Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 122 - Marriage
NRS 122.066 - Database of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants who have been issued certificate of permission to perform marriages; maintenance of database by Secret...


1. The Secretary of State shall establish and maintain a statewide database of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants who have been issued a certificate of permission to perform marriages or whose certificate has been renewed. The database must:
(a) Serve as the official list of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants approved to perform marriages in this State;
(b) Provide for a single method of storing and managing the official list;
(c) Be a uniform, centralized and interactive database;
(d) Be electronically secure and accessible to each county clerk in this State;
(e) Contain the name, mailing address and other pertinent information of each minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant as prescribed by the Secretary of State; and
(f) Include a unique identifier assigned by the Secretary of State to each minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant.
2. If the county clerk approves an application for a certificate of permission to perform marriages or for the renewal of a certificate, the county clerk shall:
(a) Enter all information contained in the application into the electronic statewide database of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants maintained by the Secretary of State not later than 10 days after the certificate of permission to perform marriages or the renewal of a certificate is approved by the county clerk; and
(b) Provide to the Secretary of State all information related to the minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant pursuant to paragraph (e) of subsection 1.
3. Upon approval of an application pursuant to subsection 2, the minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant:
(a) Shall comply with the laws of this State governing the solemnization of marriage and conduct of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants;
(b) Is subject to further review or investigation by the county clerk to ensure that he or she continues to meet the statutory requirements for a person authorized to solemnize a marriage; and
(c) Shall provide the county clerk with any changes to his or her status or information, including, without limitation, the address or telephone number of the church or religious organization, if applicable, or any other information pertaining to certification within 30 days after such a change. If a notary public to whom a certificate of permission to perform marriages has been issued or renewed changes his or her address, the notary public must submit to the Secretary of State a request for an amended certificate of appointment in accordance with NRS 240.036.
4. In addition to the circumstances set forth in this section in which a certificate of permission to perform marriages is no longer valid or expires, a county clerk may, in his or her discretion, establish a policy providing that a certificate of permission expires 5 years after the date it was issued or renewed. If a county clerk does not establish such a policy, the certificate of permission remains valid unless and until it becomes invalid or expires pursuant to this section.
5. A certificate of permission is valid until:
(a) If the certificate is issued to a minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, the county clerk has received an affidavit of removal of authority to solemnize marriages pursuant to NRS 122.0665 or the certificate of permission is revoked pursuant to NRS 122.068.
(b) If the certificate is issued to a notary public, the appointment as a notary public has expired or has been cancelled, revoked or suspended. If, after the expiration of his or her appointment, a notary public receives a new appointment, the notary public may reapply for a certificate of permission to perform marriages.
6. An affidavit of removal of authority to solemnize marriages that is received pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 5 must be sent to the county clerk within 5 days after the minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage ceased to be a member of the church or religious organization in good standing or ceased to be a minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage for the church or religious organization.
7. If the county clerk in the county where the certificate of permission was issued has reason to believe that:
(a) The minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage is no longer in good standing within his or her church or religious organization, or that he or she is no longer a minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, or that such church or religious organization no longer exists;
(b) The notary public is no longer in good standing with the Secretary of State or that the appointment of the notary public has expired; or
(c) The marriage officiant is no longer in good standing with the county clerk,
the county clerk may require satisfactory proof of the good standing of the minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant. If such proof is not presented within 15 days, the county clerk shall remove the certificate of permission by amending the electronic record of the minister, other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, notary public or marriage officiant in the statewide database pursuant to subsection 1.
8. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 9, if any minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage to whom a certificate of permission has been issued severs ties with his or her church or religious organization or moves from the county in which his or her certificate was issued, the certificate shall expire immediately upon such severance or move, and the church or religious organization shall, within 5 days after the severance or move, file an affidavit of removal of authority to solemnize marriages pursuant to NRS 122.0665. If the minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage voluntarily advises the county clerk of the county in which his or her certificate was issued of his or her severance with his or her church or religious organization, or that he or she has moved from the county, the certificate shall expire immediately upon such severance or move without any notification to the county clerk by the church or religious organization.
9. If any minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage, who is retired and to whom a certificate of permission has been issued, moves from the county in which his or her certificate was issued to another county in this State, the certificate remains valid until such time as the certificate otherwise expires or is removed or revoked as prescribed by law. The minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage must provide his or her new address to the county clerk in the county to which the minister or other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage has moved.
10. If any notary public or marriage officiant to whom a certificate of permission has been issued or renewed moves from the county in which his or her certificate was issued, the certificate shall expire immediately upon such move.
11. The Secretary of State may adopt regulations concerning the creation and administration of the statewide database. This section does not prohibit the Secretary of State from making the database publicly accessible for the purpose of viewing ministers, other church or religious officials who are authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants to whom a certificate of permission to perform marriages has been issued or renewed in this State.
(Added to NRS by 1967, 1290; A 1969, 92; 1971, 1550; 2009, 728; 2011, 1855; 2013, 1191, 3668; 2017, 1030)

Structure Nevada Revised Statutes

Nevada Revised Statutes

Chapter 122 - Marriage

NRS 122.001 - Definitions.

NRS 122.0015 - "Commercial wedding chapel" defined.

NRS 122.002 - "Commissioner township" defined.

NRS 122.004 - "Marriage officiant" defined.

NRS 122.006 - "Other church or religious official authorized to solemnize a marriage" defined.

NRS 122.010 - What constitutes marriage; no common-law marriages after March 29, 1943.

NRS 122.020 - Persons capable of marriage.

NRS 122.025 - Marriage of minor who is 17 years of age: Consent of parent or guardian; authorization by court.

NRS 122.030 - Documents constituting presumptive evidence of marriage.

NRS 122.040 - Marriage license: Requirements; issuance by county clerk; waiver of certain requirements; name after marriage; public records; expiration.

NRS 122.045 - Preparation of affidavit of correction to correct information in marriage license; fees.

NRS 122.050 - Form of marriage license.

NRS 122.055 - Consolidation of forms for marriage; requirements and limitations on information on reverse of form.

NRS 122.060 - Fees.

NRS 122.061 - Office hours for issuance of marriage licenses.

NRS 122.0615 - Issuance of marriage license during certain office hours or during other hours by commercial wedding chapel if authorized; establishment of program to authorize certain commercial wedding chapels to issue marriage licenses; duties of s...

NRS 122.062 - Licensed, ordained or appointed ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public, marriage officiants and chaplains of Armed Forces to obtain certificates from county clerk; temporary re...

NRS 122.064 - Initial application for or renewal of certificate: Form; required information; fees. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish procedures for withholding, suspending an...

NRS 122.065 - Payment of child support: Statement by applicant for certificate; grounds for denial of certificate; duty of county clerk. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to establish pro...

NRS 122.066 - Database of ministers, other church or religious officials authorized to solemnize a marriage, notaries public or marriage officiants who have been issued certificate of permission to perform marriages; maintenance of database by Secret...

NRS 122.0665 - Affidavit of removal of authority to solemnize marriages: Form of affidavit; filing by church or religious organization that authorized official to solemnize marriages.

NRS 122.067 - Suspension of certificate for failure to pay child support or comply with certain subpoenas or warrants; reinstatement of certificate. [Effective until the date of the repeal of 42 U.S.C. § 666, the federal law requiring each state to e...

NRS 122.068 - Revocation of certificates and removal of authority to solemnize marriages; hearing; duties of Secretary of State.

NRS 122.071 - Judicial review.

NRS 122.073 - Additional regulations by county clerk.

NRS 122.080 - Solemnization of marriage by Supreme Court justice, appellate judge, district judge, justice of the peace, municipal judge, commissioner and deputy commissioner of civil marriages and mayor; unlawful acts.

NRS 122.090 - Marriage solemnized by unauthorized person: When valid.

NRS 122.100 - Marriages solemnized between March 3, 1937, and March 24, 1943, validated.

NRS 122.103 - Marriages solemnized by certain ministers before May 20, 1967, validated.

NRS 122.110 - No particular form of solemnization required; witness.

NRS 122.120 - Certificate of marriage: Form.

NRS 122.130 - Certificate of marriage: Recording; loss or destruction before recording; replacement certificate; fees.

NRS 122.135 - Preparation of affidavit of correction to correct information in certificate of marriage; fees.

NRS 122.140 - Illegitimate children legitimatized.

NRS 122.150 - Forms used by Friends or Quakers valid.

NRS 122.160 - Marriages between Indians performed by tribal custom on reservation or in colony: Validity; certificate of declaration.

NRS 122.170 - Marriages between Indians consummated in accordance with tribal customs valid: Certificate of marriage; contents; recording.

NRS 122.173 - Commissioner of civil marriages: County clerk is ex officio in larger counties; appointment of county clerk in smaller counties; solemnization of marriages; no additional compensation.

NRS 122.175 - Deputy commissioners of civil marriages: Appointment; powers and duties; compensation; limitation on number on duty.

NRS 122.177 - Area for solemnizing marriages.

NRS 122.179 - Clerical personnel, supplies and equipment to be provided by county.

NRS 122.181 - Fees for solemnizing marriages: Amounts; disposition.

NRS 122.183 - Hours of operation for office.

NRS 122.185 - Signs required in office and rooms; contents.

NRS 122.187 - Receipt of additional fees prohibited.

NRS 122.189 - Prohibited acts.

NRS 122.191 - Display and contents of signs indicating location of office.

NRS 122.193 - Penalty.

NRS 122.200 - False statement to procure marriage license.

NRS 122.210 - Unauthorized issuance of marriage license by county clerk.

NRS 122.215 - Solicitation to perform marriage prohibited on county property where marriage licenses are issued; civil penalty.

NRS 122.220 - Solemnizing marriage without exhibition of marriage license.

NRS 122.230 - Failure of person solemnizing marriage to make and deliver certificate to county clerk or county recorder.

NRS 122.240 - Failure of county recorder or county clerk to record certificate of marriage.

NRS 122.250 - Willful making of false certificate of marriage.

NRS 122.260 - Solemnization of marriage by unauthorized person or where legal impediment known; civil penalty; delegation of authority to hearing officer to determine violations and levy penalties.

NRS 122.270 - Recovery of forfeitures by civil actions.

NRS 122.280 - Display of information.

NRS 122.290 - Certificate of vow renewal: Establishment of program; form; fee.