How to Become a Licensed Wedding Officiant in Nevada

To become a licensed wedding officiant in Nevada, you apply for a Certificate of Permission to Perform Marriages through a county clerk under NRS Chapter 122. You do not need to be ordained or affiliated with any church. Nevada recognizes a standalone “marriage officiant” category, and the clerk’s office issues either a five-year certificate that lets you perform ceremonies anywhere in the state or a one-time authorization for a specific wedding.¹

Pick the Path That Fits Your Situation

Three routes lead to the same legal authority to solemnize a marriage in Nevada, and the right one depends on how often you plan to officiate and where you live.

The marriage officiant certificate is the standard route for a Nevada resident who wants ongoing authorization. Clark County, where most Nevada weddings take place, states plainly that applicants “do not need to be ordained, have an affiliation with a church or religious organization, or possess a valid notary appointment.”² Approval is good for five years and covers ceremonies anywhere in Nevada.

Single-ceremony authorization is what most friends and family members use when a couple asks them personally to officiate. You can obtain up to five of these per calendar year, and non-residents of Nevada are eligible.¹

The minister or religious official category is available if you are licensed, ordained, or appointed by a religious organization incorporated or established in Nevada and are in good standing. Retired clergy also qualify if they had active charge of a church for at least three years before retirement.¹

Applying for the Five-Year Marriage Officiant Certificate

You apply through the county clerk where you live. Requirements vary by county, but three elements are typical: residency in that county, a background check, and an in-person or online training course. In Clark County, all three apply, and once approved you can officiate anywhere in Nevada for five years.²

Fees differ across counties. Washoe County (Reno) charges a $30 application fee plus $54.96 for a background check run by a third-party vendor.³ Eureka County charges a flat $25 with no separate background check fee listed. Bring valid government-issued identification. Some counties, including Eureka, require the forms to be notarized before submission.⁴ Washoe County does not accept online or faxed submissions.⁵

Once the clerk approves you, your information goes into the Secretary of State’s statewide officiant database, and you are legally authorized to solemnize marriages in Nevada.⁶

Applying for a Single Ceremony

If you only want to officiate one wedding, the application is lighter and non-residents can use it. You submit the couple’s full names and addresses, the date and location of the ceremony, and a $25 fee. If the county clerk requires a training course, you must complete it before applying.¹

Deadlines are strict. Eureka County requires all materials at least three weeks before the ceremony.⁴ Clark County opens its window three months before the ceremony and closes it 30 days before. It also runs an online training course you have to pass with a score of 100% before you receive the application packet, and it requires a notarized character reference from the couple you plan to marry.²

Background checks are waived for single-ceremony applicants in Washoe County, along with Armed Forces chaplains.³

Do You Need to Get Ordained Online First?

No. This is the assumption most people bring to the question, and in Nevada it usually costs them nothing but confusion. Clark County’s marriage officiant program explicitly does not require ordination or church affiliation.²

If you do already hold an online ordination from a group like the Universal Life Church, you can try to apply under the minister category, but you would need to show the clerk that you are in good standing with a religious organization incorporated or established in Nevada.¹ Whether a specific online ordination clears that bar is a judgment call at the county level. The secular marriage officiant path avoids that question entirely.

Performing the Ceremony

Nevada does not prescribe a form of ceremony. The couple must declare, in the presence of the officiant and at least one witness, that they take each other as spouses. One witness is the legal minimum.¹

Before the ceremony starts, confirm that the couple has a valid Nevada marriage license from a county clerk. The license can come from any Nevada county, not only the one where the wedding is happening. Solemnizing a marriage without proper authorization or a valid license carries consequences: Clark County warns of a civil penalty of up to $1,500 for performing a ceremony without authorization.²

Signing and Returning the Certificate

After the ceremony, complete and sign the marriage certificate portion of the license. The couple and the witness sign as well. Fill every required field accurately; errors delay recording, and the couple needs a recorded certificate for name changes, insurance, taxes, and anything else that turns on marital status.

Return the completed certificate to the county clerk who issued the license, promptly. Once you hold an ongoing certificate, you also have to notify the clerk of any change to your status or contact information within 30 days, including an address change or a change in your standing with a religious organization if you applied under the minister category.⁶

Business License and Taxes on Officiant Income

If you plan to officiate as an independent business, check whether you need a state business license from the Nevada Secretary of State. Two exemptions apply: you don’t need a separate state business license if you receive a W-2 from a business entity for your officiant work, or if you are certified only for a single ceremony.⁷

Fees, honorariums, and gifts for performing a wedding are taxable income. For ordained ministers, the IRS treats marriage fees as self-employment income even when you also receive a W-2 from a congregation, and ministerial earnings are covered under SECA rather than FICA. Ministers conscientiously opposed to public insurance for religious reasons can apply for an exemption using IRS Form 4361, filed by the due date of the return for the second year with at least $400 in net self-employment earnings; economic reasons don’t qualify.⁸

Secular officiants report officiant income on Schedule C and owe self-employment tax on net earnings of $400 or more. Officiate a single wedding for a small honorarium and you still owe income tax on it, but you fall below the self-employment tax threshold when the net amount is under $400.

1
Nevada Legislature. NRS Chapter 122 – Marriage
2
Clark County. Marriage Officiants
3
Washoe County. Is There a Fee for Processing an Application for Authority
4
Eureka County. Minister Instructions and Application Instructions for Wedding Ceremony Certificate
5
Washoe County. Washoe County Clerk’s Office – Applications and Forms
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes 122.066 – Database of Ministers and Marriage Officiants
7
Nevada Secretary of State. Marriage Officiants
8
Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 417, Earnings for Clergy