Legal Requirements for a Las Vegas Wedding

When planning Las Vegas weddings, a rather frequently asked question from people from outside of the US is what are the legal requirements? What paperwork and ID do I need to bring? If I get married in Vegas, am I only legally married in Vegas? Or the US? How do I make it legal in my country? Here is everything you need to know about the legal requirements to get married in Las Vegas:

The fee for a marriage license is $60. This is payable by cash, cashier's check, money order and credit card but note that there is an added $5 service charge for credit card transactions.

A man and woman over the age of eighteen may be issued a marriage license in Clark County. People ages sixteen or seventeen may marry if a parent or legal guardian (carrying ID and proof of guardianship of necessary) gives consent in person at the time of application. The couple must be “no nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of half-blood.”

Same-sex weddings have yet to be recognized in the state of Nevada.

To get your marriage license you will be required to produce proof of name and age.

Acceptable forms of ID are driver's license, passport, military ID card and other government-issued identification cards. In the unlikely event that you do not hold any of the above, other combinations of identification that have an applicant's photograph along with an certified birth certificate or social security card may be presented as well. Both members of the couple must appear in person before a clerk at a Marriage License Bureau.

Your Marriage License and therefore also your Certificate will be prepared with your legal name exactly as it appears on the identification presented. For example, if you want your Marriage License to show your full middle name, the ID you present must contain your full middle name.

A marriage license is issued the same day a couple applies.

The closest Marriage License Bureau location to the Strip is in Downtown. You can save a little time by submitting your pre-application online. This generates a reference number, which you should bring with you to the Marriage Bureau, and you can go to the “Express Window”.

Unlike some US states, Clark County does not require the couple to have a blood test and there is no mandatory waiting period between getting the license and having the wedding ceremony.

If you have been married before, your divorce must be final in the state where granted. The date of the final decree and city and state where granted are required to obtain your marriage license. Widowed applicants are required to list the date they were widowed and the city and state. You will not need to bring a copy of the death certificate.
Couples from outside the United States can be legally married in Las Vegas. Most countries will need a certified copy of your marriage certificate and an Apostille from the Nevada Secretary of State. If your home government authorities require a copy of the marriage license, you may purchase 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. The marriage certificate costs $10 and the Apostille costs $20. When you obtain your marriage license ask for the Nevada Secretary of State to send the Apostille and certified marriage certificate copy directly to your government for you.

For more information on planning your Las Vegas wedding, email Claire or visit her website. For updates, “like” the Las Vegas Bridesmaid page on Facebook.