Esmeralda County, Nevada Marriage Officiant Registration Guide

What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Esmeralda County?

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

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

1. Permanent Certificate of Authority To Solemnize Marriages
   (Local Ministers Only)
2. Temporary Certificate of Authority To Solemnize Marriages
   (In-State or Out-of-State Ministers)

The Clerk's website does not have these applications available for download. We recommend that you contact them to request the application you wish to complete. Their contact information is listed later on in this page.

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 Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County Clerk's Office

In order to successfully register as a wedding officiant with the Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County can take a few weeks. So plan ahead and start your application process well before the scheduled wedding date.

The Esmeralda County Clerk's office can take up to 7 business days to process your application. We recommended that you submit your application at least 3 - 6 weeks before the wedding.

Continue reading to learn how to register as a marriage officiant with the Esmeralda 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 "Esmeralda County" when requesting your package. Your package includes all the documents required for you to successfully register as a wedding officiant in Esmeralda County. Your package contains:

ORDER NOW

• Your Official Ministry Credentials - Ordination Certificate & Notarized Letter of Good Standing
• Signed and Notarized Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages Form
• Both the Permanent Status and Single Ceremony Applications
• A Copy of AMM's Incorporation Certificate in the State of Nevada

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

There are a few important things to be aware of when completing your Single Ceremony application.

1. You may have to get one of the documents notarized. 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.
2. You will probably be required to submit a signed and notarized "Affidavit of Authority to Solemnize Marriages" document. This document is included in your Nevada Minister Ordination Package.

STEP 3SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO THE Esmeralda 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 "Esmeralda County Clerk". You can submit your completed application in person or by mail to the address below.

Esmeralda County Clerk/Treasurer
PO Box 547
Goldfield, NV 89013

Approval to Officiate a Wedding in Esmeralda County

Processing your application can take up to 30 days. You will be notified by the Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County, Nevada. Wooo!!

If you have further questions about the status of your application, you can call the Esmeralda County Clerk's office at 775-485-6309.

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

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