State symbols are things or ideas that represent what is valued or important to the citizens of that state. Many states have chosen a state flower, state colors, state song, and some have even chosen a state dog! Click on the name of each state symbol below to learn more about each of Nevada’s state symbols. In each description, you will find the actual NRS (Nevada Revised Statute) that made each item officially a state symbol for Nevada.

State Flag
Nevada has had four different flags in its history. The fourth and current flag was adopted in 1991. State Senator Bill Raggio introduced Senate Bill 396 of the 66th Session to change the previous flag statute. The change put “Nevada” below the star and above the sagebrush in a semicircular pattern that was easier to read than on the previous flag. The flag amendment also chose specific colors for the flag, the type of material, and printing method used when making the flag.
NRS 235.020 State flag. The official flag of the State of Nevada is hereby created. The body of the flag must be of solid cobalt blue. On the field in the upper left quarter thereof must be two sprays of Sagebrush with the stems crossed at the bottom to form a half wreath. Within the sprays must be a five-pointed silver star with one point up. The word “Nevada” must also be inscribed below the star and above the sprays, in a semicircular pattern with the letters spaced apart in equal increments, in the same style of letters as the words “Battle Born.” Above the wreath, and touching the tips thereof, must be a scroll bearing the words “Battle Born.” The scroll and the word “Nevada” must be golden-yellow. The lettering on the scroll must be black-colored sans serif gothic capital letters.

State Colors-Silver and Blue
Nevada has two official state colors, silver and blue. In 1983, Governor Richard Bryan signed into law the bill that officially designated silver and blue as Nevada’s state colors. The reason silver was chosen as one of the state’s colors was because the mineral, silver, has played an important role in Nevada’s history. Nevada is even known as “the Silver State.” Blue was selected to represent the cobalt blue of the state’s flag.
NRS 235.025 State colors. The colors silver and blue are hereby designated as the official state colors of the State of Nevada.

State Song- “Home Means Nevada”
The song “Home Means Nevada” was written by Mrs. Bertha Raffetto in 1932 and became the official state song in 1933.
NRS 235.030 State song. The song entitled “Home Means Nevada,” written by Mrs. Bertha Raffetto, of Reno, Nevada, is hereby adopted and declared to be the official state song of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Ed Kleiner at comstockseed.com
State Flower-Sagebrush
Sagebrush can be found all over the state of Nevada and plays an important role in the ecosystem. Many animals use sagebrush as a food source and as shelter. The Native peoples of Nevada used sagebrush for medicinal purposes.
NRS 235.050 State flower. The shrub known as Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata or trifida) is hereby designated as the official state flower of the State of Nevada.
State trees-Single-Leaf Pinon and the Bristlecone Pine
Nevada has two official state trees. The single-leaf pinon was named as the official state tree in 1953. The bristlecone pine became the second official state tree in 1987. Bristlecone pine trees are known for being some of the oldest living things on earth. Some of these trees are thought to be around 5,000 years old.
NRS 235.040 State trees. The trees known as the Single-Leaf Pinon (Pinus monophylla) and the Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) are hereby designated as the official state trees of the State of Nevada.
Image credit: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
State Grass-Indian Ricegrass
Indian ricegrass became Nevada’s official state grass in 1977. This grass can be found throughout the state and acts as a food source for wildlife and livestock.
NRS 235.055 State grass. The grass known as Indian Ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides) is hereby designated as the official state grass of the State of Nevada.
Image credit: Nigel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
State Bird-Mountain Bluebird
The mountain bluebird became Nevada’s official state bird in 1967.
NRS 235.060 State bird. The bird known as the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is hereby designated as the official state bird of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Steve Berardi, https://www.flickr.com/photos/steveberardi/36363174866, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/, cropped from original
State Insect-Vivid Dancer Damselfly
In 2009, a fourth-grade class from John R. Beatty Elementary School in Las Vegas won a contest to name Nevada’s official state insect. The students decided on the vivid dancer damselfly partially because of its blue and silver coloring, which mirrors the state’s official colors.
NRS 235.062 State insect. The insect known as the Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida) is hereby designated as the official state insect of the State of Nevada.

Image Credit: National Parks Service/Daniel Elsbrock
State Reptile-Desert Tortoise
The desert tortoise was named the state reptile in 1989. This reptile can be found in the southern part of the state in the Mojave Desert. The desert tortoise can live for over 70 years and is currently listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
NRS 235.065 State reptile. The reptile known as the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is hereby designated as the official state reptile of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: National Parks Service
State Animal-The Desert Bighorn Sheep
The desert bighorn sheep was named the official state animal of Nevada in 1973.
NRS 235.070 State animal. The animal known as the Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) is hereby designated as the official state animal of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Nevada Department of Wildlife
State Fish-Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
The Lahontan cutthroat trout became Nevada’s official state fish in 1981. It has been designated as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Lahontan cutthroat trout is the largest variety of inland cutthroat trout in the world.
NRS 235.075 State fish. The fish known as the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Salmo clarki henshawi) is hereby designated as the official state fish of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Kordula Vahle via Pixabay
State Fossil-Ichthyosaur
The official state fossil of Nevada is the fossil of the ichthyosaur. It was first designated as the state fossil in 1977 and was later amended in 1989 to be more specifically stated that the state fossil were those of the Shonisaurus popularis.
NRS 235.080 State fossil. The prehistoric marine reptile known as the Ichthyosaur (genus Shonisaurus), now extinct, is hereby designated as the official state fossil of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
State Metal-Silver
Silver was designated as the official state metal in 1977. Silver has been a big part of Nevada’s history, and the state’s nickname is even “The Silver State.” In 1859, the discovery of the richest silver deposit in American history brought thousands of miners to Virginia City, Nevada. It was largely due to the population growth at this time that Nevada first became a territory in 1861.
NRS 235.090 State metal. The metallic element known as silver (Ag) is hereby designated as the official state metal of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Nevada State Assembly staff
State Precious Gemstone-Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal
The Virgin Valley black fire opal was named Nevada’s state precious gemstone in 1987. Nevada is one of the only places in the world where this particular gemstone can be found.
NRS 235.100 State precious gemstone. The precious gemstone known as the Virgin Valley black fire opal is hereby designated as the official state precious gemstone of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: pasja1000 via Pixabay
State Semiprecious Gemstone- Nevada Turquoise
Turquoise was named Nevada’s state semiprecious gemstone in 1977. Nevada turquoise is found in many areas of the state and is sometimes referred to as “the jewel of the desert.”
NRS 235.110 State semiprecious gemstone. The semiprecious gemstone known as Nevada turquoise is hereby designated as the official state semiprecious gemstone of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. Photo by Chip Clark, Smithsonian
State Soil-Orovada Series
Orovada series became Nevada’s state soil in 2001.
NRS 235.115 State soil. The soil series known as Orovada series, classified as coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocambids, is hereby designated as the official state soil of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Norman Bosworth via Pixabay
State Rock-Sandstone
Sandstone became the official state rock of Nevada in 1987. This rock is found throughout the state of Nevada. The historic Capitol Building as well as the former U.S. Mint Building (now home to the Nevada State Museum) in Carson City are made of sandstone.
NRS 235.120 State rock. The rock known as sandstone is hereby designated as the official state rock of the State of Nevada.

State Tartan
A tartan is a patterned piece of cloth with lines and patterns criss-crossing over each other both horizontally and vertically. The design of a tartan is usually associated with a Scottish Clan. Every April 6, Nevada celebrates Tartan Day to recognize the contributions that Scots and Scots-Americans have made to the United States.
NRS 235.130 State Tartan. The tartan designed by Richard Zygmunt Pawlowski and further described in this section is hereby designated as the official state tartan of the State of Nevada. The colors and design of the tartan represent the following features that make Nevada a unique and bountiful state:
(a) Blue represents one of the state colors of Nevada, the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe and the Mountain Bluebird, the official state bird;
(b) Silver represents the other state color, the official state mineral, the granite composition of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and the silver country of northern Nevada;
(c) Red represents the Virgin Valley black fire opal, the official state precious gemstone, and the red rock formations of southern Nevada;
(d) Yellow represents Sagebrush, the official state flower, and symbolizes the Great Basin Region of central Nevada;
(e) White represents the name of this state meaning snow-covered, which is the translation of the Spanish word “nevada”;
(f) The crossing of the yellow and red stripes represents the different colors of Nevada sandstone, the official state rock;
(g) The white intersection on the silver field stands for the snow-capped peaks of granite mountains, which make up the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range;
(h) The four blue lines represent the four main rivers of Nevada which are the Colorado River, Truckee River, Humboldt River and Walker River;
(i) The intersecting blue lines in the silver field represent the Colorado River as it meets Hoover Dam and creates Lake Mead;
(j) The small solid “boxes” of silver and blue number 8 by 8, or 64, to signify the year (1864) that Nevada was admitted into statehood;
(k) The 13 solid-colored intersections of the small stripes represent Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada, which stands at an elevation of 13,143 feet; and
(l) The 16 solid silver intersections and the solid white intersection in the center of the tartan represent the 16 counties and the one consolidated city-county government of Nevada.

Image credit: Drew Jacksich from San Jose, California, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
State Locomotive-Engine No. 40
Engine No. 40 of the Nevada Northern Railway became Nevada’s official state locomotive in 2009. Engine No. 40 was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1910 and was retired in 1941.
NRS 235.135 State locomotives. The steam locomotive of the Nevada Northern Railway known as Engine No. 40, built in 1910, is hereby designated as an official state locomotive of the State of Nevada.

Image credit: Nevada State Assembly staff
State Element-Neon
Neon was named Nevada’s official state element in 2019. Nevada became the first state in the nation to approve an official state element.
NRS 235.140 State element. The chemical element known as neon is hereby designated as the official state element of the State of Nevada.