By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Kellie Pantekoek, Esq. | Last reviewed September 11, 2020
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You can't throw a rock out the window on Las Vegas Boulevard without hitting a wedding chapel. Well, just about. The point is there are Nevada marriages occurring seemingly around the clock. But even those late night chapel weddings have to adhere to certain rules to form a legally-binding union.
With all the buzz that accompanies marriage and weddings -- venues, centerpieces, the dress -- it can be easy to forget that marriage is a legally binding contract. Even if you are opting for the simplest of ceremonies at tiny wedding chapel, the prospect of starting a new life as a married couple can often overshadow serious consideration of marriage’s legal implications.
Anyone who is legally an adult is free to get married in the U.S. Since marriage is a legal contract, there are, of course, certain requirements that must be met for the marriage to be valid. Before a couple can be married in Nevada, they must have a marriage license and be of legal age to be married.
Every state has its own age requirement to be married. Because marriage has important legal and financial implications which can be extremely detrimental to one or both parties if they choose to divorce, the state wants to ensure that the parties are old enough to understand -- each state has age requirements for those wishing to marry.
In Nevada, marriage age requirement laws require both parties to be at 18 years old, and at least 17 years old if four requirements are met: (1) parental consent; (2) proof of Nevada residence; and (3) a Nevada court order approving of the marriage. For a summary of Nevada's marriage age requirement laws check out the table displayed below:
| Code Section | 122.020, 025 |
| Minimum Legal Age With Parental Consent | 17 (see comments below) |
| Minimum Legal Age Without Parental Consent | 18 |
| Comments | Minors who are 17 may obtain a license by parental consent and approval of court as long as they are residents of the state. |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
To compare Nevada laws with the laws of other states, check out FindLaw’s State-by-State Marriage 'Age of Consent' Laws article. For more general information on this area of law, check out FindLaw’s section on marriage. If you have more specific questions or need more individualized assistance, consider retaining a Nevada family law lawyer.
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