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What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Elko County?

The Nevada Revised Statutes NRS §122.066 dictates that all ministers are required to register with the Elko County Clerk's Office as a Marriage Officiant before officiating any weddings in Elko County.

As an AMM Ordained Minister, you are required to register with the Elko County Clerk by completing and submitting one of the following two applications:


  1. APPLICATION FOR A PERMANENT CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES IN THE STATE OF NEVADA
    (Local Ministers Only)
  2. APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY TO SOLEMNIZE A SINGLE MARRIAGE CEREMONY IN THE STATE OF NEVADA
    (In-State or Out-of-State Ministers)

WHICH OFFICIANT APPLICATION IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Since there are two different ways to apply for permission to officiate a wedding, it can be confusing knowing which one to choose.

We recommend that unless you are a Elko County resident you should apply with the "In-State or Out-of-State Ministers" application. From here onward we will refer to this as the Single Ceremony Application.

If you do plan on applying with the "Local Ministers Only" application you will also have to complete a background check that incurs an additional fee and extra processing time of about 2 - 3 weeks.

When factoring in cost and time, the Single Ceremony application is preferable to everyone except officiants for hire. The steps below will walk you through the registration process using the Single Ceremony application.

How to Register as a Wedding Officiant with the Elko County Clerk's Office

In order to successfully register as a wedding officiant with the Elko County Clerk you will have to provide the following:


  1. 1 Completed Single Ceremony Application - Signed and Notarized Where Required
  2. 1 Signed and Notarized "Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriage"
  3. A Copy of Your Valid Government Photo ID - Driver's License, Passport, etc
  4. A Copy of AMM's Incorporation Certificate in the State of Nevada
  5. A $30 Filing Fee - Payable by Check or Money Order

What is the Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages?

The Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages is a government form that is signed by an AMM Officer and notarized that officially states that American Marriage Ministries recognizes the right of the applicant to perform marriage as an AMM Minister.

All applicants, whether resident or non-resident, are required to submit an "Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages" form as part of their application. All counties in Nevada require ministers to provide this document when applying for permission to perform marriage.

This form needs to be signed by an AMM officer and notarized. The Clerk will only accept an original copy bearing a live signature. They will not accept copies or faxes.

Where Can I Get AMM's Incorporation Certificate in Nevada?

American Marriage Ministries is registered as a Foreign-Corporation in Nevada in order to be in compliance with State Law. Chances are, the Clerk already has a copy of AMM's Nevada Foreign Corporation Certificate filed away.

Just in case, a hard copy is included in your Nevada Minister Ordination Package (as we will get to below). And you can also view, download, and print our Nevada Foreign Corporation Certificate from our website at any time.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REGISTER AS A WEDDING OFFICIANT?

The officiant registration process in Elko County can take a few weeks. So plan ahead and start your application process well before the scheduled wedding date.

The Elko County Clerk's office can take up to 30 days to process your application. We recommended that you submit your application at least 4 - 6 weeks before the wedding.

Continue reading to learn how to register as a marriage officiant with the Elko County Clerk by submitting the "Single Ceremony" application.



STEP 1ORDER YOUR NEVADA MINISTER ORDINATION PACKAGE

The fastest way to successfully register as a wedding officiant is to order your Nevada Minister Ordination Package. Make sure to select "Elko County" when requesting your package. Your package includes all the documents required for you to successfully register as a wedding officiant in Elko County. Your package contains:

Officiant Registration ORDER NOW Government Registration Guarantee

Please allow a few days to receive your package, as each one has to be signed by an AMM Officer and Notarized before being sent out the door. With standard shipping, you should receive your package within 3 - 5 business days unless you request expedited shipping.

STEP 2COMPLETE YOUR OFFICIANT APPLICATION

Your package will contain both applications in case you are a local resident. However you will most likely be applying with the "Single Ceremony" application.

Below are point-by-point instructions on how to fill out the fields on the Single Ceremony application. Similar instructions are also included in your Nevada Minister Ordination package (as well as instructions for the "Local Ministers Only" application).

For your convenience, your package also contains a partially pre-filled Single Ceremony application. The following instructions assume these fields on the application are already completed.

You will still have to verify that your information is correct and you can always start with a fresh form by downloading the PDF below.

Elko County Single Ceremony Application Instructions

⇣ SINGLE CEREMONY APPLICATION PDF ⇣

Page 1

The official instructions of the application. You should read this page carefully before continuing.


Page 2

This is the official Single Ceremony application. Let's get started!

Task 1: Verify That The Pre-Filled Information Is Correct

  • (1) Full Name of Applicant
  • (2) Residence Physical Address
  • (4) Email Address
  • (7) Local Church Physical Address*

    *This is the same as your physical address. The Clerk may mail you important time sensitive documents to this address. It is the same address on your Affidavit.

Task 2: Complete The Remaining Fields

  • (1) Nickname or Alias (if any)
  • (3) Mailing Address (if different from Residence Physical Address)
  • (4) Date of Birth
  • (4) Social Security Number
  • (5) Residential Phone number (if any)
  • (5) Cell Phone number (if any)
  • (7) Leave blank unless the mailing address is different
  • (8) Complete the additional fields if applicable
  • (10) Check "Yes" or "No" (if Yes, follow additional steps)
  • (11) Check the appropriate box
  • (12) Enter the Wedding Date
  • (13) Enter the full names of the Bride and Groom

Page 3

This is your information verification page.

Task 3: Have This Page Notarized

Important - Do not sign this document until you are in the presence of a notary. Many banks offer free notarial services to account holders, or you can find a nearby notary public with a quick internet search.


Page 4

This is Your Signed and Notarized "Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriage". We have completed the Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages on your behalf.

Task 4: Verify That The Pre-Filled Information Is Correct

  • State
  • Address
  • Name

If any of the information is incorrect, you must contact us to request a corrected affidavit.


Pages 5 & 6

These are instructions for the marriage officiant that you should read before performing any marriages. it contains important information such as how to fill out the Nevada Marriage License.

STEP 3SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE Elko County CLERK

Before submitting your application to the Clerk's office, make sure you have all of the following:


  1. 1 Completed Single Ceremony Application - Signed and Notarized Where Required
  2. 1 Signed and Notarized "Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriage"
  3. 1 Copy of AMM's Incorporation Certificate in the State of Nevada
  4. 1 Copy of Your Valid Government Photo ID
  5. 1 Check or Money Order in the Amount of $30

The check or money order can be written out to the "Elko County Clerk". You can submit your completed application in person or by mail to the address below.

Elko County Clerk Attn: Minister Licensing
550 Court Street, 3rd Floor
Elko, Nevada 89801-3518

Approval to Officiate a Wedding in Elko County

Processing your application can take up to 30 days. You will be notified by the Elko County Clerk's office once your application has been approved.

They will mail you a Certificate that authorizes you to perform marriage, along with information on how to complete a marriage license. With Certificate in hand, you will now be able to officiate a wedding in Elko County, Nevada. Wooo!!

If you have further questions about the status of your application, you can call the Elko County Clerk's office at 775-753-4600.

NEVADA SECRETARY OF STATE MARRIAGE OFFICIANT DATABASE

The Nevada Secretary of State's website does have a Marriage Officiant Public Database where you can search an officiant by name, church affiliation or county.

However, the tool only searches "Military" and "Permanent" officiants with an "ACTIVE" status. This database is intended primarily for professional wedding officiants that perform marriage for a living and thus need to report their income.

If your name does not show up in this database, do not worry. This is probably because the application you submitted was not for a "Permanent" status to perform marriage. As long as you were certified by the Clerk's office, you are good to go.

Get Ready To Officiate a Wedding

Get Ordained with AMM

Your next step is to learn how to prepare for the wedding ceremony. If you have no experience, you are in good hands. Our Nevada Wedding Officiant Preparation Guide covers all aspects of preparing for all of the ceremonial aspects of the wedding. You will learn everything from the format for a wedding ceremony, the names of the ceremony parts, how to write a wedding ceremony, and more.

Nevada Officiant Ceremony Preparation

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Professional Wedding Officiant Certification Course

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Choose Your Officiant with our "Will You Marry Us?" Gift Package.

Signature Wedding Officiant Package

Signature Wedding Officiant Package

Our premiere package contains everyting you need to officiate like a pro.

The Book of Wedding Vows and Ceremonies

The Book of Wedding Vows and Ceremonies

It's finally here! Timeless scripts and heartfelt vow inspiration to bring life to your ceremony.

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Checkout the AMM Blog

Stay up-to-date with the latest wedding industry trends.

Read our sample wedding ceremony scripts online

Sample Wedding Ceremony Scripts

Need inspiration? Check out our free ceremony scripts!

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