Where Clark County Marriage and Divorce Records Live
Marriage and divorce are not handled by the same office in Clark County. This trips up many searchers. A marriage license and the marriage record are County Clerk records. A divorce is a District Court family case. The two offices use different systems and different request processes.
The Clark County Clerk issues marriage licenses, records marriages, and provides certified copies of marriage certificates. The elected County Clerk runs this office. The Eighth Judicial District Court handles divorce filings, decrees, custody, and support as part of its family caseload. A certified divorce decree comes from the District Court Clerk, not the County Clerk marriage bureau.
So a person seeking proof of marriage goes to the County Clerk. A person seeking proof of divorce goes to the District Court. The Clark County Clerk page covers the marriage side, and the Clerk of the Court page covers the District Court records side.
Searching Clark County Marriage Records
Clark County marriage records are searched through the County Clerk Acclaim marriage search at clerk.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimWeb/Marriage. The search returns marriage records and offers a certified-copy order through a cart workflow.
The image below shows the County Clerk marriage record search used to look up Clark County marriage records.
The table below lists the marriage record search fields a user works with on the Acclaim marriage search for Clark County.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Name | Text | Unspecified | Search on first name. |
| Last Name | Text | Unspecified | Search on last or business name. |
| Marriage Year | Number | Optional | Placeholder YYYY; minimum 1800; four digits. |
| Certificate # | Text | Optional | Instrument number search. |
| Search | Button | n/a | Runs the marriage record search. |
| Certified Copy | Checkbox | Optional | Appears in the order modal for a certified copy. |
Note: A certified marriage copy is required for many legal purposes; an uncertified online image is for reference only.
Applying for a Clark County Marriage License
Clark County issues marriage licenses through the County Clerk. Las Vegas is a national wedding destination, so the Clerk runs a detailed online pre-application to speed up in-person processing. Marriage in Nevada is governed by NRS Chapter 122, which sets the rules for licensing, officiants, and recording.
The image below shows the County Clerk marriage license pre-application used to start a Clark County marriage license.
The general steps to get a Clark County marriage license are below. Confirm the current fee and identification rules on the official County Clerk page before going in.
- Review the Clark County Clerk marriage license requirements.
- Complete the online pre-application at clerk.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimClerkPreApp. It collects each party's name, residence, birth state, date of birth, marital status, and parent information.
- Appear as required by the County Clerk with valid identification.
- Pay the current official marriage license fee.
- Have a legally authorized officiant perform the ceremony under NRS Chapter 122.
- The officiant returns the certificate for recording.
- Order a certified copy through the Acclaim marriage search after the record is filed.
The pre-application marks the Social Security number field as USA only and uses a placeholder format. Same-sex marriage records use the same County Clerk process.
Searching Clark County Divorce Records
Divorce records are District Court family cases, not County Clerk records. Search them through the Eighth Judicial District Court Smart Search at clarkcountycourts.us/Portal/Home/Dashboard/29. Select Family Domestic in the case-type filter to narrow results to family matters.
A divorce case docket shows the filing, the parties, the assigned judicial officer, and the case status. Sensitive child, financial, custody, and domestic-violence information may be sealed or redacted even when the rest of the case is public. A certified divorce decree is obtained from the District Court Clerk. The court records page walks through the full Smart Search field set.
Divorce in Nevada is governed by NRS Chapter 125, which sets jurisdiction, residency, and decree rules. Custody and visitation are governed by NRS Chapter 125C.
Filing for Divorce in Clark County
A Clark County divorce is filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court family division. The process depends on whether the parties file jointly or one party files against the other. The Family Law Self-Help Center provides Clark County forms and step-by-step guidance.
- Confirm Nevada residency and jurisdiction under NRS Chapter 125.
- Prepare the complaint or joint petition and the family court forms.
- File in the Eighth Judicial District Court family division.
- Serve the other party unless a joint filing applies.
- Address custody, support, property and debt, and alimony, plus any fee-waiver request.
- Track the case in the District Court portal where it is public and not sealed.
- Obtain a certified decree copy from the District Court Clerk.
The image below shows the Nevada divorce statute, NRS Chapter 125, which governs Clark County divorce filings.
The Family Law Self-Help Center at familylawselfhelpcenter.org covers divorce, custody, support, and name changes for Clark County. It provides legal information and forms, not legal representation.
Certified Copies of Clark County Marriage and Divorce Records
Certified copies matter because they carry an official seal and are accepted for legal purposes. An uncertified online image is for reference only. The office that issued the record is the office that certifies the copy.
For a certified marriage certificate, order through the County Clerk Acclaim marriage search, which offers a certified-copy checkbox in the order modal. For a certified divorce decree, request it from the Eighth Judicial District Court Clerk. The two are separate offices with separate fees and processes.
Note: A name change after marriage or divorce often requires the certified record, so order it early if you plan to update identification or accounts.
Other County Clerk Records in Clark County
The County Clerk holds more than marriage records. The office also handles fictitious firm names, notary bonds, and commissioner services, and it provides general record-search categories through the Acclaim system. These are separate from court case records.
The image below shows the County Clerk Acclaim public records search, which covers marriage and other County Clerk record categories in Clark County.
The Acclaim portal at clerk.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimWeb supports searching by name, instrument, document type, and record date. The public records page covers the broader Nevada Public Records Act framework for these records.
Common-Law and Special Marriage Notes for Nevada
Nevada does not generally recognize new common-law marriages formed in the state. A couple who lived together in Nevada without a licensed marriage usually does not have a marriage record. Edge cases involving common-law marriages formed in other states should be checked through the Nevada statutes and court self-help.
Same-sex marriage records are handled through the same County Clerk process as any other marriage. The pre-application, the license, and the recorded certificate follow the standard workflow under NRS Chapter 122. Adoption-related family records are confidential under NRS Chapter 127 and are not part of a public marriage or divorce search.
For probate and estate matters that touch a marriage, such as a surviving spouse's estate, the probate records page covers the District Court probate process.