How to Officiate a Wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas might be the “Wedding Capital of the World,” but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the easiest place to register as a wedding officiant with the local government. In fact, Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, has strict requirements that wedding officiants have to follow before performing wedding ceremonies.

For out-of-towners, or first-time officiants, these requirements might be daunting, but we’ve broken them down into easy-to-follow steps, so that you can focus on what really matters – performing the wedding ceremony.

STEP 1: Get ordained with American Marriage Ministries

Let’s start with the ordainment process. The Clark County Clerk has two registration options for wedding officiants: You can request permission to perform a Single Ceremony or you can apply for Permanent Status. Where you live, the number of weddings you plan to perform, and the time and resources you want to dedicate will determine which option you choose, so let’s start by comparing the two:

SINGLE CEREMONY APPLICATION

• Available to Residents and Non-Residents of Nevada.
• Requires the couple to sign a Character Reference Affidavit in the presence of a Notary.
• Requires you to take an online Single Ceremony Marriage Officiant Training Course.
• Requires you to pay a total application fee of $25.Your certification can take up to 30 days.

PERMANENT STATUS APPLICATION

• Only available to Clark County, Nevada residents.

• Officiant must attend a 2 Hour Officiant Training Course at the Clark County Government Center.

• Requires officiant to complete a background check. This incurs an additional fee and processing time.

• Your certification can take more than 30 days.

If those requirements seem complicated, don’t worry. At this point, all you need to do is ask yourself whether you want to perform more than one ceremony, and how much time and energy you want to expend. For many wedding officiants, the single ceremony registration is all that’s required and it’s pretty painless.

Get ordained today!

STEP 2: Prepare for the Ceremony in Clark County

Now that we have the legal stuff out of the way, let’s get ready for the ceremony itself. Having a couple ask you to officiate their ceremony is an honor but can feel like a lot of pressure. Any officiant will appreciate our wedding training pages, which are a library of information and tools to assist you to prepare for your first ceremony and ensure that it goes smoothly.

It has everything from sample wedding ceremony scripts, to brainstorming prompts, tips for preparation, and more.

STEP 3: Officiate the Wedding and Complete the Marriage License

Now, back to the legal stuff. It is the responsibility of the couple to obtain and complete the marriage license. It is always a good idea to double-check that they have done so before performing the ceremony.

Once the festivities are over and the marriage license is properly signed, you have successfully performed all of your functions as the wedding officiant. Just remind them to return the marriage license within 90 days of it being issued.

Follow these two simple steps to get your marriage license:

1. No more than 90 days out from your wedding, fill out the Las Vegas Marriage License Application Form.

When filling out the form, make the information matches the government issued ID you will be using to pick up the license.

2. Both spouses must apply in person for a Las Vegas Marriage License

This means you will need to visit the marriage license bureau in person. The office is located on the ground floor of the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas not far from the Fremont Street Experience. The address is:

Clark County Marriage License Bureau
201 E. Clark Avenue 
Las Vegas, NV 89101 

We will be updating our wedding planning advice for couples soon. If you've got tips you want to share with us, please shoot us an email at [email protected]