Fly Into Marriage at Las Vegas Airport for Valentine's Day

^{Harry Reid International Airport is welcoming travelers to Las Vegas with lots of love this February. A pop-up Marriage License Bureau is available in Terminal 1 for couples ready to tie the knot. (Photo:  STRF/STAR MAX/IPx / Alamy)}

LAS VEGAS – The “Wedding Capital of the World” is making it easier than ever to officially get hitched to your significant other through Valentine’s Day weekend this year. First, Las Vegas introduced the drive-through wedding chapel at various locations around town. Now, those casino-goers who are lucky in love and flying into Sin City are even luckier because they can obtain their wedding license at the airport for a limited time.

From February 4 through February 16, the Clark County Clerk’s Office is operating the pop-up Marriage License Bureau at Harry Reid International Airport, allowing couples to get a head start on wedding plans. The pop-up is located near Carousel 15 in the Terminal 1 Baggage Claim area, helping people avoid lines downtown at the Clark County Marriage License Bureau during one of the busiest wedding periods of the year.

Fortunately, there is no waiting period to get your marriage license at the airport, and you do not need a blood test beforehand. However, there are still a few requirements to be aware of in Clark County before you decide to get your marriage license at either location.

According to the Clark County website, you must be 18 years of age or older and provide government-issued ID like a driver’s license or passport to prove your name and age. Both parties cannot be currently married and or more closely related than second cousins by blood. The only exception is that a 17-year-old minor who is a resident of Clark County can get married with a court order from a Nevada District Court Judge.

While the downtown Marriage License Bureau in downtown Las Vegas is open daily from 8 a.m. until midnight (even on holidays!), the pop-up location at the airport only operates from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the limited dates mentioned above. Paperwork processing usually takes about 15 minutes, and there are no reservations allowed, so travelers are advised to allow extra time. And no actual weddings will be hosted there, just issuing of licenses.

Las Vegas hosts more than 80,000 weddings per year, generating around $3.3 billion in economic activity from them on an annual basis. The city is home to over 50 wedding chapels, many of which operate 24 hours a day. Several major casino resorts on and off the Strip including The Venetian, Caesars Palace, Mandalay Bay, and Wynn Las Vegas, offer expansive on-site wedding venues ranging from intimate chapels to luxury ballrooms.

The city has been known as the “Wedding Capital of the World” for over seven decades, a title given in a 1953 article published by the London Daily Herald. But it was in 2022, after Clark County issued its 5 millionth marriage license, that February was deemed "Wedding Month" in Las Vegas -- a recognition that has lasted longer than many of the marriages performed here.

A marriage license in Las Vegas costs $102 when paid by cash, cashier’s check, or money order, or $105.29 with a credit or debit card. Licenses issued at the airport are valid for one year and can be used anywhere in Nevada.