Nevada Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, ID, No Wait

In Nevada, you get a marriage license from the county clerk of any county, and the license can be used anywhere in the state (NRS 122.040). There is no waiting period and no blood test, the license is valid for 1 year, and the fee is set county by county on top of an $85 state-mandated base: $85 in Washoe County and $102 in Clark County. Both of you must be 18, with a narrow court route for 17-year-olds.

For other states, see our guide to marriage license requirements by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers getting a marriage license in Nevada under chapter 122 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) and the published procedures of the Clark County and Washoe County clerks. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

About our statute sources: The NRS text quoted here was checked against the Nevada Legislature's official chapter 122 (revised September 9, 2026). County details come from the counties' own pages.

Where to get a marriage license in Nevada

NRS 122.040 provides that "a license must be obtained for that purpose from the county clerk of any county in the State." You do not have to marry in the county that issued the license. The Washoe County Clerk puts it this way: "A marriage license issued in the State of Nevada may be used anywhere within Nevada." The ceremony must take place inside Nevada.

Licenses are issued at the county seat and at a few branch offices. Both of you normally appear together. The statute allows one-party issuance only in extraordinary circumstances, in which case the clerk may waive the joint appearance or refer the matter to the district court (NRS 122.040(4)). Clark County has affidavit forms for an applicant who is hospitalized or incarcerated.

Clark County (Las Vegas)

• Apply online first. The online application stays on file for one year.
• Then walk in together. Bring your ID and the application confirmation number to the Marriage License Bureau. Clark County says: "You both have to be here in-person at the same time to complete the process and obtain your marriage license."
• No appointments. The county states: "The Marriage License Bureau is open 365 days per year including all holidays from 8 a.m. to midnight PST." The process takes about 15 minutes.

Washoe County (Reno)

Washoe lets you pre-fill the application online, then visit the Marriage License Bureau in Reno. No appointment is needed, though you can book one online. The Incline Village office stopped issuing marriage licenses on May 29, 2026, so go to Reno.

What to bring

Each of you needs proof of name and age. Accepted documents include a driver's license or state ID, a passport, a birth certificate with a secondary photo document, a military ID, or immigration documents. Clark County requires an original photo ID, not a digital one, and a foreign birth certificate needs a notarized English translation.

The sworn application asks for your residence, birthplace, the number of prior marriages and how, when and where the last one ended, and your parents' names and birthplaces. It also requires a social security number: "The county clerk shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, require each applicant to include the applicant's social security number on the affidavit of application for the marriage license. If a person does not have a social security number, the person must state that fact" (NRS 122.040(3)). The clerk may not deny a license because an applicant has no social security number.

A few practical points from the county clerks:

• Divorced applicants: your divorce must be final (Washoe). Clark County does not need the divorce decree unless it changed your name, and it does not need a death certificate for a widowed applicant.
• Residency: you do not have to live in Nevada to get a license. The one exception is a court-authorized marriage of a 17-year-old, where both parties must be Nevada residents.
• Public record: Nevada marriage records are public, and Clark County notes they cannot be sealed.

Get your name right on the license

Clark County explains: "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)." Check the spelling before you leave the counter, because that name carries through to your certified certificate.

How much a Nevada marriage license costs

Fees are collected by each county, but NRS 122.060 builds in a statutory base. The county clerk "is entitled to receive as his or her fee for issuing a marriage license the sum of $21," and the statute adds $10 for recording and filing, $4 for the State General Fund and $50 for the account for aid to victims of domestic and sexual violence. That totals $85. Counties may add their own ordinance fees on top.

Fees change, and each county clerk's page is the final word; for other counties, check with that county's clerk. We found no premarital-course discount in Nevada.

Both counties also offer a civil ceremony. Clark County charges $75 (card only), and Washoe's fee schedule lists a $75 marriage solemnization fee.

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

There is no waiting period. Clark County states: "There is no waiting period." Washoe County agrees: "Blood tests are not required in Nevada, and there is no waiting period."

The license lasts a long time compared with most states. NRS 122.040(7) provides: "A marriage license issued on or after July 1, 1987, expires 1 year after its date of issuance." Washoe County notes that you can get the license up to one year before the ceremony.

Age requirements

The minimum age is 18. NRS 122.020 allows marriage between "two persons, regardless of gender, who are at least 18 years of age."

A 17-year-old has one narrow route. Under NRS 122.025, "A minor who is 17 years of age may marry only if the minor has the consent of: (a) Either parent; or (b) The minor's legal guardian, and the minor also obtains authorization from a district court as provided in this section." The court may authorize the marriage only in extraordinary circumstances, on clear and convincing evidence, after an evidentiary hearing at which both parties testify. The court must find that:

• both parties are Nevada residents;
• the marriage serves the minor's best interests;
• the required parental or guardian consent exists.

Pregnancy alone does not establish best interests, and the court cannot require it. The court also weighs the age difference between the parties, why the marriage must happen before 18, and the minor's maturity. Clark County tells 17-year-old residents: "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." Washoe County lists a $255 filing fee for the petition.

No one under 17 can marry in Nevada. Washoe County notes: "Effective October 1, 2019 persons under the age of 17 are prohibited from marrying (see AB 139)." For other legal routes to adult status, see Nevada emancipation laws.

Who cannot marry in Nevada

NRS 122.020 limits marriage to people who are "not nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of the half blood, and not having a spouse living." In practice:

• Close relatives: relatives closer than second cousins cannot marry, which rules out first cousins of the whole blood. Cousins of the half blood may marry.
• A living spouse: neither of you can have a living spouse, so any earlier marriage must be fully ended.
• Gender: the statute applies to "two persons, regardless of gender."

Blood tests

None. Clark County states: "You do not need a blood test." Washoe County says the same.

Who can officiate a wedding in Nevada

In Nevada, ordination alone never authorizes anyone; what matters is permission from a county clerk. A minister applying as a minister must be in good standing with a church or religious organization established in Nevada, and the church must sign an affidavit that it carries on its work in the state (NRS 122.062, 122.064). Under NRS 122.062, a minister or other religious official, a notary public or a "marriage officiant" may perform marriages only if the person "first obtains or renews a certificate of permission to perform marriages." Judges and certain public officials have separate authority, and the county clerks offer civil ceremonies.

Marriage officiants without ordination (Clark County)

Clark County says: "Applicants do not need to be ordained, have an affiliation with a church or religious organization, or possess a valid notary appointment in order to obtain permission to perform marriages if residing in Clark County, Nevada." There are two paths:

• 5-year certificate: for Clark County residents. Applicants pass a background check and attend in-person training. The certificate allows unlimited ceremonies in Nevada. Clark charges $55 plus $56.70 for a new certificate and $55 to renew.
• Single-ceremony permission: for a friend or relative marrying one couple. Apply in the county where the wedding will take place, complete an online course, and submit a notarized character reference from the couple. Apply at least 30 days and no more than 3 months before the wedding. The fee in Clark is $55, and NRS 122.062(5) limits a person to five of these per calendar year.

Clark County warns that performing a ceremony before you are authorized is unlawful and can bring a civil penalty of up to $1,500.

Washoe County officiants

Washoe charges a $30 officiant application fee, plus a $54.96 background check fee for permanent applicants. Processing takes two to three weeks, so apply early.

Witnesses and self-uniting ceremonies

One witness is required. NRS 122.110 states: "In every case, there shall be at least one witness present besides the person performing the ceremony." There is no general self-uniting option, with two statutory exceptions: NRS 122.150 provides that marriages "solemnized among the people called 'Friends' or 'Quakers,' in the forms heretofore practiced and in use in their meetings, shall be good and valid," and NRS 122.160 and 122.170 recognize marriages between Indians performed by tribal custom.

Proxy marriage

We found no Nevada statute on proxy marriage. Chapter 122 does not mention proxy marriage at all, which means the code is silent, not that proxy marriage is expressly banned. The ceremony statute does describe both parties declaring "in the presence of the justice, judge, minister ... and the attending witness, that they take each other as spouses" (NRS 122.110(1)), and license issuance to one party alone is reserved for extraordinary circumstances. If a proxy ceremony is part of your plans, ask the county clerk first.

After the ceremony

The officiant handles the filing. NRS 122.130(1) provides: "Each person who solemnizes a marriage shall make a record of it and, within 10 days after the marriage, shall deliver to ... the original certificate of marriage." The certificate goes to the county recorder, or to the county clerk where the county has adopted an ordinance under NRS 246.100, in the county that issued the license. Failing to deliver it is a misdemeanor (NRS 122.230).

Your record is on file only in the county that issued your license, regardless of where in Nevada you married. Washoe County warns that recording can take up to 10 days.

Certified copy fees:

• Clark County: $20 for a certified marriage certificate.
• Washoe County: $15 from the County Recorder; the Clerk charges $6 to certify a copy of the application plus $0.50 per page.

Washoe notes that the Social Security Administration and the DMV require a certified copy of the marriage certificate for a name change. To order copies later, see Nevada marriage and divorce records. For surname changes, see Nevada name change laws and name change after marriage.

Common myths about Nevada marriage licenses

• "Nevada has a waiting period or a blood test." Neither, according to the Clark and Washoe county clerks.
• "You must be ordained to officiate in Nevada." Nevada requires a county clerk's certificate of permission, and Clark County says marriage officiants do not need to be ordained.
• "A Las Vegas license works in other states." A Nevada license is valid only for a ceremony inside Nevada.
• "You have to marry in the county that issued the license." No. A license from any Nevada county can be used anywhere in the state.
• "Our marriage record can be kept private." Clark County notes that marriage records are public and cannot be sealed.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Nevada marriage licenses under chapter 122 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county clerk or a lawyer licensed in Nevada.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• California marriage license requirements
• Nevada marriage and divorce records
• Nevada common-law marriage
• Nevada name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Nevada?

It depends on the county. State law builds in $85 of fees (NRS 122.060). Washoe County charges $85 and Clark County charges $102, and both counties add a processing fee if you pay by card.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Nevada?

No. Both the Clark County and Washoe County clerks state that there is no waiting period, so you can marry the day you get the license.

How long is a Nevada marriage license good for?

1 year after the date of issuance (NRS 122.040(7)). The license can be used anywhere in Nevada but not in another state.

Do you need a blood test to get married in Nevada?

No. The Clark County Clerk states: "You do not need a blood test."

Can a 17-year-old get married in Nevada?

Only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian and authorization from a Nevada district court after an evidentiary hearing (NRS 122.025). Both parties must be Nevada residents, and no one under 17 can marry.

Can anyone officiate a wedding in Nevada?

Only a person authorized under Nevada law. Ministers, notaries and marriage officiants must first get a certificate of permission from a county clerk (NRS 122.062); Clark County offers a single-ceremony permission for a friend or relative.

How many witnesses do you need to get married in Nevada?

At least one witness besides the person performing the ceremony (NRS 122.110).

Can first cousins marry in Nevada?

NRS 122.020 allows marriage only between people "not nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of the half blood." First cousins who share both sets of grandparents are nearer than that, so they cannot marry in Nevada; cousins of the half blood can.