To run a Clark County will search, start with the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Odyssey Public Access portal, then follow up with the Clark County Clerk’s office at the Regional Justice Center if the online records come up short. Nevada law requires anyone holding a will to deliver it to the district court clerk within 30 days of learning about the death, so most wills eventually enter the court’s records and become open to public inspection.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 136.050 – Delivery of Will After Death; Liability for Nondelivery; Record of Will; Inspection of Records
Two features of the delivery statute shape what you’ll find. A delivered will becomes part of the court’s permanent record whether or not a probate petition is ever filed, so a will can sit in the clerk’s files even when the estate was settled informally or through a trust. And once in those permanent records, the will is open to public inspection unless a court has specifically ordered it sealed.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 136 – Probate of Wills and Petitions for Letters Someone ignoring the 30-day duty without a reasonable excuse can be held liable for damages to anyone with an interest in the will, which motivates compliance but also means a will may arrive weeks or months after the death. If the first search turns up nothing, check again later.
What to Have Ready Before You Search
A case number is the fastest path. If probate has already been opened, ask the attorney handling the estate or a family member for the number. Clark County case numbers start with a letter prefix followed by digits tied to the filing year and case type.
Without a case number, you need the decedent’s full legal name and the approximate year the document was filed. The clerk’s records search asks for the complete names of the parties and the filing year.3Eighth Judicial District Court. Records Search and Viewing A death certificate helps because it gives the exact legal name and date of death, which narrows results when the name is common. If the decedent went by a different name earlier in life, try that one too; older estate-planning documents sometimes carry a prior legal name.
Searching Online Through Odyssey
The Eighth Judicial District Court runs an online portal called Odyssey Public Access. It covers family records, district civil and criminal records, and Las Vegas Justice Court civil cases.4Eighth Judicial District Court. Odyssey Public Access Probate matters sit in the district court category.
Enter the decedent’s last name and first name. If the name is common, filter by filing date or case status to cut the list down. When you find the right case, open it to see the register of actions listing every document filed. From there you can confirm whether a will was lodged, and in many cases view a digital image of the document directly.
Browsing the portal is free, which makes it the natural first step. One limit: documents filed before the court digitized its records may not appear online. For deaths from decades ago, plan on an in-person or mail request.
In-Person and Mail Requests at the Regional Justice Center
The Clark County Clerk’s office sits inside the Regional Justice Center at 200 Lewis Avenue in downtown Las Vegas, the same building that houses the Eighth Judicial District Court, Las Vegas Township Justice Court, and Municipal Court.5Las Vegas Justice Court. Regional Justice Center Walk-in visitors can use public terminals or ask staff for help locating probate filings.
If a visit isn’t practical, the clerk accepts search requests by mail. Download the search request form from the clerk’s records search page, fill in the decedent’s name and any identifying details you have, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of documents.3Eighth Judicial District Court. Records Search and Viewing A trackable mailing method lets you confirm the request arrived.
Fees for Copies, Searches, and Certification
Nevada statute sets what the clerk can charge, and the amounts are modest. Under NRS 19.013:
- Plain copies: $0.50 per page for any record, proceeding, or paper.
- Record search: $0.50 per year searched, which the clerk can waive.
- Clerk’s certificate under seal: $3.00 per certificate, the standard certified copy used for most legal proceedings.
- Certification of a copy you prepared yourself: $5.00. Bringing your own photocopy for the clerk to certify costs more than having the clerk prepare the copy.
These fees apply statewide.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 19.013 – Clerks Online transactions take credit cards. Mail-in requests typically require a check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Court. Sending the exact amount avoids delays from refunds or additional-payment requests.
Exemplified and Apostilled Copies
A standard certified copy works for proceedings within Nevada. If you need to use the will in another state’s court, you may need an exemplified copy, which adds a judge’s confirmation that the clerk’s certification is valid. Ask the clerk’s office about the current process and cost, since exemplification involves a judicial step beyond what the clerk alone provides.
For international use, documents headed to a country that participates in the Hague Convention require an apostille from the Nevada Secretary of State. The fee is $20.00 per document, and regular processing runs roughly four to six weeks. Expedited options run from $75 for 24-hour turnaround up to $1,000 for one-hour service.7Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille Fees If the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, the document must go through a separate authentication and legalization process involving the U.S. Department of State and the foreign country’s embassy.
When the Will Isn’t in Court Records
A blank search result doesn’t always mean the person died without a will. The document may be sitting somewhere outside the court system.
Safe Deposit Boxes
Original wills often live in bank safe deposit boxes, which creates a familiar catch-22: you need the will to start probate, but you often need probate authority to open the box. Nevada law addresses this directly. Under NRS 136.060, a judge can issue a court order allowing the bank to open the box for the limited purpose of retrieving a will.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 136 – Probate of Wills and Petitions for Letters The order does not reach anything else in the box. Expect the bank to require a bank officer present during the opening, and nothing else can be removed until full estate administration authority is established.
Attorney Files and Personal Papers
If the decedent used an estate planning attorney, that office is one of the first places to check. Many lawyers keep original wills in their vaults and give the client a copy. Contact any attorney the decedent is known to have worked with. Check the home as well; copies often turn up in filing cabinets, fireproof safes, or among important papers. A copy can point you toward the original’s location even when it can’t substitute for the original in probate.
Living Trusts
Unlike wills, living trusts are private documents. They don’t pass through probate and don’t become public records. If the decedent moved most assets into a revocable living trust, a will search may come up empty because the trust handled distribution privately. The trust document is typically held by the successor trustee named in it, by the drafting attorney, or among the decedent’s personal files. No public registry exists for trusts, which makes them harder to locate than a filed will.
If No Will Was Ever Made
When someone dies without a will and no trust controls the assets, Nevada’s intestacy statutes under NRS Chapter 134 dictate who inherits. The shares depend on which family members survive and whether the property is separate or community, and they shift significantly based on family structure, so a probate attorney is worth consulting once you’ve confirmed no will exists.
Smaller estates may not need full probate at all. Under NRS Chapter 146, the court can set aside an entire estate without formal administration when the total value is $100,000 or less after enforceable liens and encumbrances; the petition can be filed 30 days after the death. Nevada also allows collection of personal property by affidavit, with no court involvement, up to $100,000 for a surviving spouse and $25,000 for any other claimant, provided the estate contains no Nevada real property and 40 days have passed since the death.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 146 – Support of Family; Small Estates The claimant presents the affidavit directly to whoever holds the assets, such as banks, employers, or brokerages, along with a certified copy of the death certificate.
Even when an estate qualifies for one of these simpler paths, the will search still matters. The document may name specific beneficiaries or include instructions that override the default distribution. But knowing these alternatives exist can relieve the pressure if the original will proves hard to find and the estate is modest.