A same day marriage in Las Vegas is entirely routine: Nevada has no waiting period, no blood test, and no residency requirement, and the main Marriage License Bureau in downtown Las Vegas stays open until midnight every day of the year. If your documents are in order, you can land in the afternoon, pick up a license, and be married before dinner. Start to finish, the process often takes under an hour.
Can You Legally Marry the Same Day
Both people must be at least 18, neither can be currently married, and the couple cannot be related closer than second cousins or cousins of half-blood.1Clark County. Clark County Marriage License Requirements There is no residency requirement, so where you live is irrelevant.
One boundary worth knowing: Nevada does allow 17-year-olds to marry, but the extra steps make same-day impossible. The minor needs parental or guardian consent plus district court authorization after an evidentiary hearing, and both parties must be Nevada residents.2Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 122 – 122.025 Marriage of Minor
What to Bring to the License Counter
Each person needs a valid, original government-issued photo ID showing name and date of birth. Photocopies and phone images are not accepted. Accepted forms include:
- Driver’s license or state-issued ID from any U.S. state or territory
- U.S. or foreign passport
- Military ID or military dependent ID
- Foreign government-issued ID that includes a date of birth
- Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card from USCIS
U.S. citizens who have a Social Security Number must provide it on the application. If you don’t have one, you say so; the clerk won’t ask for the card or verify the number.1Clark County. Clark County Marriage License Requirements
If either of you has been married before, know the date, city, and state where the prior marriage ended, whether by divorce, annulment, or death. You do not need to bring the divorce decree.
Where to Get the Marriage License
Head to the Marriage License Bureau at 201 E. Clark Avenue in downtown Las Vegas. It is open every day of the year, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to midnight.3Clark County, Nevada. Clark County Clerk – Office Locations and Services Both of you must appear in person. Once you’re at the counter, the paperwork typically takes about 15 minutes.
You can shave that down further by filing the online pre-application at clerk.clarkcountynv.gov before you arrive. It captures names, dates of birth, addresses, marital history, and parent information, and it stays active in the system for one year. Corrections can be made in person when you pick up the license.4Clark County. Marriage License Application – Clark County The name you enter must match your ID exactly.
License Fee
The license costs $102 in cash. Paying by credit or debit card adds a 2% plus $1.25 processing fee, for a total of $105.29.5Clark County. Clark County Fees Once issued, the license is valid for one year, so a change of plans doesn’t force you to redo the paperwork.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 122 – Marriage
Getting Married Right After
Nevada imposes no gap between issuing the license and holding the ceremony. Walk out of the bureau, walk into a chapel, and you can be married minutes later.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Nevada authorizes a broad range of officiants, including ordained ministers and religious officials, notaries public, licensed marriage officiants, judges and justices of the peace, commissioners of civil marriages, and military chaplains stationed in Nevada. Any officiant must hold a valid certificate of permission to perform marriages from the county clerk.7Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 122 – 122.062 Who May Solemnize Marriages
At least one witness besides the officiant must be present.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 122 – Marriage If you’re eloping alone, most chapels provide a witness at no extra charge.
Ceremony Costs
Chapel prices range from about $50 for a no-frills legal ceremony to several hundred dollars for packages that add photography, flowers, and music. The most straightforward option is the Clark County Office of Civil Marriages, which charges $75 plus a $2.75 credit card processing fee for a total of $77.75. Cash is not accepted there.8Clark County. Clark County Civil Marriage Adding the license fee, the minimum cost of a legal Las Vegas marriage comes to roughly $180.
After the Ceremony
Your officiant signs the certificate during or right after the ceremony and then has 10 calendar days to deliver it to the county clerk for recording.6Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 122 – Marriage That step is the officiant’s legal responsibility, but confirm it happens. An unfiled certificate keeps your marriage off the public record.
Certified Copies
Once the certificate is filed, a certified copy is normally available the next business day.9Clark County, NV. Ordering Marriage Certificates Each copy costs $20.10Clark County. Clark County Fees Orders go by standard U.S. mail, so allow up to three weeks domestically and up to six weeks internationally. Order at least two; you’ll want them for name changes, insurance updates, and other administrative tasks, and each new request means another wait.
Changing Your Name
A Nevada marriage certificate does not change your legal name on its own. If you’re taking a spouse’s name, update each agency separately, starting with the Social Security Administration since most other agencies require SSA records to match first. You’ll file Form SS-5 with a certified marriage certificate and photo ID. From there, work through your driver’s license, passport, bank accounts, and employer.
International Couples
Non-U.S. citizens marry under the same process. A valid foreign passport or government-issued ID showing name and date of birth satisfies the ID requirement, and applicants without a Social Security Number just state that on the application.1Clark County. Clark County Marriage License Requirements
Marrying while visiting on a tourist visa is legal. The immigration concern arises only when a visitor enters the U.S. claiming to be a tourist while actually planning to stay permanently, which is treated as misrepresentation of intent. Marrying and leaving as planned creates no issue on its own.
Apostille for Use Abroad
Many countries require an apostille before they’ll recognize a foreign marriage certificate. First obtain a certified copy from the Clark County Clerk, then submit it to the Nevada Secretary of State with the order form and payment. Standard processing takes about four weeks. Countries outside the Hague Convention receive a certification through the same process.11Nevada Secretary of State. Apostille Check with your home country’s consulate before your trip to confirm whether translation or consular registration is also required.