Guide to Nevada Marriage Records

Marriage records are more than just pieces of paper. They're practical documents with utility in governmental, legal, and financial situations. Newlyweds will undoubtedly require them, and researchers can use them to trace genealogical lines.

Knowing the proper steps to order a Nevada marriage record is essential. The courts often take months to process requests, so even a small mistake can significantly delay your schedule. For the most convenient and stress-free experience, applicants must know their ordering options, associated costs, and who to call first.

What Are Nevada Marriage Records

Nevada marriage records prove your marriage's legitimacy to several organizations. They're used when changing your legal name through the courts, switching insurance plans, and claiming retirement or disability benefits.

There are some niche cases where a marriage record isn't enough proof. The government will demand further confirmation of a "bona fide" marriage, such as shared bank accounts and living quarters. This cumbersome process only occurs if the union is under suspicion of immigration fraud.

These records are publicly available but only store mundane details for verification purposes. This information includes the following:

• Full names of the spouses
• Signature of at least one witness
• Wedding date
• The county that issued the license

When talking about Nevada weddings, the biggest elephant in the room is Las Vegas. The sheer volume of Vegas weddings, together with the city's reputation for shotgun marriages, require that their records contain additional information.

• The chapel or institution the ceremony was at
• Confirmation of spouses' ages (dates of birth)
• Couple's mailing address

Including the couple's mailing address saves a lot of time and confusion. Tourists can pre-order their marriage certificate and send it to their home after leaving the city.

Marriage License

There's a subtle difference between a marriage license and a marriage record. They're effectively the same document; however, a marriage license is used before the ceremony to give the couple the right to wed.

The license is returned to the issuing county after the officiant and witnesses sign it. The county processes the signed license, storing it in its database as a new marriage record. Depending on the office, this processing time can be anywhere from a single day to two months.

Nevada Marriage Statistics

The well-being of a state's marriage statistics reflects society's overall health. Key factors such as the average marrying age and duration contribute valuable insights for optimizing social programs.

Some of the most relevant marriage statistics for Nevada include:

Marriage Rates

Nevada's marriage rate of 26.2 per thousand residents is head and shoulders above the rest of the nation. The 2nd place state has less than half that number. The reason for this massive statistic is obviously Las Vegas, known as the wedding capital of the world.

Many couples hold their wedding out of state because they want a particular environment or theme. However, those couples often apply for a marriage license in their home county, which means their marriage is recorded in the correct state.

However, Las Vegas is known for elopements and "quickie" wedding chapels. These institutions offer same-day marriage licenses for couples who marry off the cuff. This decision involves applying for a marriage license in Clark County, Las Vegas, meaning that the wedding is recorded in Nevada despite the couple originating from another state.

Average Marrying Age

The average marriage age in Nevada is 26.2 for women and 28.1 for men. This is slightly below the rest of the country but far from the bottom of the charts.

For most couples, Nevada requires each party in a wedding to be at least 18 years old. In the past, 16- and 17-year-old couples could continue with parental consent, and anyone younger than that needed a judge's permission.

However, Assembly Bill 139 passed in 2019 expressly forbidding marriages, including minors.

Divorce Rates

Nevada's penchant for ill-planned unions may make you believe that it has some of the worst divorce rates in the country. However, first-marriage divorce rates are only slightly below average at 10.81 percent.

The dissonance is because divorce statistics are recorded according to where the divorce occurs rather than where the marriage license was filed. So, even if a tourist couple marries in Nevada, their divorce doesn't reflect unless they divorce before returning home.

Average Marriage Duration

The median duration for US marriages is 20.8 years. Comparatively, Nevada marriages last for 17.7 years on average. Some attribute this shorter statistic to the migratory nature of Nevada citizens. Many people move to the state from other states. The absence of friends and family may lead individuals into hasty marriages and quick divorces.

How to Find Nevada Marriage Records

The only places that store Nevada marriage records are the counties that licensed them. In most cases, you must go in person or send a letter to request your certificate. This is a significant inconvenience for couples who've moved away or married while on vacation.

While the process can be time-consuming, you can mitigate the stress by getting everything right the first time around. So, before ordering, make sure you have the following information on hand:

• Spouses' names before the wedding
• Full ceremony date (have the correct year at minimum)
• Marrying county

Remember that some counties may reject your request if you provide incomplete or incorrect details.

Online

There is no method for ordering online marriage records through Nevada's Office of Vital Records. The state office also does not offer certifications through mail or walk-in. The only service it provides is marriage verification letters.

Verification letters are precisely as they sound. They are a simple confirmation that a representative was able to find the marriage in their database. Verification letters do not include the same details as a marriage certificate.

Despite their limited information, verification letters are helpful for less strict processes, such as proving a marriage to an insurance service or an employer's HR department.

Official certificates must be requested from the county that approved and recorded the marriage. Some counties, like Washoe County, offer online ordering services distinct to their office. It's worth checking if your county has a similar option, as it will greatly streamline the process.

Offline

The best way to quickly receive your marriage record is by attending the county recorder in person. Once you know the correct information, the office can provide the forms, process your payment, and certify your marriage certificate in one visit.

If you cannot visit in person, you can send a mail request to your county recorder's office. Your request should include a self-addressed envelope enclosed with the following:

• The county's marriage request form
• Check and money order for the exact search and certification fee
• Photocopy of an unexpired photo ID

Each county will do things differently, but the overall process doesn't vary much. However, we recommend calling ahead and seeing if your county has any special requirements.

What Is NOT Included in Marriage Records and Potential Errors and Omissions

Marriage records are used for verifying a marriage and don't require sensitive information on the spouses. Only the involved party's names and the ceremony's date are included in case the event is investigated at a later date.

A more troubling possibility is the risk of misspelled names or incorrect dates. As we said, there's very little information included in a marriage record, which means there are only a few ways to find it in a database. If there's an error, locating it upon request will be much more challenging.

The only way to amend a marriage record is for one or both spouses to make an appointment with the recorder's office.

County Recorder Directory

Government offices, even local ones, have a troubling number of phone numbers listed online. It's hard to find the right one and annoying when you're rerouted ten times. We've saved you the trouble by compiling the county recorder's phone numbers for the top ten most populous Nevada counties.

FAQ on Marriage Records in Nevada