Laser-ablated gold reacts with nitric oxide in excess argon and neon, yielding the neutral nitrosyl complexes AuNO and Au(NO)(2) as the main products. The N-O and Au-N stretching modes of AuNO are observed at 1701.9 and 517.6 cm(-1) in solid argon and at 1710.4 and 523.8 cm(-1) in solid neon. Both BPW91 and B3LYP density functionals predict (1)A' state frequencies in very good agreement. An NBO analysis suggests more d orbital involvement in the bonding in AuNO than in the copper and silver nitrosyls. The dinitrosyl Au(NO)(2) is observed at 1510.7 and 3183.2 cm(-1) in solid argon and at 1528.2 and 3204.1 cm(-1) in solid neon, which are in good agreement with DFT quartet state fundamental and combination frequencies: Au(NO)(2) shows evidence for increased charge transfer and sd hybridization compared to AuNO. The cation nitrosyls An(NO)(1.2)(+) are minor products.