Washoe County Clerk
75 Court Street, Room 131
PO Box 30083
Reno, NV 89520
Frequently Asked Questions
A male and female person, at least 18 years of age, not nearer of kin than second cousins or cousins of the half blood, and not having a husband or wife living, may be joined in marriage. Both parties must appear at the Marriage License Bureau in either Reno or Incline Village.
Blood tests are not required in Nevada, and there is no waiting period.
Before issuing a marriage license, the County Clerk shall require each applicant to provide proof of the applicant's name and age. The County Clerk may accept as proof of the applicant's name and age an original or certified copy of any of the following:
- A driver's license, instruction permit or identification card issued by this state or another state, the District of Columbia or any territory of the United States.
- A passport.
- A birth certificate and a secondary form of identification that contains the name of the applicant. If the birth certificate is written in a language other than English, the County Clerk may request that the birth certificate be translated into English and notarized.
- Matricula Consular Card
- A military identification card or military dependent identification card issued by any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States.
- A Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, Permanent Resident Card or Temporary Resident Card issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security.
- Any other document that the county clerk determines provides proof of the applicant's name and age.
Please Note: If you have a Social Security number, you must provide it to us at the time of license issuance.
If you have any questions as to whether or not your identification is acceptable, please call in advance at 775-328-3274.
You do not need to bring your divorce papers, however, if you have been divorced or your previous marriage has been annulled, the divorce or annulment must be final in the state where granted. You must know the year of the divorce or annulment and where the papers were filed.
- Persons at least 16 years of age but less than 18 years of age may marry only if the person has the consent of a parent or legal guardian. A parent or legal guardian is required to have acceptable identification to prove they are the parent on the birth certificate or the legal guardian on the guardianship order. If the parent's last name is different than the child's, you must show proof of how the parent obtained that name. Persons signing as legal guardians must furnish a certified court order showing proof of full legal guardianship to the satisfaction of the Clerk.
- If the parent or legal guardian cannot be present, a consent form, written in English, stating the name, birth date, age of the minor child, relationship of the person giving consent, and name of prospective spouse; acknowledged before a Notary Public will be accepted. The notary portion of the consent form must state that the parent or guardian "personally appeared before" or that the document was "subscribed and sworn to before" the notary. A facsimile of the consent will be accepted. When a legal guardian is signing and sending a facsimile, a copy of the court order for full guardianship must be attached to the notarized consent. If the parent's last name is different than the child's, you must show proof of how the parent obtained that name.
- Persons under 16 years of age may marry only if a parent or legal guardian files an action, pays all court fees as provided by law, and presents a court order from the Second Judicial District Court, County of Washoe, State of Nevada, authorizing the Clerk to issue a license.
To be legally married, a marriage ceremony must be performed by any person authorized to perform a marriage in the State of Nevada. Your options are:
- Wedding Chapels
- Churches
- Commissioner of Civil Marriages
One witness to the marriage ceremony is required by law. Chapel brochures are available in the courthouse hallway for your selection. You may also call the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitor's Authority at (800) FOR-RENO, (888) 367-7366. The Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce at (775) 337-3030. To be married at Lake Tahoe you may call the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Chamber of Commerce at (775) 831-4440.
A marriage license issued in the State of Nevada may be used anywhere within Nevada. If a Nevada license is used anywhere other than Nevada, the ceremony and the marriage are not legal. A marriage performed in Nevada with a Nevada license is a legal marriage.
You can request a copy of the Marriage Application online with your Visa or MasterCard. You are not requesting a license to be married. You must be present in our offices to request a Marriage License. By clicking the "online" link above, you will be taken to our secured server. You must use the tab key or your mouse to move from field to field. When you have completed your request, you will need to click on continue to return to our site. If you do not feel comfortable submitting your request online, you may obtain a copy by mail from:
Washoe County Clerk
P.O. Box 30083
Reno, NV 89520-3083
When ordering a certified copy by mail, please remit $1.00 per page copy charge and $6.00 for the certification (most documents are one page in which case the fee would be $7.00 for a certified copy). You will be notified if there are additional pages.
Visa, MasterCard, Money Orders or Cashier Checks only, no personal checks. Please include the date of marriage and names of the bride and groom with your request. You may also call us at (775) 328-3274 as we do accept phone orders with a Visa or MasterCard credit card only.
You can obtain a true, legal certified copy of your marriage record (marriage certificate) from the Washoe County Recorder's Office. You can download the request form and mail or fax it to the Recorder's Office, or request the document online. The Recorder's Office is located in the Washoe County Administration Complex, 1001 E 9th Street, Building A, Room 150. The hours of service are Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM. The fee per certified copy is $15.00. When requesting certified copies through the mail from the Recorder's Office you will need to allow 10-15 working days for processing. The mailing address is WASHOE COUNTY RECORDER, PO BOX 11130, RENO, NV 89520-0027. It is Nevada State law that within 10 days after you have had a marriage ceremony performed, that the minister must deliver the original marriage certificate to the Washoe County Recorder's Office for official recording. If you need a certified copy of your marriage certificate sooner than 10 days, check with the agency performing your ceremony, as they may be able to help expedite the processing of your certificate.
Domestic Partnerships are administered by the Nevada Secretary of State.
For road information, visit http://www.nvroads.com.
Click here for a map of our Reno location.
Click here for a map of our Incline Location.
Click here for a map of our Commissioner of Civil Marriages location.
Social Security has passed new laws regarding name change requirements and you may be required to provide two documents to them evidencing your marriage in order to change your name. One of those documents is a copy of your Marriage License Application, which you can purchase when you purchase your marriage license in this office or wait and order it later if needed. The other is a copy of your Marriage Certificate, which will be recorded with the County Recorder.
Both parties must be present at the time their license is issued unless there are extenuating circumstances. Single signature licenses will only be issued with supervisor / management approval. If you feel you may qualify to be issued a single signature license, please contact our office prior to coming in so that we can discuss the specifics of your situation.
