Find Washoe County Marriage & Divorce Records

Washoe County Marriage and Divorce Records Overview

Three offices share the work. The Washoe County Clerk's Marriage License Bureau takes the application, collects the fee, and issues the license. The license is the legal permit. It does not prove a marriage took place. After the ceremony, the officiant must deliver the original marriage certificate to the Washoe County Recorder within 10 days. The Recorder then files the proof of marriage and sells certified copies. If a marriage ends, the case is filed at the Second Judicial District Court Family Division. The Family Division holds the petition, the decree, and every paper in between.

Nevada law sets the rules. The marriage license fee is fixed by NRS 122.060. The Recorder's recording duties sit in NRS Chapter 247. Divorce records, like all court files, fall under the Nevada Public Records Act at NRS Chapter 239, with sealing rules layered on top. Most marriage and divorce information is public in some form. Some pieces are not. The next sections walk through each record type, the office that holds it, and what it costs.

Washoe County Marriage Licenses

The County Clerk issues every marriage license. The office sits in the Washoe County complex at 1001 East Ninth Street in Reno. Both parties must show up in person. No appointment is needed. The fee is $85 under NRS 122.060. Cash, credit card, money order, cashier's check, and traveler's check are all accepted. Credit card payments add a 2% plus $0.25 third-party fee. The license is valid for one year from the date of issue. It can be used anywhere inside Nevada. If a couple uses a Nevada license to marry in another state, that marriage is not legal.

Nevada makes the process simple. There is no waiting period. There is no blood test. Only one witness is needed at the ceremony. Couples often pre-fill the application online to save counter time. They still must appear in person to sign and pay. The Clerk also issues officiant authorizations and offers civil marriages through the Commissioner of Civil Marriages. The lead-in below comes straight from the Recorder fee page, which lists every cost tied to marriage records.

The fee schedule for marriage records and certified copies is laid out on the Washoe County Recorder fee page.

The same page shows that plain marriage copies are $1 and certified marriage copies are $15. Those numbers are the ones most users care about.

Marriage Record Fees in Washoe County

Two offices charge fees. The Clerk charges to issue and process the license. The Recorder charges to make copies of the proof of marriage. Both fee schedules sit in plain view online. The table below pulls the items most couples need.

Pay the Clerk fee at the counter when the license is issued. Pay the Recorder fee at the time a certified or plain copy is ordered. Mail orders to the Recorder should allow 10 to 15 working days. The Recorder accepts cash, check, money order, cashier's check, and credit card. A 3.5% card processing fee applies.

Marriage License Application Fields

The Washoe County Clerk uses a standard application form. It collects names, dates, places, and prior marital status. Both parties answer the same set of questions. The online pre-fill captures the same fields and prints them for counter signature. The table below maps the application form so couples know what to bring.

Bring photo ID for both parties. Bring a prior divorce date or a death date if either applicant was married before. The form also asks for the place where the prior marriage ended. Couples should write that fact down before they arrive.

How to Apply for a Washoe County Marriage License

The Clerk lays out the steps on the Marriage License Bureau page. Couples can save time by pre-filling the application before the visit. Each step is short. The whole counter visit usually takes less than an hour when both parties have ID and any prior divorce or death information ready.

1. Open the Marriage License Bureau page and choose the pre-fill option if you want to save counter time.
2. Both parties travel to 1001 East Ninth Street, Reno, with valid photo ID and any prior divorce or death dates.
3. Arrive during posted hours; weekend and holiday access uses the 9th Street entrance to Building A.
4. Check in at the Marriage License Bureau and sign the application in front of staff.
5. Pay the $85 fee by cash, card, money order, cashier's check, or traveler's check.
6. Receive the license, valid for one year for use anywhere in Nevada.
7. Hold the ceremony with at least one witness and an officiant authorized in Nevada.
8. Confirm the officiant delivers the original certificate to the Washoe County Recorder within 10 days.

Wedding chapels, churches, religious officials, and the Commissioner of Civil Marriages can each perform the ceremony. The Recorder posts a self-service portal where marriage certificate indexing data after 1965 is searchable by name. The Recorder FAQ explains the search method and the difference between proof of marriage and the license itself.

The marriage-records FAQ at washoecounty.gov/recorder/faq sets out copy rules and search limits.

The FAQ also warns that the portal cannot search by address, legal description, or APN. Use names and a rough date instead.

Certified Marriage Copies and Proof of Marriage

Proof of marriage is not the license. The license is the permit. The proof is the certificate the officiant signs and files. The Recorder holds the proof. Couples and family members order certified copies from the Recorder's office at 1001 East 9th Street, Building A, Room 150, Reno. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The fee is $15 per certified copy. Plain copies are $1. Mail requests should be sent to Washoe County Recorder, 1001 E. 9th Street, Bldg. A, Reno, NV 89512.

Search the Recorder's online index by party name and rough date. The index covers marriage records back to 1965. Older records may need a counter visit or staff lookup. Officiants who lose or damage a certificate can file an affidavit of lost or destroyed marriage certificate under NRS 122.130(2) for $15.

The Recorder statistics page explains what counts as a marriage record at the office, which is separate from a marriage license held by the Clerk.

The page sets out the indexing dates so couples know which years are searchable online and which need a counter visit.

Washoe County Divorce Records

Divorce records live with the court, not the Recorder. The Second Judicial District Court Family Division handles every divorce filing in Washoe County. The Family Division sits at One South Sierra Street, Reno, NV 89501. Phone is (775) 328-3110. The Family Division also handles custody, paternity, UIFSA support, adoption, and juvenile family matters. Nevada is a no-fault divorce state. A spouse only needs to show incompatibility or one year of separation.

Search the District Court public portal at caseinfo.washoecourts.com to confirm a divorce case. Pick Case Search. Enter a party last name, a case number, or a company name. Add a filing date range to cut the list. In Calendar Search, pick Divorce or Family as the case type to view hearings. Adoption files are sealed under NRS Chapter 127 and never appear in the public portal. Some divorce orders may be sealed in part if a judge finds a compelling privacy interest.

Certified copies of divorce decrees come from the court, not the Recorder. Send a written request to Records Request at recordreq@washoecourts.us. Include the case number, the party names, and your contact information. The court records page covers portal search steps in more detail. The Clerk of Court page lists the certified copy fees that apply.

Which Office Holds Which Record

People get confused by the split. The chart below shows the rule. A user asking for a "marriage record" may need the Clerk or the Recorder. The right answer turns on whether the user wants the license or the proof.

The Clerk also handles passport applications, fictitious firm names, and board records. The Recorder also records deeds, liens, and maps. Neither office writes divorce papers. Couples filing pro se use the court's Family Division self-help packets.

Washoe County Marriage and Divorce Office Contacts

Three counter desks handle most public requests for marriage and divorce records. Each one has its own hours and parking notes. Bring photo ID for any in-person visit.

Language assistance for the Clerk is at 775-784-7287. The Family Division self-help center has packets for divorce, custody, and name change. Public records requests for non-court county records go to the public records page.