is a great place to work for yourself — until a client refuses to pay, and you have no affordable way to make them.

The state has more than 77,000 self-employed workers, a number expected to increase to nearly 90,000 by 2030. Las Vegas alone has more than 60,000 freelancers, earning over $3 billion annually. 

These individuals drive Nevada’s economy in tech, media, film, entertainment and creative industries. But unlike California, New York, and a growing number of cities and states, Nevada law offers no protections to freelancers and the self-employed. 

The gig economy isn’t going anywhere. Nevada can either step up or keep leaving tens of thousands of workers without protection.

Freelancers in Nevada technically have the right to sue for nonpayment — but let’s be honest, that’s not a real solution. Lawsuits take time, money and resources that most independent workers living paycheck to paycheck don’t have. A missed invoice could mean rent goes unpaid or bills pile up, yet the only legal option is hiring a lawyer and hoping to recover what’s owed — if the client even has the money to pay.

I know this firsthand. Right now, I have an outstanding invoice that’s more than 90 days past due, and I have no real recourse except chasing the client and hoping they do the right thing. This isn’t the first time, and I’m not alone. Ask any freelancer and self-employed business owner and they’ll tell you this happens all the time. And in Nevada, there’s no safety net when it does.

California recognized this problem and did something about it. The Freelance Worker Protection Act requires written contracts, sets a firm 30-day payment deadline and allows freelancers to file claims without hiring a lawyer. If a company refuses to pay, the state can step in and enforce penalties — something Nevada currently doesn’t offer.

Nevada already protects traditional employees from wage theft, ensuring they get paid what they’ve earned. Why should freelancers be any different?

Nevada freelancers don’t have to sit back and hope lawmakers suddenly decide to protect us. Change doesn’t happen because politicians feel generous — it happens when workers demand it.

That’s exactly what freelancers have done in other states, and they’ve won. The Freelancers Union has helped pass Freelance Isn’t Free laws in New York City, New York state, Illinois, Seattle, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, giving freelancers the protections Nevada refuses to offer:

• Guarantee payment deadlines so freelancers don’t have to wait months to get what they’re owed.
• Require written contracts so clients can’t change terms after the work is done.
• Create legal enforcement so freelancers don’t have to spend thousands on a lawyer just to get paid.

Imagine a Nevada Freelance Isn’t Free law — one that ensures when work is done, payment follows. A law that punishes wage theft for all of Nevada’s workers, not just traditional employees. A law that acknowledges freelancers are a crucial part of Nevada’s economy, not disposable labor.

Currently, there are no efforts happening in Nevada to protect freelancers beyond existing protections under contract law. However, freelancers can join the Freelancers Union at no cost.

The Freelancers Union has the playbook. They’ve done this before, state after state, city after city. If enough Nevada freelancers organize, we can push lawmakers to act.

No one is coming to save freelancers and self-employed workers. If Nevada’s independent workers want change, we need to demand it. The more we organize, the harder we are to ignore. 

The freelance workforce isn’t a side story. Every year, more Nevadans choose to work for themselves, and businesses increasingly rely on independent talent. The state can either embrace this shift by offering freelancers the same bare minimum protections employees have, or it can continue ignoring reality and watch as workers leave for places that treat them better.

Freelancers aren’t asking for favors or handouts. We’re asking for the right to do business without being exploited. A strong freelance economy means a stronger Nevada — one where creative professionals, tech specialists and gig workers can thrive without fear of being cheated out of their wages.

Bryan Driscoll is a Las Vegas-based freelancer and a member of the Freelancers Union.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].