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Nevada Genealogy

When searching for Nevada genealogy information, there are a few central places you will want to have access to. Most state records are from around 1911 but you can also find a lot of archived material that is older than that if you know where to look.

Nevada Vital Records

The state collection of vital records (registrations of births, deaths and marriages) starts in 1911 and these files are available through the Office of Vital Records in Carson City. You can download the application forms from the Health and Human Services website, and just sent your request in by mail.

With birth records, you can make a request for any document provided you are a blood relative (even a distant one). Copies of birth records are not given to anyone who is not a relative. The same restrictions apply to death records in Nevada as well. There is a $20 fee to get either birth or death records for your Nevada genealogy purposes, so make sure to include that with your application form. Also with the application, you need to send in a photocopy of your personal photo ID.

If you are looking for these records from before 1911, then you want to check at the county level. The county clerk's offices often have older archives of records that you can make a request for.

The same goes for all marriage records. In Nevada, these are not held at the state level so you will have to inquire at the clerk's office in the county where the marriage took place. The fees for these records are only $10.

For any type of vital record, the fees are non-refundable. If they are unable to locate the records you want, you will get a notice saying so but you don't get your money back.

State Archives and Other Resources

Another spot for valuable Nevada genealogy research information is the Nevada State Archive. Not only do they have some collections of pre-1911 material, they also have considerable holdings that include many other documents of interest to a genealogist. The material at the State Archive focuses exclusively on records that were created through the government, so you won't find any personal documents there. The Archives are in Carson City, and they are open to the public for limited hours each weekday.

Outside of government-related material, you will want to get in touch with the Nevada Historical Society for further genealogical assistance. There is a public research room that is open in the afternoons for about half the week (check before you visit), and there are documents, manuscripts, letters and photographs from a large number of historical sources. Access is free but you will have to pay for photocopies of any documents you find.

Old newspaper archives and church records are two other sources for information. The above mentioned historical archives may have some of these records in their collection but you may also have to take the time to contact individual newspapers and churches to see what kinds of archives they have of their own.