Chapels want easier licensing requirements for couples

CARSON CITY -- Nevada wedding chapel owners want to break down barriers to marital bliss in a state already famous for fast and easy weddings.

George Flint and his daughter, Margaret Flint, own Chapel of the Bells, Reno's longest-operating wedding chapel. They are promoting a bill that would expand the ability for couples to obtain a marriage license without photo identification.

Washoe and Clark County clerks opposed portions of the bill, saying they already are flexible on the photo ID requirement to the point that couples can show high school yearbook photos as a second form of identification.

They added that the photo requirement is a further protection against fraud.

"We want them to know (the license) is credible," said Clark County Clerk Diana Alba. "It's credible because we go by the book."

Flint said the regulations were affecting tourism dollars in a wedding industry that has been declining in the Reno area since 1978.

At its peak, 23 wedding chapels operated in the area, and the number is down to five. Washoe County issued about 9,800 marriage licenses in 2010.

The drop was more attributed to the declining appeal of the Reno area itself, and not the issues with identification, which happened in 36 cases last year, said Nancy Parent, Washoe County chief deputy clerk.

Clark County officials, who issued 91,900 marriage licenses in 2010, turned down 533 couples during that time; Alba estimated fewer than half were because of an identification problem.

Among the reasons the other half of couples were turned down: They were too young and did not have parental consent; they were drunk; or they were more closely related than second cousins.

Clerks, legislators, and the chapel owners agreed on one issue -- the importance of the wedding business to Nevada's ailing economy.

Sen. Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas, said Nevada needs to be flexible, so couples will "come down and tell their friends, 'Get married in Vegas. It's so easy to do.' "