Nevada Marriage Records

With a marriage rate of 25.9 per 1,000 people in 2022, Nevada has the highest marriage rate in the United States. Little wonder the state once proclaimed itself the world's marriage capital. Nevada is one of those states where a person can obtain a marriage license and get married on the same day. Typically, each party to a proposed marriage must be at least 18 years old, and they may not be more closely related than cousins of half-blood or second cousins. Similarly, neither party may have a living spouse. However, with parental consent and approval from a Nevada District Court, minors aged 17 years may be able to get a license and get married in Nevada, provided they live in the state.

Before two people can be joined in marriage in Nevada, they must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk. Certain documents are, however, required to get the license. Once the clerk issues a license, both parties must get married within a specified period under a state-authorized officiant. Once the couple is married, the officiant sends over the license to the marriage bureau for registration. Afterward, the couple may request a copy of their marriage certificate. Marriage records are considered public records in Nevada and are typically held or stored at the county level. The state's Office of Vital Records also has marriage records for certain years on file.

What are Marriage Records?

Nevada marriage records are documents and information gathered at the time of marriage and are primary resources for details of legal unions consummated within the state. Such details typically include the names of the bride and groom at the time of marriage, the age of both parties at marriage, their place of birth, and their place of residence. Also contained in Nevada marriage records are the names of the parents of both parties, the names of witnesses, the date and location of the marriage, and the name of the marriage ceremony officiant. Generally, the state's marriage records include marriage certificates, marriage licenses, and every other document validating the legality of marital unions in Nevada.

Marriage records primarily exist to enable government authorities to track marriages among their citizens, verify family relationships, and track the local population. The idea of keeping marriage records became essential in the early 20th century when governments made laws to protect individuals, especially children, from illegal and unwholesome marriage practices. As a result, several states, including Nevada, require would-be couples to obtain marriage licenses to ensure both parties are eligible to marry, particularly regarding marital status, age, family relations, and parental consent.

Nevada marriage records contain valuable information that can enable anyone to trace family genealogy because the pieces of information documented in them are provided by the actual couple. Hence, anyone wishing to learn about their ancestors may want to find their marriage records, which largely provide tangible evidence of basic ancestral facts. Marriage records are important because they serve as valuable proof of marriage. In addition, they can be helpful in claiming life insurance, getting visa approvals for one's partner, and getting a legal separation, including divorce. Marriage records are also required for a name change for spouses who want to change their names to their married names.

Records of marriage in Nevada are official public records per Chapter 239 of the state's Revised Statutes, the Public Records Act. Under this Act, marriage records are considered public information and may be accessed by members of the public. Nevada marriage records are primarily handled and maintained at the county level by the county clerks or recorders. While marriage records are maintained at the county level, anyone searching for a record of marriage occurring after 1968 to September 2005 may begin their search from the state level through the Office of Vital Records of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DBPH). They will have to complete and submit the Marriage and Divorce Records Search Request to search for the date and location of a marriage.

Marriages in Nevada

There have been many variations in Nevada marriage rates over the years, but the state has consistently maintained the highest rate in the United States for each year. Even though the state's marriage rate has declined over the last two decades, the most notable fluctuations occurred between 2017 and 2022. According to reports by the National Center for Health Statistics, Nevada's marriage rate declined from 72.2 per 1,000 people in 2000 to 25.9 per 1,000 residents in 2022. This was a 178.7% decline in the space of two decades. Despite the drop, Nevada still leads every other state in the number of marriages, and its 25.9 marriages per 1,000 in 2022 was relatively higher than the national average of 6.2 per 1,000 total population. However, the state's divorce rate, 4.2 per 1,000 people, was the highest in the United States in 2022, higher than the national average of 2.4 per 1,000 total population.

About 46% of Nevada's male population aged 15 years and older are married, and according to reports, most males marry at an average age of 28.1 years in the state. On the other hand, most of Nevada's women get married at a median age of 26.2 years, and at least 45% of their demographic, aged 15 years and older, are married. The Asian community (including Hispanics) in the state has the highest percentage of married persons, with about 54.31% of its population already married. This is followed by the Whites (non-Hispanics), whose married couples account for 48.58% of their demographic. The racial distribution of married couples for other ethnic groups in the state is as follows:

At least 44.31% of the White Hispanic population are married
Not less than 33.18% of the mixed-race (including Hispanics) demographic are married
At least 28.42% of the Black (including Hispanics) community are married
About 41.49% of the population of other racial groups (including Hispanics) are married

People make Nevada a preferred destination for marriage mostly because of its considerably relaxed legal marriage requirements. Besides the state's lax marriage requirements are its divorce laws. When most states required anyone filing for divorce to show fault before they could opt out of their marriage, Nevada rescinded such requirements, making it a favorable place for many to get married. This explains why the state's marriage rate has been historically higher than every other state in America. While it is not mandatory to be a Nevada resident to get married in the state, a 17-year-old minor must be a state resident, in addition to obtaining a court order.

Under state law, nobody needs a blood test before they can get married. Per Section 122.020 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, two individuals nearer in kin than cousins of the half-blood or second cousins cannot marry each other, regardless of gender. In addition, Nevada law prohibits someone who is still married and has a living spouse from getting married to another person. A marriage is only valid in the state if both parties give their consent and are solemnized as authorized by law.

How To Get Married in Nevada

According to Section 122.040 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, two individuals who intend to get married require a marriage license and must obtain one from a county clerk or recorder in any county in the state. While many county clerks' offices allow and encourage applicants to complete a pre-application through their dedicated online services and make appointments, some do not require scheduling an appointment. Typically, both parties are required to be present in person to get a marriage license in Nevada. However, there may be some exceptions. For instance, only one of the spouses may visit the Marriage License Bureau or the county clerk's office to obtain a marriage license if the other party is incarcerated or hospitalized.

Under Nevada law, a county clerk requires both parties in a proposed marriage to provide proof of age and name before issuing a Nevada marriage license. Per Section 122.050 of the state's Revised Statutes, the marriage license and, ultimately, the certificate will be issued in the name of each party as they appear on the documents or identification submitted as proof of name and age. The following documents (original) are largely acceptable as proof of name and age while getting a marriage license in Nevada:

A passport
A driver's license issued by the State of Nevada or any other state or territory of the U.S.
A certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, temporary resident card, or permanent resident card issued by the USCIS
A birth certificate and any of the following:
- Any other document that required identity verification as a condition of validity and receipt
- Any other secondary document containing the applicant's name and photo
A military ID card or military-dependent ID card issued by any branch of the United States Armed Forces

If any or both parties to a proposed marriage were previously married to other individuals, they must provide details such as the date, city/town, and state of the divorce. A copy of the divorce decree is required if the divorce was finalized within 30 days prior to applying for a marriage license. The county clerk or recorder may not approve an application without this. Once the county clerk issues a marriage license, the two parties may marry immediately- Nevada has no waiting time. However, the state's marriage license is valid for only 1 year after issuance, within which period the applicants are expected to have their marriage ceremony.

Judges and other government officials may conduct civil marriage solemnization ceremonies in Nevada. Similarly, any ordained, licensed, appointed, or ordained minister in good standing with their religious body is authorized to administer marriage ceremonies for individuals who present a marriage license from any county clerk within the state. The Nevada Secretary of State (SOS) maintains a list of marriage officiants within the state who have been licensed and approved. After a marriage ceremony, the officiant who conducted the ceremony must submit the marriage license to the issuing county clerk or recorder within 10 days for recording and proper registration. Typically, a certified copy of the marriage certificate will be ready one day after the clerk's or recorder's office has received the license from the officiant.

Nevada Marriage Certificate

Nevada marriage certificates are legal documents issued by county clerks or recorders' offices in the state following marriage ceremonies as approved by state laws. They are a major part of marriage records and vital proof of legal unions between two individuals. A Nevada marriage certificate may be used to update a person's records, including medical, banking, adoption, and immigration records. It is used to make name changes on certain documents, including insurance policies, Social Security cards, and passports. A typical Nevada marriage record will include information like the names of the couple, their addresses at the time of marriage, date of marriage, location of marriage, date of recording, name of the marriage officiant, and the marriage certificate number.

The county clerks or recorders' offices in the counties where marriage licenses are issued are the custodians of all Nevada marriage certificates for marriage licenses obtained from them. Interested individuals may retrieve them by visiting the county clerks or recorders offices or by requesting them via mail or online.

How To Find and Access Nevada Marriage Records

County clerks and recorders are the primary marriage records custodians in Nevada. However, a person may begin their search at the state level through the Office of Vital Records for marriage records from June 1968 to September 2005 and May 2015 to the present. This search is largely for information such as the date and location of marriage and typically comes at a non-refundable $10 fee for each search.

Generally, most counties issue three types of marriage records to requesters. These are certified marriage licenses, certified marriage certificates, and marriage abstracts. A certified marriage license contains all the details about a marriage, including the date of birth of individuals named on the records. On the other hand, a certified marriage certificate is the primary legal proof of a legal union and is mostly obtained by the spouses listed in the document. A marriage abstract is also a certified document containing some, but not all, details from a marriage certificate. A Nevada marriage record may either be found and accessed online or offline.

Accessing Nevada Marriage Records Offline

Most county clerk offices and county recorder offices welcome in-person Nevada marriage requests, which might be a more convenient means of accessing the records for locals. Requesters may be required to provide certain information when requesting marriage records to help facilitate the search at the clerk or recorder's office. Also, there may be associated fees which vary by county. Some counties, like Clark County, make provisions for self-service kiosks at the clerks' or recorders' offices where interested persons may find marriage records. Usually, there will be staff around who can assist them with their marriage records request.

Another means of finding and accessing Nevada marriage records offline is by mail to the clerk or recorder's office in the county where the marriage license was issued. In most cases, there are dedicated application forms for mail-in marriage record requests. Requesters must state or select the type of marriage records they seek or need, add the applicable search fees, and include self-addressed stamped envelopes when mailing their requests to the office of the clerks or recorders. Most counties accept payment in the form of cashier's checks or money orders with mailed requests.

Accessing Nevada Marriage Records Online

Some counties in Nevada have online search resources that allow anyone to find and access marriage records from the convenience of their homes or offices, and regardless of their location. Common search parameters include the names of spouses named on a marriage record and the year of the marriage. For instance, anyone may find and obtain marriage record information for marriage licenses issued in Clark County using the Clark County Clerk's Office Record Search System.

References

Counties in Nevada

List of Content

What are Marriage Records?
Marriages in Nevada
1. How To Get Married in Nevada
2. Nevada Marriage Certificate
How To Find and Access Nevada Marriage Records