Process for Obtaining Nevada Marriage Records

There is a certain attraction to getting married in the State of Nevada. The fact is, not just celebrities but even many commoners have come to Las Vegas in the state to get married. In all honestly however, this is quite a recent trend that started about a decade or two ago.

In traditional pioneer societies, parish churches took over much of the responsibility for maintaining records. They may have been concerned less about civic administration and more about their own congregations, but they did provide a historic service to early American communities.

Having entered the Union late during the Civil War, Nevada never did have as long a tradition of civic administration as the original 13 states of the Union, and therefore the tradition of maintaining vital records. Maintaining Nevada marriage records is the business of the government, as it is in every other state in the United States of America. The administration of each county has to take charge of keeping all vital records updated.

Why You May Need a Copy of Nevada Marriage Records

Marriage records ratified by the state are no doubt of immediate value if you are trying to locate a long-lost uncle or aunt, or to do a background check on a prospective (or a truant) spouse--your own, or that of a loved one or client.

The study of genealogy has even gone way beyond that. These records are of great consequence to today’s growing tribe of genealogical research professionals. These scholarly sleuths need and use authentic vital records as primary sources to not only help connect long-lost relatives, but spot ethnic, cultural and even genetic patterns.

Marriage records can indeed reveal a lot of information such as the date and the place of marriage, at times even the names of the fathers and the mothers, those who were witness to the marriage, their addresses, and also the name of the person who conducted the ceremony. You can learn about all this from the marriage certificate that was issued by the local or state government.

Marriage records in Nevada and elsewhere are quite often the primary source of information. Using the Internet for this purpose has also made the work much easier now. You can now find Nevada marriage records, marriage licenses, marriage indexes, marriage announcements and other related genealogy records in the state.

Marriage Records are a Fundamental Right

The local and the county authorities are legally bound to maintain and update the vital statistics that include the birth, death and marriage records. If you need access to these records for whatever reason, the state is also legally bound to provide the copy to you.

This holds true for marriage records in Nevada as well. What you need to know are the procedures for accessing them. Nevada, for instance, may have certain exclusions in place to prevent abuse of immigration laws.

Of course you will also need to know where to send your application so that you can receive the records you want. When sending that request, do remember that you should send as much information as possible because otherwise you may end up receiving the wrong records. After all, there can be two people with the same name--so send the name of the person, name alternatives (if any), nicknames etc.

The Official Channels

Nevada’s vital records started being maintained at the state level in 1911. Prior to that year, whatever records existed were kept, as they still are, at the county recorders’ offices and not at the state’s Section of Vital Statistics. There is no statewide index for records prior to 1911. For the index beginning in that year, access is restricted. You probably need to check these further on a case-by-case basis.

You may request birth and death records from after 1911 and marriage records after 1969 by writing to the State of Nevada Health Division, Bureau of Health Planning and Statistics, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, 505 E. King Street, Room 102, Carson City, NV 89701-4749. You may also call 775-684-4242. For prior records, you will need to contact the clerk of the county in question.

If for some reason the marriage record copy that you have asked for is not available with the State Health Department, your request will be forwarded to the County Clerk in the particular county where it may be found. You can get your copy of the Nevada marriage records by paying a fee of $10.00.

Other Ways You Can Receive Your Copy

Of course there are some other ways too in which you can find out more about a person you are trying to track. There are licensed private investigators who can help you in this, and there are many people who opt for their services.