Marriage License

• 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.  

• Requirements for U.S. citizens and non U.S. citizens are the same, regardless of gender. 

• 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.

• Nevada marriage licenses are only valid within the State of Nevada. Marriage ceremonies must be conducted within Nevada's borders and may not be conducted within another state or country. It is recommended that ceremonies conducted in the air or water be restated, with witness, once back on Nevada soil.

• Domestic Partnership questions should be directed to the office of the Nevada Secretary of State at 702-486-2887. You may view program information and forms online at www.nvsos.gov.

• Identification to prove your name and age is required. Please be prepared. Per Nevada law, we may only 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 them to reflect your full middle name, the identification you present must contain your full middle name - not an initial or abbreviation.

• 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. Nevada does not issue confidential marriage records.

• Nevada does not have a waiting period to marry.  Couples may marry immediately after obtaining their marriage license.it is good for one (1) year from date of issue. 

All U.S. citizens are required to provide their Social Security Number (SSN) on the Affidavit of Application for a Marriage License. You do not need to present your Social Security Card.  Applicants not issued a Social Security Number by the United States will leave the appropriate field of the application blank.  

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. Marriage License copies may be ordered online. When the site comes up, select "Get a copy of my marriage license".

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.

The cost to obtain a Marriage License is $77.  To review acceptable forms of payment and other related information, visit our Fees page.

Whoever performs your marriage ceremony has, by law, ten (10) calendar days from the date of the ceremony to file the Marriage Certificate with our office.  Once filed, you can order a certified Marriage Certificate (legal proof of marriage) online from our Online Ordering website.  Please note, if you receive a call after your ceremony by anyone soliciting the sale of your Marriage Certificate, be aware that it is not our office.  We charge $20 per certified copy.

NOTE: Couples may now designate a new middle and/or last name to be used on their Marriage Certificate.  This does NOT constitute a legal name change.  Legal name changes must be carried out according to the laws of your state and/or country.  For more information on name options and how to change your name if you reside in the United States, please view our Name Change Infographic.

• Our online and in-office application system is only available in English.  We do not provide translation services.

• Couple's names must appear exactly as reflected on the identification and documents presented at our office when you come in to obtain your Marriage License.

• While certain punctuation such as spaces and hyphens are accepted when typing in information, special characters and other punctuation may not be accepted.

• If you are a U.S. citizen and have been issued a Social Security Number, you must provide it.  If you have not been provided a U.S. Social Security Number, leave this field blank.

• In the Previous Marital Information section, selecting "NEVER MARRIED" will automatically set the "Number of this marriage" value to 1 and disable the rest of this section.  If your status is anything else, the "Number of this marriage" value must be the total number of times that you have been previously married (including annulments) plus 1 for this marriage.  For example, if you were married once before, you would enter 2.

• If the exact date of divorce or annulment is not known, month and year will be sufficient.

• In the Parents' Information section, "Parent 1 Last (Maiden) Name" and "Parent 2 Last (Maiden) Name" must be the last name at birth of the each parent - not their current or married last name.

• The acknowledgment statements pertaining to "UNKNOWN" information must be clicked in both applicants, whether or not there is unknown information in the application. You must check these boxes in order to submit the application.

• If you notice a spelling error in a box after you submit your application, the Marriage Bureau clerks can correct any information before you sign for your license.

• The application is saved in our system for one (1) year from the date of submission.

WE ENCOURAGE ALL COUPLES TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE APPLICATION BEFORE COMING TO THE MARRIAGE BUREAU TO OBTAIN A MARRIAGE LICENSE!!

Click here to complete a Marriage License Application now!

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 unless it grants you the ability to use a new legal name. 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 17 (Not Yet Age 18)
Only under extraordinary circumstances, a district court may authorize the marriage of a minor who is 17 years of age if the court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, after an evidentiary hearing in which both parties to the prospective marriage provide sworn testimony, that: a) both parties to the prospective marriage are residents of the State of Nevada; b) the marriage will serve the best interests of the minor; and c) the minor has the consent of a parent or legal guardian.  

In determining the best interests of the minor, the court will consider, without limitation: a) the difference in age between the parties to the prospective marriage; b) the need for the marriage to occur before the minor reaches 18 years of age; and c) the emotional and intellectual maturity of the minor.

Please contact an attorney or the Clark County Family Law Self-Help Center at (702) 455-1500 or at www.clarkcountycourts.us.

Marriage Ceremonies
The person performing the marriage ceremony MUST possess a Certificate of Permission to Perform Marriages in the state of Nevada and be 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 Nevada Marriage Officiant Public Search website.  Select "ALL COUNTIES" before starting your search. If you do not find your Marriage Officiant's name, please call the Marriage License Bureau office at (702) 671-0600.

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 Permission to Perform 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.  The instructions and form for these situations are as follows:

• Hospitalized Applicant - Instructions and Form
• Incarcerated Applicant - Instructions and Form

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.  The Clerk's Office can issue a Certificate of Vow Renewal as a commemorative certificate to be used in renewing vows for an existing marriage.  For more information, click here.

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.

Solicitors
The solicitors outside the Marriage License Bureau work for commercial wedding chapels. They are not employed by or affiliated with The Office of Civil Marriages, the Marriage License Bureau or the County Clerk's Office.