Marriage License Requirements:
Per Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 122.200, “Any person who shall make a false statement in procuring a marriage license with reference to any matter required by NRS 122.040 and 122.050 to be stated under oath shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.” To view the full statute governing marriage in the State of Nevada, go to NRS 122. PLEASE NOTE: On October 9, 2014 an injunction was filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada requiring the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It also requires Nevada to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. You may view the injunction here.
Requirements for U.S. citizens and non U.S. citizens are the same.
To obtain your marriage license, both parties must appear in person before a Clerk at a Clark County Marriage Bureau location.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and no nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of half-blood, and not having a husband or wife living.
Domestic Partnership questions should be directed to the office of the Secretary of State in Carson City, Nevada at 800-992-0900 or at www.nvsos.gov
Identification to prove your name and age is required. Please be prepared. Per Nevada law, we may issue a marriage license to couples with acceptable identification. Go to acceptable identification for specific information on forms of identification.
Your Marriage License and Certificate will be prepared with your legal name exactly as it appears on the identification presented. It is your responsibility to present the proper identification to have your name reflected as you desire. For example, if you want your Marriage License and Certificate to reflect your full middle name, the identification you present must contain your full middle name – not an initial.
No blood test is required.
A marriage license allows a couple to marry in the state. It is not proof of marriage.
In the State of Nevada, marriage records are public documents.
Whoever performs your marriage ceremony has, by law, ten (10) days to submit documentation to the Clark County Recorder’s Office for your marriage to be recorded. Once recorded, you can order a certified marriage certificate online from the Recorder’s Office website.
A marriage license is issued the same day a couple applies. There is no waiting period to get married after the marriage license has been issued. Marriage licenses are good for one year from date of issue.
All U.S. citizens are required to provide their Social Security number on the Affidavit of Application for a Marriage License. You do not need to present your Social Security card. Those applicants not issued a Social Security number by the United States will enter “none” in the appropriate box.
For non U.S. citizens, some foreign countries require a copy of the marriage license and/or an apostille to register a marriage. It is suggested that non U.S. citizens check with their local officials for special documents needed to ensure their marriage is recognized in their country.
If your home government authorities require a copy of the marriage license, you may want to consider purchasing a certified copy of the Affidavit of Issuance of Marriage License when you come to the Marriage License Bureau. This document contains information not listed on the marriage certificate such as parent’s names and parent’s places of birth. Because we do not offer online ordering of documents, it is easier to purchase the affidavit when you are at the Marriage Bureau instead of waiting until you return home.
Apostilles (Authentication of Signatures) may be required to register and finalize a marriage in a foreign country. Information regarding apostilles can be found under the Licensing Center section on the website of the Nevada Secretary of State.
Fees:
Information on fees can be found under the Clerk Service bar at the left or by choosing FEES.
SAVE TIME
COMPLETE THE ON-LINE MARRIAGE PRE-APPLICATION BEFORE COMING IN TO GET YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE!
Couples using the online Pre-Application, should bring their Reference Number and required identification/documentation to an EXPRESS WINDOW at the main Marriage Bureau in Las Vegas, or to a Marriage Services Clerk at one of our outlying locations in order to obtain your marriage license. Your Pre-Application will be kept in our system for sixty (60) days.
Divorced Applicants/Widowed Applicants:
Divorced applicants are required to list the Month/Day/Year when their divorce was finalized and the city and state where the divorce was finalized. We do not need to see a copy of the divorce decree. Widowed applicants are required to list the Month/Day/Year they were widowed and the city and state. We do not need to see a copy of the death certificate.
Minor Applicants, ages 16 or 17 (not yet age 18):
Minor applicants must have consent of a parent or legal guardian. Minors will need an original or certified copy of the birth certificate which lists the name of the consenting parent (no photocopies will be accepted). Legal guardians are required to present a certified copy of the court-ordered guardianship papers (no photocopies will be accepted). A parent or guardian is required to have acceptable identification to prove they are the parent on the birth certificate or the legal guardian on the guardianship order. If a parent giving consent pursuant to subsection 5 of NRS 122.040 has a last name different from that of the minor seeking a marriage license, the county clerk shall accept, as proof that the parent is the legal parent of the minor, a certified copy of the birth certificate of the minor which lists the parent’s first and middle name and which matches the first and middle name of the parent on any document listed in subsection 2 of NRS 122.040.
If it is not possible for the parent or guardian to be present, an original, notarized Statement of Consent, in English, must be presented with the original or certified copy of the minor’s birth certificate. If the Statement of Consent is prepared by the legal guardian, a certified copy of the court-ordered guardianship papers AND the original or certified copy of the birth certificate of the minor must be presented. The notarized statement should contain the full name of the parent or legal guardian, relationship to the minor, minor’s full name, birth date, and the statement that the parent or legal guardian gives consent for the minor to marry. All documents must be in English or translated into English. A sample of the parental consent can be located here.
Minor Applicants, less than 16 years of age:
Minor applicants under the age of 16 may marry only with a Nevada Court Order authorizing the Clerk to issue the marriage license. Identification rules still apply. Please contact an attorney or you may contact the Clark County Family Law Self-Help Center at 702-455-1500 or at www.clarkcountycourts.us
Marriage Ceremonies:
The minister, religious official, or Nevada Notary Public performing the marriage ceremony MUST possess a Certificate of Authority to Solemnize Marriages issued by a County Clerk from the State of Nevada. Most churches and commercial wedding chapels use only authorized ministers or religious officials but we suggest you confirm that the minister or religious official is properly authorized. Couples may check the state-wide data base of authorized marriage officiants here. PLEASE SELECT “ALL COUNTIES” BEFORE STARTING YOUR SEARCH. If you do not find your marriage officiant’s name, please call the Marriage License Bureau office, 702-671-0580.
An out-of-state minister or religious official may obtain permission to perform a single marriage ceremony in the State of Nevada. Please see the Marriage Officiants tab under Clerk Services for information on how to apply for a Certificate of Authority to Solemnize a Single Marriage Ceremony in Nevada.
Your marriage ceremony may be performed at any wedding chapel, church, the Office of Civil Marriages or anywhere your marriage officiant is willing to perform the marriage ceremony in the State of Nevada. The expiration date of the marriage license is listed in the upper left-hand corner. Nevada marriages are legal and recognized all over the world.
WARNING: An individual going by the name of “Dr. Linda Harvey-Smith” is not authorized to perform marriages in the State of Nevada. She has performed a number of weddings in recent months and has failed to properly record the marriage certificates. This creates serious problems for the couples involved.
Important Information for Couples:
Information regarding what to do once you get your marriage license and how to order copies of your marriage records after you are married can be found here.
Rejoinders in marriage:
Per recent legislation, a husband and wife, whose record of marriage has been lost or destroyed or is otherwise unobtainable, may be issued a marriage license and rejoined in marriage. This is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and is not eligible for the Online Marriage License Pre-Application process.
Single Party Marriage Licenses:
Under special circumstances, a marriage license may be issued to a couple when only one party can come to the Marriage License Bureau.
Renewal of Vows:
This office is prohibited from issuing a new marriage license to couples who are currently married. Couples may renew their wedding vows at a church or a wedding chapel. You will need to contact those establishments to see what information is required.
Transportation:
The Marriage License Bureau is located in downtown Las Vegas approximately 3 blocks south of the Fremont Street Experience. We are approximately 6 miles north from the heart of the Las Vegas strip. The links below will give you an approximation of traveling via the Duece (bus) or taxi.
Strip & Downtown bus route information
(the closest stop is the Bonneville Transfer Station)
Solicitors:The solicitors outside the Marriage License Bureau work for commercial wedding chapels. They are not employed by nor affiliated with The Office of Civil Marriages, the Marriage License Bureau, or the County