How to Get Married in Las Vegas: Requirements and What It Means Legally

Written by Jennifer Setters, J.D., Managing Attorney, Gastelum Attorneys (Nevada Bar No. 13126) · Last updated: August 2026

What Are the Requirements to Get Married in Las Vegas?

Under NRS 122.020, two persons, regardless of gender, may marry in Nevada if they are at least 18 years old, are not nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of the half blood, and do not have a living spouse. There is one narrow exception to the age rule: under NRS 122.025, a 17-year-old may marry only with the consent of a parent or guardian and the written authorization of a Nevada district court, granted only in extraordinary circumstances after an evidentiary hearing.

The Clark County Clerk requires each applicant to prove name and age with an original (not a photocopy or phone photo) government-issued document, such as a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or a birth certificate paired with a photo document. One detail that surprises many couples: under NRS 122.050, your marriage license and certificate will show your name exactly as it appears on the ID you present. If you want your full middle name on the certificate, your ID must show your full middle name, not an initial.

What Nevada does not require is just as notable. There is no waiting period, no blood test, and no residency requirement. You can fly in from anywhere in the world, get a license, and be legally married within hours.

How Do You Get a Las Vegas Marriage License?

1. 1Pre-apply onlineComplete the online application at the Clark County Clerk’s site. It stays in the system for one year. Match every name field to your ID exactly.
2. 2Pick up the licenseBoth of you go together to the Marriage License Bureau with your IDs and the $102 fee. No appointment; it typically takes under an hour.
3. 3Hold the ceremonyAn authorized officiant performs the ceremony with at least one witness present. You declare that you take each other as spouses.
4. 4Certificate is filedThe officiant files your marriage certificate within 10 days. Certified copies, your legal proof of marriage, cost $20 each.

The Clark County Marriage License Bureau is located at 201 E. Clark Avenue in downtown Las Vegas and is open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to midnight, including every holiday. Those hours are not a marketing gimmick: Nevada law itself (NRS 122.061) requires the marriage license office in large counties to stay open 8 a.m. to midnight every day.

The license is issued on the spot and, under NRS 122.040, expires one year after issuance. You can use it anywhere in Nevada, but it must be used within the state.

Can You Get Married in Vegas the Same Day?

Yes. Because Nevada has no waiting period and no blood test, a couple can walk into the Marriage License Bureau in the morning and be legally married by the afternoon. This same-day capability is the reason Clark County issues more marriage licenses than almost anywhere in the country and why Las Vegas calls itself the Wedding Capital of the World.

The speed is real, and so are the consequences. The marriage that takes an afternoon to create carries the same legal weight as one planned for two years, which is why the second half of this guide covers what you are actually signing up for.

Who Can Legally Perform a Las Vegas Wedding?

Nevada law authorizes two broad groups to solemnize marriages. The first is judicial and civil officers under NRS 122.080: Supreme Court justices, district and appellate judges, justices of the peace, and the Commissioner of Civil Marriages (in Clark County, the County Clerk serves as commissioner and offers civil ceremonies). The second group, under NRS 122.062, is ministers and other religious officials, notaries public, and licensed marriage officiants who hold a certificate of permission from the county clerk. This is the category that covers wedding chapel officiants and, yes, Elvis impersonators, who are legally performing your marriage only because they hold that certificate.

Two details worth knowing. First, a friend or family member can legally marry you in Clark County: NRS 122.062 lets a person apply for authorization to perform a single specific marriage (limited to five such authorizations per year). Second, the ceremony itself is simple by law. Under NRS 122.110, no particular form is required; you must declare, in front of the officiant and at least one witness, that you take each other as spouses. And if it later turns out the officiant lacked authority, NRS 122.090 protects you: the marriage is still valid if you believed in good faith that you were being lawfully married.

Is a Las Vegas Marriage Legal Everywhere?

Yes. A marriage legally entered into in Nevada is a valid marriage, and it is generally recognized throughout the United States; states routinely honor marriages validly performed in sister states, a principle rooted in the Full Faith and Credit Clause and longstanding recognition rules. The Clark County Clerk likewise confirms that Las Vegas marriages are recognized in most countries around the world. There is no such thing as a marriage that “only counts in Vegas.” What happens in Vegas, in this one respect, does not stay in Vegas.

For international couples, some countries require additional authentication before recognizing a U.S. marriage. A certified copy of your Nevada marriage certificate can be authenticated with an Apostille through the Nevada Secretary of State. Check your home country’s rules before you travel.

One related point our office answers constantly: Nevada abolished common law marriage in 1943, so living together in Nevada never creates a marriage, no matter how long. The license and ceremony described on this page are the only way to be married here. Our guide to common law marriage in Nevada explains what that means for unmarried couples.

What Does Getting Married in Nevada Mean Legally?

This is the section a wedding chapel will not write for you. The moment your ceremony ends, you have entered a legal and financial partnership governed by Nevada’s community property system.

Under NRS 123.220, virtually all property acquired by either spouse after the wedding date is community property, owned equally by both of you, unless a written agreement or court decree says otherwise. That includes wages, real estate, retirement contributions, and business growth during the marriage. It also generally includes debts taken on during the marriage. Property you owned before the wedding, plus gifts and inheritances, remains separate property under NRS 123.130, but separate and community assets get commingled easily, and untangling them later is one of the most litigated issues in Nevada divorce. Our guide to Nevada community property covers how classification and division actually work.

Marriage also affects inheritance rights, medical decision-making, taxes, insurance, and immigration status. None of this is a reason not to marry. It is a reason to understand that the five-minute ceremony creates the same legal relationship as any other marriage in America.

Should You Sign a Prenup Before a Vegas Wedding?

If either of you owns a business, expects an inheritance, carries significant debt, has children from a prior relationship, or simply wants to define property rights by contract instead of by default, the answer is worth serious thought, and the timing is unforgiving: a prenuptial agreement must be signed before the marriage. Once you say “I do,” the prenup option is gone (a postnuptial agreement exists but is a different, more limited tool).

For couples planning a Las Vegas wedding in advance, building in time for a properly drafted and reviewed agreement under Nevada’s Uniform Premarital Agreement Act is straightforward. For spontaneous weddings, it usually is not, which is exactly why so many community property disputes trace back to a fast ceremony. Our Nevada prenuptial agreement guide explains what these agreements can and cannot do and what makes them enforceable.

Can You Undo a Las Vegas Marriage?

There is no annulment-by-regret and no cooling-off period. A Las Vegas marriage ends the same two ways as any other Nevada marriage: annulment or divorce.

Annulment is available only on specific legal grounds. The one most associated with Las Vegas is want of understanding under NRS 125.330, which covers a party who was incapable of understanding what they were agreeing to at the time of the ceremony. Intoxication is the classic example, but there is a catch: continuing to live together as spouses after sobering up generally waives that ground. Other grounds include fraud (NRS 125.340) and marriages that are void from the start, such as bigamy or close kinship (NRS 125.290). Our Las Vegas annulment guide walks through each ground and the process.

If no annulment ground applies, the marriage is valid and ending it means divorce, with community property division and, where applicable, spousal support. In short: the wedding takes an afternoon; the marriage is the real thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it legally cost to get married in Las Vegas?

The required legal costs are modest: $102 for the marriage license and $20 per certified copy of the marriage certificate. A civil ceremony through the Office of Civil Marriages carries its own separate fee. Everything beyond that (chapel, venue, flowers, Elvis) is optional.

Do you need a witness to get married in Vegas?

Yes. NRS 122.110 requires at least one witness besides the person performing the ceremony. Chapels and the Office of Civil Marriages can typically provide one if you arrive alone.

Are Las Vegas marriage records public?

Yes. Under NRS 122.040, all marriage license records are public records in Nevada and cannot be sealed or made confidential. Anyone can look up whether and when you married in Clark County.

Does a Las Vegas marriage expire if we never file anything?

The license expires one year after issuance if unused. But once a ceremony is performed on a valid license, you are married, period. The officiant is responsible for filing the certificate, and the marriage does not lapse or dissolve on its own.

Can tourists and non-U.S. citizens get married in Las Vegas?

Yes. Nevada has no residency or citizenship requirement for marriage. Visitors from any state or country can obtain a license and marry the same day; a passport satisfies the photo ID requirement. If a foreign birth certificate is used as identification, the Clerk may require a notarized English translation. International couples should confirm with their home country how it recognizes a U.S. marriage, and an Apostille from the Nevada Secretary of State can authenticate the certificate if needed.

Do you need a Social Security card to get married in Vegas?

No card is required. Under NRS 122.040, each applicant must list a Social Security number on the license application affidavit, but the Clerk cannot require any document to verify it, and an applicant who has no Social Security number simply states that fact.

Do you need an appointment, and how long does it take?

No appointment is needed, and the Bureau does not take appointments; you simply walk in. The Clerk reports the process typically takes under one hour, faster if you complete the online pre-application first.

Can you get married in Las Vegas without a chapel?

Yes. A chapel is optional. Under NRS 122.173, the Clark County Clerk serves as Commissioner of Civil Marriages and performs civil ceremonies for a separate fee, and any authorized officiant can perform your ceremony at a location of your choosing anywhere in Nevada.

New Beginnings, Brighter Tomorrows

This page is general legal information about Nevada law for educational purposes, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutory rules and county fees change; verify current requirements with the Clark County Clerk and current Nevada law before relying on them. For advice about your specific situation, consult a Nevada licensed attorney.