How to Get Married in Las Vegas (7 Steps to Getting Hitched)
Did you know that 120,000 couples get married in Las Vegas each year? That means Las Vegas plays host to around 10,000 weddings each and every month. After some research, here’s everything I’ve learned about what you need to do to get married in Las Vegas.
There are seven easy steps to follow to get married in Las Vegas. They are:
- Know the Las Vegas Legal Wedding Requirements
- Preregister for a Marriage License
- Pick up Your Marriage License in Person
- Decide Where to Get Married in Las Vegas
- Wedding Day Ceremony
- Time to Honeymoon!
- Get a Certified Copy of your Marriage License
Las Vegas is famous worldwide for its weddings because it’s super easy to get married in Las Vegas compared to many other states in the U.S.
Blood tests are not required for couples wanting to get married, and the best news is that there is no waiting period. You can get married as soon as you get your marriage license, which you can do in as little as one day.
So if you’re ready to get married in Las Vegas, just follow along with the seven easy steps explained in detail below.
Are Las Vegas Weddings Legal? Find out in our article here.
1. The Legal Requirements For a Las Vegas Wedding
First, it’s important to know if you’re eligible to get married in the state of Nevada. Nevada, although pretty loose with its rules, does have three basic requirements that you as a couple must meet before you can get a license and get married.
Nevada Marriage Age Requirement
In the state of Nevada, both parties must be at least 18 years old. Pretty straightforward, however, there is a provision for getting married if you’re underage.
If you are between the ages of 16 and 18, you can legally get married in Nevada as long as you have the consent of a parent (or legal guardian). They must give their consent in person when you apply for the marriage license. Of course, each person under 18 yrs will need this consent from their own parent or legal guardian.
Must Not Be a Blood Relative (also known as Consanguinity)
This should go without saying, but a couple wishing to be married shouldn’t be more closely related than second cousins. Marriage of any couples closer in blood relations than second cousins run the risk of breaking a law that I don’t even want to get into the details of here.
Suffice it to say that you shouldn’t be marrying anyone more closely related than a second cousin.
Nevada Law Requires That You’re Not Currently Married
It’s always a good idea when planning to get married to make sure that you’re currently single (and by that, I mean single in every legal sense of the word). If not, you risk breaking another law with serious ramifications.
As long as you’ve passed the basic legal requirements for getting married in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s now time to preregister for your license.
2. PreRegister for a Marriage License in Clark County
Applying for a marriage license in Clark County (where Las Vegas is located) is much easier than in other places. It gets even simpler if you preregister for a marriage license online.
You can preregister up to 60 days before the day of the wedding. Preregistration is not at all necessary because there is no waiting period between getting your license and actually getting married, but it will save you a lot of time in applying for your license at the marriage bureau.
Note: No blood test is required before getting a marriage license in the state of Nevada. The elimination of this requirement is what makes applying for and getting a marriage license in Las Vegas in one day possible.
Find out all the best places in Las Vegas to take wedding and engagement photos in our article here.
3. Apply for a Marriage License in Clark County (How-To)
Regardless of whether you preregistered or not, you will need to go to the Las Vegas Marriage Bureau to pick up your license. The license needs to be picked up in person.
If you preregistered, it should be a quick and easy process to pick up the license.
You’ll find the Las Vegas Marriage Bureau located inside the Regional Justice Center located at:
201 E. Clark Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada (702) 671-0600
The Marriage Bureau is open every day, including holidays (even on Christmas and New Year’s Day) and weekends, from 8 am to midnight. No appointment is necessary.
What Documents Do I Need to Get Married in Las Vegas?
There may be a few documents you will need to bring with you to the Las Vegas Marriage Bureau.
Be sure to bring one of the following:
- Drivers License
- United States Passport
- U.S. or Foreign issued Identification card that includes a photo and date of birth
- Military ID
- Resident Alien ID card
If you were previously married, you will also want to bring a copy of your divorce decree.
If you did not preregister, it will take a bit longer at the marriage bureau, but still, it’s not that bad. Again you will have to show up in person as a couple to fill out and submit the application for a marriage license.
Depending on how busy they are, you may have to wait for up to 1hr or more for them to process your application and prepare the license.
How much does a marriage license cost in Las Vegas? A marriage license in Las Vegas will cost $102 and may be paid by credit card or cash. No checks of any kind are allowed.
Find out the 8 huge benefits of getting married in Las Vegas in our article here.
4. Decide Where to Get Married in Las Vegas
Now we’re getting to the fun part!
There is an abundance of wedding venues in Las Vegas. From the ultra-swanky to one of the many small wedding chapels available along The Strip, there is sure to be a location to meet your desires and budget.
Here are just a few of my favorites to get you started on your search:
Little Church of the West – A great location on the southern end of the Strip near the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. They provide both traditional and themed weddings. Packages start at around $209.
Available wedding themes include outdoor, Elvis, Western, Harley Davidson, and Wedding Renewals. They even have a wedding ceremony that takes place under the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign! How cool is that?
Graceland Wedding Chapel – This cute little chapel has been on the Las Vegas Strip for more than 50 years! More than one celebrity wedding has happened here, that’s for sure. You can choose from a traditional wedding package or the Elvis Package in which an Elvis impersonator sings at your wedding ceremony! Prices here start at $249.
Chapel of the Flowers – They have three beautiful traditional venues to choose from: The Victorian Chapel, Magnolia Chapel, and the Glass Gardens. They also offer tons of other destination locations, such as the Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire, High Roller, and Red Rock Canyon. Packages start at $299.
We’ve written a detailed article about the 9 most popular wedding chapels in Las Vegas. Be sure to check it out!
5. Las Vegas Wedding Day Ceremony
Once you’ve got your wedding license in hand and your venue picked out, you are officially ready to get married. The license is valid for up to 1 year from the date you received it, so there is no need to rush unless you’re ready to get married today!
On the day of the wedding, be sure to bring both your marriage license and photo identification to your officiant (the person who officially marries you).
You will also need at least one witness to make your marriage legally binding. If it’s just the two of you in Las Vegas, most of the wedding chapels can provide a witness for you.
If you’re getting married by an officiant at one of the chapels here in Vegas or using a local minister, they will have the necessary certifications necessary to perform the ceremony in the state of Nevada.
If you’re bringing an out-of-state officiant with you, they will need to visit the Clark County Clerk’s website for instructions on what they need to do to marry you in Las Vegas.
Your officiant will have ten days after the ceremony to submit your wedding paperwork to the Clark County Clerks’ office (see link above).
6. Time to Honeymoon in Vegas!
Once the wedding ceremony is complete, and the couple, the officiant, and the witness have all signed the paperwork, your officiant will send it to the Clark County Clerk’s Office to be filed. You’re now ready to start the honeymoon.
Luckily, you’re in Las Vegas, and there’s no better honeymoon destination in the world!
7. Get Your Marriage Certificate (After the Ceremony)
About ten days after the wedding documents are filed, you’ll be able to order a copy of the official marriage certificate from the Clark County Clerks Marriage Certificate website page. This will be a certified copy, and the cost is $20.
You will need a certified copy of the marriage license to legally change your name, file taxes, get a new social security card, driver’s license, etc. Also, don’t forget to update your credit card companies, your employer, the bank, the mortgage company, and your voter registration credentials.
Congratulations, you just learned how to get married in Las Vegas!
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Related Questions:
Can foreigners get married in Las Vegas? Yes, foreigners can get married in Las Vegas without any problems. The requirements are the same as for U.S. citizens except you will need to get what’s called an “Apostille” from the Nevada Secretary of State for a cost of $20
Is getting married in Vegas legal in Canada? Yes, getting married in Las Vegas is legal for Canadian citizens. U.S. marriages are considered perfectly legal in Canada. You only need to have a certified copy of your marriage license.
Can you get married in Las Vegas drunk? Officially no. In order to be legally married in Las Vegas, Nevada you must be able to willingly give consent and that consent cannot be obtained if you have been drinking heavily.
