Las Vegas Marriage Laws: What You Need To Know Before Eloping
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If you're planning to tie the knot in Sin City, you need to know the different marriage laws.
There is no shortage of couples who want to experience the type of spontaneous of Las Vegas weddings we typically see in movies. But you can't just walk into a chapel and expect to get hitched without going through the proper legal channels first—not everything we see in movies is real, after all! There are far more moving parts than meets the eye.
It's true that Las Vegas is known for having quick and easy marriage ceremonies. This is exactly why so many people love to elope in Las Vegas. But, it isn't completely lawless, and it isn't an "anything goes" situation as most people like to believe. You still need to follow certain rules and legal requirements to ensure that your marriage is lawful and legitimate.
With all that being said, here's everything you need to know about Las Vegas marriage laws—from the minimum age of consent to whether or not you're allowed to get married drunk. We also included a step-by-step guide on how you can get your marriage license and where you can find the best wedding planner in Las Vegas.
Let's dive in, shall we?
The general law in the majority of American states allows couples who are at least 18-years-old to get married without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. So as long as you and your partner are both at least 18 years old, you won't have any problems getting marriage licenses in Las Vegas.
But if you happen to be under the age of 18, you can still get married in Las Vegas. Couples who are 16 or 17-years-old can get legally married as long as both parties have consent from their parents or legal guardians. Here are some of the documents you will be required to submit if you're getting married under the age of 18:
All of these documents must be written in English. It must include the birth date of the minor and the relationship of the person giving the consent. You will have to pay extra court fees as well.
If you're planning to have your destination wedding in Las Vegas, you'll be glad to know that non-residents are welcome to tie the knot in Sin City anytime without a residency requirement. And yes, that includes international couples as well. Foreign couples just have to provide certain marriage documents for their marriage to be considered valid in their country of residence.
Each country's marriage laws are different. So you will have to do your own research on your country's marriage laws. Hiring a lawyer might be the easiest way to settle such legalities. If English isn't the first language of your country of residence, you will need to hire a translator to translate your marriage documents for them to be valid in your country of residence.
Las Vegas isn't just a hotspot for newlyweds. There are tons of repeat marriages happening in Las Vegas every day. You might even find a couple of "regulars" coming back every few years with a new spouse. But don't worry, the kind people of Vegas don't judge!
As long as your annulment or divorce is legit, you can choose to remarry in Las Vegas anytime. Some states may require a waiting period. But here, you can get remarried as soon as your annulment or divorce is final in the state where it was granted.
When you apply for your marriage license you will be required to give the date of your final decree. You'll also need to note the city and state where your annulment or divorce was granted.
Las Vegas marriage laws are pretty simple. But, there are a few restrictions you need to know about before booking a flight or hopping in the car in pursuit of your Las Vegas wedding. Here are the most common instances where couples won't be allowed to get married in Las Vegas:
If these situations don't apply to you, then you're 100% eligible to apply for a Las Vegas marriage license.
Did you know that at least 300 Vegas weddings happen every day? Crazy, right? This is partly because Las Vegas boasts the fastest marriage processes out there. Thanks to their speedy marriage license application and the hundreds of wedding chapels available all around the city, things move fast. It's the main reason why so many people choose to get married in Vegas in the first place.
Getting a marriage license in Las Vegas is so easy, you can do it in five simple steps—you don't even need a blood test.
The Clark County Marriage License Bureau allows couples to do walk-ins without even having to set an appointment. All you have to do is fill out the online pre-application form found on the Clark County, Nevada website. Then, you can head to the marriage license bureau right after you're done.
If you're coming from a different state or country, your information stays in the bureau's system for one year. If you fail to avail of your marriage license within that one year, just fill out the pre-application form again—no worries.
Once you've filled out the pre-application form, you and your partner need to prepare one valid ID each. Here are some of the ID's accepted by the marriage license bureau:
If you're an international couple, you might have to provide extra documents, such as a certificate of no impediment (CNI). This document is to ensure that you're free to marry abroad.
Make sure to do your research on which documents your country of residence requires as the requirements differ from country to country. Do this before you even book your flight to Las Vegas to avoid any complications.
With each party's documents and IDs in hand, you can now make your way to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau. Their office address is 201 E. Clark Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89101 (Northwest corner of 3rd Street and Clark).
The office is located on the ground floor of the Region Justice Center in Downtown Las Vegas. The marriage license bureau is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight, even on holidays.
The current cost for a Las Vegas marriage license is $102. You can pay using cash, card, business checks, bank cashier checks, or money orders.
Take note that personal checks are not accepted for marriage licenses and wedding ceremony fees. All checks and money orders should be made payable to County Clerk.
After confirming your identities and paying the required fees, you will be given a certified Las Vegas marriage license. There is no required waiting period. So you can get your marriage license on your wedding day itself, right before the wedding ceremony.
Now that you know the marriage laws and the step-by-step process in acquiring a marriage license in Las Vegas, all that's left for you to do is plan your wedding. If you aren't sure how you're going to start planning, we created this complete guide on everything you need to plan the perfect Vegas wedding.
And if you'd rather not deal with the stress of wedding planning, you can always hire a wedding planner to do the dirty work for you. But you can't just choose any wedding planner, you've got to choose the best—and we know just who you need.
Elope in Las Vegas is the number one wedding planner in the city. If you thought Vegas weddings were already easy-breezy, we make things even easier and more hassle-free for you. All you have to do is select your dream Vegas wedding location, set a date, and you're good to go!
For a dazzling vintage Vegas vibe, we highly recommend a Downtown Las Vegas Wedding. If you'd like something more peaceful and serene, a Red Rock Canyon Wedding or a Dry Lake Bed Wedding is the perfect location for a quiet intimate ceremony. For the full kitschy Las Vegas experience, we offer Las Vegas Wedding Chapel Packages.
We have eight different wedding packages available. Each package starts under $4000 with fees, permits, and taxes already included. But that's not even the best part—we also file all your marriage documents, plan the wedding ceremony, and we even provide you with a professional photographer, makeup artist, and hairstylist for your big day.
What are you waiting for? Plan your wedding day with Elope in Las Vegas and turn your dream wedding into a reality. All our packages come with a 100% money-back guarantee. So you can trust that you're in good hands.