A Las Vegas marriage can be registered in Taiwan: the certificate goes to TECO in San Francisco for authentication
Yes. A marriage completed in Las Vegas under Nevada law can be registered in Taiwan, just like a marriage in any other U.S. county. On the Taiwan side, what counts is the paperwork: a certified copy of the marriage certificate issued by Clark County, authenticated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco, then registered at a household registration office.
Las Vegas differs in only two ways: there's no wait for the license, so you can marry the same day; and the certificate goes to San Francisco, not to the TECO office for the state you live in. Below, step by step.
Applying for a Marriage License in Clark County
A Marriage License is the document you apply for from the county before the wedding; after the ceremony it's returned and recorded, and only then does the county have a record of the marriage. Clark County's rules (Clark County Clerk, checked 2026-10-22):
- The fee is US$102. You can pay by credit or debit card, with a processing fee added; checks aren't accepted.
- There's no waiting period and no blood test.
- Both of you must appear in person with the original of a photo ID; digital copies and photocopies aren't accepted. A passport, a driver's license, an ID issued by a foreign government that shows your date of birth, a permanent resident card and similar documents are all accepted.
- U.S. citizens who have a Social Security number (SSN) must provide it.
- You must be at least 18.
- The Marriage License Bureau is open daily from 8 a.m. to midnight, with no appointments; people are served in order on site. You can pre-fill the application online first, and the information stays in the system for a year.
Fill in the application with your name exactly as it's written on your ID. TECO will later compare the English names on the certificate and the passport during authentication, so the partner with a Taiwan passport will have the easiest time applying with that passport.
The Clark County pages we checked this time don't state how long the license is valid; go by the Clark County Clerk website.
The ceremony: a wedding chapel or a county civil ceremony
Once you have the license, in Las Vegas you can hold the ceremony at a wedding chapel or have a civil ceremony at the county (a courthouse wedding, a short ceremony performed by a county marriage commissioner). A civil ceremony is not the same system as Taiwan's notarized marriage; legally, what matters is whether the license was returned and recorded after the ceremony.
Clark County's civil ceremony (Office of Civil Marriages, checked 2026-10-22):
- The fee is US$75, or US$77.75 including the card processing fee; credit or debit cards only, no cash.
- You must book online in advance.
- You need 1 witness, which the county doesn't provide, so bring your own; besides the witness, you can bring up to 8 more guests.
After the ceremony, the officiant has 10 calendar days to return the signed document to the County Clerk. Once the county receives it, it's usually filed within 1–2 business days, and you can request certified copies only after it's filed.
A commemorative certificate is not a certified copy
Some wedding chapels, officiants or third parties sell proof of marriage as a paid add-on. Clark County's explanation is clear: proof of marriage is usually a certified marriage certificate issued by the county, and the County Clerk also states that it does not solicit sales of documents filed with the county (Clark County Clerk, checked 2026-10-22).
For TECO authentication, registering in Taiwan, and a name change or immigration filing in the U.S., what you use is the certified copy issued by the county. The certificate the chapel gives you is a keepsake; it can't be used for any of these.
Requesting certified copies from Clark County
Certified copies are US$20 each (Clark County Clerk fee schedule, checked 2026-10-22). How to request them:
- Online: find your record on Clark County's marriage record search page, then order and pay by credit card.
- At the counter: cash, credit card, money order or cashier's check; no personal checks.
- By mail: include the application form and a money order or cashier's check payable to the County Clerk.
The county suggests waiting at least 3 weeks after ordering before asking for a replacement to be sent, and orders mailed abroad may take up to 6 weeks. If you can't find the record, search under the legal names used when you applied for the license, or try your spouse's name, and check the spelling.
Once you have the copies, check both names, both dates of birth and the date of marriage letter by letter. Authentication uses up one copy, and you'll also need them later for a name change and immigration in the U.S., so order several at once (see item 10 on the checklist).
Sending it to TECO in San Francisco for authentication
Which TECO office has jurisdiction depends on the state where the document was issued. Documents issued in Nevada are authenticated by TECO in San Francisco, even if you live in New York or Texas (TECO San Francisco checklist, September 2026 edition, checked 2026-10-14).
- US$15 per document; authenticating the Chinese translation is also US$15 per document, and a translation can't be submitted for authentication on its own.
- Payment by cash, cashier's check or a money order payable to TECO; no personal checks or credit cards.
- About 2–3 weeks. For mail submissions, include a USPS Flat Rate Priority envelope with US$13.90 in physical stamps attached.
- The names on the certificate must match the passport exactly (a middle initial is fine).
- The office doesn't translate. You need a complete, unabridged translation in Traditional Chinese with a signed statement that the translation is accurate; alternatively, you can have only the English original authenticated and have the translation certified by a notary in Taiwan.
Clark County says apostilles are handled by the Nevada Secretary of State, not the county. Registering in Taiwan goes through TECO authentication; you only need an apostille when another country requires one, so ask the receiving office before you submit anything.
The 30-day deadline for registering in Taiwan
Once the documents are authenticated, TECO can forward them to the household registration office for your registered address in Taiwan, or you can go in person to any household registration office in Taiwan (Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior, checked 2026-10-22). For the full steps and the extra documents a foreign spouse needs, see Married in the U.S., registering in Taiwan: five steps.
Deadline: Article 48 of the Household Registration Act requires household registration to be filed "within thirty days of the event occurring or being confirmed"; the checklist from TECO in San Francisco says to register "within 30 days after authentication." Confirm when the clock starts with the household registration office or TECO first. A household registration office must still accept a late filing, but a delay without good reason can bring a fine of NT$300–900 (Household Registration Act Article 79, checked 2026-10-22).
If your spouse is from mainland China or is a national of one of the specific countries designated by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you must first have an interview or first register the marriage in your spouse's country, and TECO in San Francisco will not authenticate a U.S. marriage certificate for a spouse from one of those designated countries. Before you set off for Las Vegas, read the last section of the article linked above.
Frequently asked questions
Does Taiwan recognize a Las Vegas marriage?
A certified copy of the marriage certificate issued by Clark County, once authenticated by TECO in San Francisco, can be used to register the marriage at a household registration office in Taiwan, the same process as for a marriage in any other U.S. county.
Can tourists get married in Las Vegas?
Clark County requires both of you to appear in person and show the original of a government-issued photo ID, and IDs issued by foreign governments and passports are on its list of acceptable documents. The immigration consequences are a separate matter; see the visa and documents site.
If we marry in Las Vegas, which TECO office do we send it to?
TECO in San Francisco. It handles documents issued in Northern California, Nevada and Utah; what matters is the issuing state, not the state you live in.
Everything to do before and after a Las Vegas wedding is listed on the My Wedding Plan checklist: the license, certified copies (item 10) and registering in Taiwan (item 15). There's a free version, and you can start without leaving an email address; once you choose both partners' status, the relevant items are added to the list.
Sources (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County Clerk: Marriage License Requirements (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County Clerk: Fees (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County Clerk: Civil Marriage (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County Clerk: What Is Proof of Marriage (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County Clerk: Frequently Asked Questions (checked 2026-10-22)
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco: Checklist for authenticating birth and marriage certificates (September 2026 edition, in Chinese) (checked 2026-10-14)
- Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior: Marriage registration guide (checked 2026-10-22)
- Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan): Household Registration Act, Articles 48 and 79 (checked 2026-10-22)