Shortcut to a Sin City marriage: Pop-up marriage license bureau opens at the Las Vegas airport this month
It's fun (and maybe a little bit too easy) to get married in Las Vegas — the city that's long held the title of "wedding capital of the world."
For starters, there is no waiting period nor blood test required. Plus, there is a robust and wacky-leaning wedding industry with hundreds of celebration venues, including drive-through chapels and mobile chapels that come to you. Not to mention, the city is home to a wide variety of wedding officiants, including Elvis, the Fonz and Frank Sinatra (impersonators, of course).
Las Vegas wedding basics
Naturally, there is some legal paperwork for a wedding. The Clark County clerk's office oversees that side of the Las Vegas wedding world and issues more than 80,000 marriage licenses throughout the year.
Before they can have their marriage ceremony in Las Vegas, couples must first visit the County Clerk's in downtown Las Vegas to pick up their marriage license. The couple must pick up the license together and in person.
Airport weddings
This year, lovebirds flying into Las Vegas to get hitched during Valentine's Day season can skip the trip to the clerk's office downtown. There will be a pop-up marriage license bureau at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
"We can't do it all of the time, but it is a service that we can provide in February to do our small part to make their Las Vegas wedding as effortless as possible," Lynn Marie Goya, the Clark County clerk, said.
From Feb. 13 through Feb. 29, the Clark County clerk's office will operate a bonus remote location near the baggage claim area in Terminal 1. The temporary office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be staffed by employees from the city's marriage license bureau. They will be answering questions on local laws regarding marriages, issuing marriage licenses and vow renewal certificates, and collecting the required fees.
How the LAS airport pop-up marriage license bureau works
The pop-up marriage license bureau in the Terminal 1 baggage claim at LAS will accept credit or debit card payments but not cash or checks. It will cost $102 for a marriage license and $21 for a vow renewal certificate picked up at the airport, not including card fees. Couples getting married in February will also receive a limited edition-themed keepsake to take to the wedding ceremony.
Valentine's Day and the days surrounding it are traditionally the busiest time of year for weddings in Las Vegas. This year, the numbers are likely to swell because some additional days in February are considered especially lucky for holding weddings. These dates include Saturday, Feb. 24, because it reads as 2/24/24 as well as Thursday, Feb. 29, because it's leap day.
"With three major wedding dates coming up in February, we anticipate thousands of couples heading to the destination for memorable ceremonies," Goya said.
This is not the first time the Clark County clerk's office is setting up a pop-up marriage license bureau at the Las Vegas airport. What has become a Valentine's holiday season tradition began with a trial pop-up marriage license bureau at the airport in 2018. The pop-up has returned every February since then, with a pause in 2021 during the pandemic.
In 2023, there was even a bonus pop-up airport marriage license bureau in December to manage all couples who wanted to get married on the special New Year's Eve date of 12/31/23. (It writes out as 123-123 and was considered auspicious.)
Weddings outside the airport
As mentioned, couples getting married in Las Vegas, have an extremely wide range of venues and styles to choose from year-round
The Mob Museum and The Neon Museum can both be rented out for weddings, and the High Roller Observation Wheel rents out private cabins for weddings that can include flowers, music, photography and an Elvis minister.
Denny's on Fremont Street offers a $199 wedding package that includes use of its chapel, a Champagne toast, a "Pancake Puppies" wedding cake and a certificate to come back for two Original Grand Slam breakfasts. There may even be slots open on Valentine's Day when you can get married or renew your vows in the Fremont Street Denny's chapel for free.
For Valentine's Day this year, the Hitchin' Post Wedding Chapel inside Circus Circus Las Vegas is offering special $14 wedding ceremonies that include the use of the venue's silk florals and room for up to four invited guests. Keep in mind, though, that the cost of the wedding officiant — $60 in cash — is not included.
Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated to clarify that while marriage licenses may be obtained at the airport, marriages are not performed on airport grounds.
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