Marriage License Requirements

Planning a wedding is stressful enough! But here at the Wedding Capital of the World, we want to make sure you know how easy it is to get your marriage license and prepare for your big day.

Who Can Get a Marriage License?

Basically, you need to meet the following requirements to obtain a marriage license:

1. You must be at least 18 years old.
   
2. You must provide government-issued identification to prove your name and age.
   
3. You must not be currently married.
   
4. You must not be nearer to kin than second cousins or cousins of half-blood.
   

Are there exceptions to the above list? Only one. If you are a 17-year-old minor and a resident of Clark County, you must obtain a court order from a Nevada District Court Judge. We don’t give legal advice, so please seek the assistance of an attorney if needed.

Did You Know?

• There is no waiting period.
  
• You do not need a blood test.
  
• Marriage records in Nevada are public documents and cannot be made confidential or sealed.
  
• Most countries around the world recognize a marriage in the United States as a legal marriage, but check with your government before you travel here as there are some countries with certain restrictions.
  

Acceptable Forms of Identification

Before issuing a marriage license, each applicant must provide proof of name and age ( NRS 122.040 ). The marriage license and marriage certificate will be issued in the name of each applicant as it is exactly shown on the identification or documents presented to prove name and age ( NRS 122.050 ). It is your responsibility to present the proper identification or documents to have your name reflected as you desire. For example, if you want your marriage license and marriage certificate to reflect your full middle name, the identification you present must contain your full middle name - not an initial.

The following documents must be original and not digital or photocopy representatives and contain the applicant’s photo, which must be a sufficiently recent, clear likeness of the applicant:

• Driver License
  
• Driver Instruction Permit
  
• Official ID card issued by a United States state or territory
  
• Official foreign government issued ID card, including Driver License (must include date of birth)
  
• Passport
  
• Matricula Consular Card
  
• Military ID card issued by a branch of the United States Armed Forces
  
• Military Dependent ID card issued by a branch of the United States Armed Forces
  
• Certificate of Citizenship issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
  
• Certificate of Naturalization issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
  
• Permanent Resident Card issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
  

If you do not have one of the items listed above, you may call and ask a supervisor for guidance. If you are advised by our office to use an original certified birth certificate as one of the forms of identification, please be aware of the following:

• The Clark County Clerk requires foreign birth certificates to be translated into English
  
• The translation must state that it is a true and correct translation of the birth certificate.
  
• The translation must state that the translator is a qualified translator and include the printed name of the translator.
  
• The translation must be signed and notarized
  

Ready to Apply?

Great! But before you do, please read carefully the following application tips first:

• If you are a United States citizen and have been issued a Social Security Number, you must provide it.
  
• For your current Marital Status, selecting "NEVER MARRIED" will automatically set the "Number of this Marriage" 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 you were divorced, had an annulment, or are widowed and do not know the exact date, enter a date that is closest to your recollection.
  
  • We do not need to see a copy of the divorce decree unless it grants you the ability to use a name that is different from what is on your current valid government issued photo ID.
    
  • We do not need to see a copy of a death certificate if you are widowed.
    

  Single Party Marriage License Exceptions

  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 forms for these situations are as follows:

  • Hospitalized Applicant
    
  • Incarcerated Applicant