Marriage license copies available online

When local governments nationwide experimented with online purchasing programs, they dabbled in websites allowing business owners to buy licenses or motorists to pay traffic fees.

Not in the wedding capital of the world. The newest program introduced Tuesday by Clark County -- the first online purchasing service it has offered -- will expedite a slew of inquiries into marriage licenses from a variety of interested parties.

It's for the jealous, who may want to know if their former spouse has remarried.

It's for the alcohol-impaired, who wake up in the morning and vaguely recall exchanging vows but are uncertain and are seeking proof. Or those who remember the special evening, but not the name of their new partner.

And it's for the collector who desperately wants a copy of Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra's marriage certificate.

Beginning Friday the county Recorder's Office will offer copies of marriage certificates to star-struck fans or dumbstruck newlyweds for $7. All that is needed is the bride or groom's name and a MasterCard or Visa credit card.

"It's not uncommon for people to call the recorder's office in a panic and say, 'I think I got married,' " Hilarie Grey, a county spokeswoman, said. "Since we put the marriage database online two years ago, we've been getting 70,000 hits a month."

The program, which uses a secure electronic system called "e-commerce," is expected to relieve County Recorder Judy Vandever's staff, which she says handles "thousands of calls and letters" a day.

About 110,000 people from all over the world tie the knot in Las Vegas every year. Vandever said not only will the program reduce her employees' workload, but it will be more convenient for customers.

"We get hits from all over the world daily," Vandever said. "The people in these other countries are on a different time schedule. What a gift for them to be able to do it online."

While most people simply need a duplicate of their own documents, some probably will be after copies of celebrity marriage certificates. Vandever said she is surprised at the response the county receives when it posts certificates of famous people at fairs.

Clark County -- particularly the Las Vegas Strip -- has always been a popular wedding site. In June the county broke its own record for the number of marriages recorded in one month with 11,414, according to the county.

Vandever said that record isn't expected to last long -- the county is anticipating a flood of requests in December when the hours remaining in 1999 are waning.

Copies of marriage licenses will be available beginning Friday by accessing the recorder's office website at www.co.clark.nv.us.

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