Search free Clark County divorce records for facts about someone’s past or current marital status. People seeking information by searching public records sources don’t need to explain their reasons or have a motive; those documents can be inspected and reviewed anytime.
The Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA) establishes that records of public interest must be available and accessible. Local agencies throughout the state and in every county must comply, providing the people with the information they need.
In Clark County, Nevada, there are different resources that citizens can access free of charge to view or obtain dissolution of marriage information; this article will describe all of the tools available and offer guidance on how to effectively find the divorce records they’re looking for.
How To Track Down Clark County Divorce Records at No Cost
All divorce records in Clark County are kept by the Recorder’s Office, which is also responsible for providing interested citizens with information wherever it’s requested.
Following Nevada’s law, anyone can request copies of documents in Clark County.1 Divorce certificates can be ordered online, in person, or by mail. The Recorder’s Office fulfills all forms of request.
Before being able to order any records, users in Clark County must find online the document they wish to retrieve. In order to accomplish that, searchers can use the Record Search System.3 This is a free tool, accessible to anyone who’s looking for records in Clark County.
When searching for public divorce records using the search system, it’s important that users start by choosing how they want to run their search. Since the case number isn’t usually known to most people, it’s advisable to start the search by name.
After selecting this option, searchers can add the criteria for the inquiry they wish to make. The system is quite forgiving and will accept just a last name. However, having first and last names is helpful and will likely lead to more targeted results.
It’s also possible to narrow the search by adding more facts to the inquiry, such as a date range. Citizens can select the type of document that’s being searched – “Divorce (DIV)” is one of the options available to choose, and going with that will bring results that will only show dissolution cases.
The results will appear as a list and contain detailed information about the case. Citizens can click on the item on the list that seems to be the desired result to examine more facts and make sure the findings make sense to them.
After that, it’s time to choose how to order their copies. Users can, for example, simply add the found document to the cart and order it. The system will update the amount due according to the number of pages that will be copied, and the payment will be processed online.
In some cases, working with the Clark County Recorder’s Office is preferred. The searcher may need more support than what’s found online, or they may be far away and need to place a request by mail, for example.
If that’s the reader’s situation, when they find the records they want using the Record Search System, they should take note of that information: the correct spelling of the names, the case number and anything else useful to properly identify it. With that information, interested people can go ahead and place an order in person or by mail.
Mail orders should always be sent to the main office. In-person orders, however, can be made at any of the available locations. Individuals who go to them don’t need to set up appointments, as they see walk-ins.
Regardless of how the request will be made, citizens should complete a request form which is available on the website for download. If mailing their orders, they should send payment in the form of a money order and a self-addressed pre-paid envelope. For in-person orders, people just need to bring the completed request form – which will also help them save time.
Those are the three locations available with the Clark County Recorder’s Office:
Clark County Recorder’s Office
Main Office
500 South Grand Central Parkway – 2nd floor
Box 551510
Las Vegas, NV 89106
Phone: 702.455.4336
Email: [email protected]
Clark County Recorder’s Office
Northwest Branch
Dona Maria Plaza
3211 N Tenaya Way – suite 118
Las Vegas, NV 89129
Clark County Recorder’s Office
Henderson Branch
Henderson City Hall
240 S Waler Street
Henderson, NV 89015
The state of Nevada hasn’t recognized common law marriages since 1943. Therefore, there aren’t any relationships there at this point in time that would be validated as an informal marriage. This means that couples who live together and decide to separate go through a breakup but don’t need to file for a divorce (like a common law marriage would require).
This is valuable information because separation from cohabitating couples will not show on any of the search options mentioned in this article. There’s no common law divorce in Clark County.
How To Access Divorce Records for the Entire State of Nevada via the Office of Vital Records
In Nevada, divorce records are kept by the local recorder’s office in each county. The Vital Records Office helps interested citizens by offering verifications of divorce (and marriage, for that matter) for dissolutions that happened in Nevada between 1968 and 2005.
The verifications aren’t certified copies of a divorce decree. They merely provide information about the dissolution in question: the name of the former spouses, where the divorce was recorded, etc. Each verification costs $10, and requests can be made in person or by mail.
This is the address people should use to place their orders:
Nevada Office of Vital Records
4150 Technology Way – Suite 104
Carson City, NV 89706
Phone: 775.684.4242
Fax: 775.684.4156
For divorces before 1968 and after 2005, concerned citizens need to work with the Recorder’s Office in the county where the dissolution was finalized. The Office of Vital Records lists the contact information for all Recorder’s Offices in the state as a resource to help those who may be searching for divorces on those dates.
If the search at hand is for historical records, a good resource may be the Nevada State Library, Archives & Public Records.5 They have Probate Court records since 1864, and that pool includes marriage dissolution records, such as a divorce index.
Searchers who need support can send a message to the staff or visit the Library in person using the following information:7
Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records
100 N Stewart Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Photo: 775.684.3310
Fax: 775.684.3371
Can Anyone View Divorce Records in Clark County?
Divorce records are public in Nevada and can be accessed by any individual who’s interested in them. This is determined by the Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA), which governs how available information should be to citizens in general.8 Clark County follows those rules and makes it fairly convenient for citizens to search and retrieve dissolution information.
In Clark County, anyone can access divorce records using an online system called Record Search System. Utilizing this tool is free and everyone can take advantage of that. If copies of records are needed, individuals can order certified copies of divorce records online (through the search system), in person or by mail.
As people search for divorce records, it’s important to differentiate divorce papers from records. A certificate or decree is only issued after the divorce proceedings have been finalized by a judge – they serve as proof that a marriage has been dissolved and can contain the terms of that dissolution. Mainly, divorce records establish that those people are free to engage in a new relationship if they wish to do so.
Papers, however, are the documents given to someone to let them know their former partner has filed for the dissolution of their marriage. Basically, when someone files for divorce, the other party is served papers so they can be made aware of the terms, what is expected of them as the proceedings start, etc.
Public records, in general, are very important. Particularly when it comes to marriage and divorce records, being able to access that information is invaluable: it allows for clarity and transparency while it gives people tools to decide how they wish to connect with the people around them.
Regardless of the motive, citizens should always feel free to seek out information and perform a Clark County divorce records search; no one should ever hesitate to uncover information that can affect their lives and use it as they see fit.
References
1Clark County, Nevada. (n.d.). Ordering Copies – County Recorder. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/elected_officials/county_recorder/ordering_copies.php>
2Clark County Recorder’s Office. (n.d.). Official Records Request Form [PDF]. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://webfiles.clarkcountynv.gov//Recorder/Forms/Official_Records_Request_Form.pdf>
3Clark County Recorder’s Office. (n.d.). Recorder’s E-Commerce System. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://recorderecomm.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimWeb/>
4Clark County Recorder’s Office. (n.d.). Search by Name. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://recorderecomm.clarkcountynv.gov/AcclaimWeb/Search/SearchTypeName>
5Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. (2024, February 5). Where Do I Find Public Records? Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://nsla.nv.gov/public-records/where-do-I-find-public-records>
6Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. (2012, February 16). Request for Search Records [PDF]. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbhnvgov/content/Programs/Marriage/Docs/Search%20Request.pdf>
7Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. (n.d.). Ask An Archivist. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://nsla-nv.libwizard.com/f/archivist>
8Nevada Legislature. (2015, August). Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 239 – Public Records. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from <https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nac/NAC-239.html>