A truancy officer, also known as an attendance officer, is a person employed by a public-school system to investigate the continued absences of pupils. In Nevada, truancy refers to students who are chronically absent from school with unexcused absences. Truancy applies only to unexcused absences, and any absence may be excused if the child’s teacher or principal gives the child a written approval for the absence. Truant children can be apprehended by peace officers without a warrant, and during school hours, the child can be delivered to a school officer. After hours, the child will be taken home.

In Nevada, habitual truancy is defined as a child who has been truant at least three times in a school year or truant once after having been a habitual truant in the preceding school year. Habitually truant pupils in Nevada face fines, community service, and drivers license suspensions. Parents might also face misdemeanors, including up to 6 months in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines, for failing to prevent further truancy or giving false statements concerning their child’s attendance. If a child is declared a habitual truant three or more times within one school year, they must be declared a habitual truant, and the court may send the child to a public school during all the time the public school is in session in the school district in which the child resides unless the child has graduated from high school.