How old do you have to be to adopt in Nevada?

In Nevada, you must be an adult to adopt, and you must be at least 10 years older than the person you are adopting. The adoption statutes ask for adulthood rather than a specific number of years, so the District Court clerk in your county can confirm exactly how Nevada defines "adult" for this purpose.

The 10-year age gap. The gap applies whether the person you want to adopt is a child or an adult:

• Adopting a child: you must be at least 10 years older than the child (NRS 127C.210(1)(b)). For children, the court may disregard the ages if the adopter is a relative within the third degree and the adoption is in the child's best interest (NRS 127C.210(1)(b), (2)). Whether that exception could apply to your family depends on your facts, so ask the District Court clerk or an attorney about your situation.
• Adopting an adult: the person you adopt must be at least 10 years younger than you (NRS 127C.700(1)). The adoption is made through a written agreement that both of you sign, stating that you take on the parent-child relationship, and then approved by court order.

The child's age matters too. In a stepparent adoption of a child, Nevada sets the child's consent age at 14 (NRS 127D.110(1)(c)). This is separate from your own age. Whether and how it applies to a particular child is worth confirming with the clerk or an attorney.

Other points that may help you plan:

• Residency: Nevada has no minimum residency period before you can file (NRS 127D.120(1)).
• Court: you file in the District Court of your county. Nevada has 17 counties, including those covering Las Vegas, Henderson, Reno, North Las Vegas and Sparks.
• Home study: it is waived in stepparent adoptions (NRS chapter 127D).
• Abandonment: if the other parent's rights are an issue because of abandonment, Nevada's period is 6 months (NRS § 128.012). Termination of that parent's rights is handled separately. Because these cases depend heavily on the facts, speak with an attorney or the court clerk about your circumstances.
• Timeline: stepparent adoptions in Nevada typically take about 3-6 months. Adult adoptions typically take about 4-8 weeks.
• Birth certificate: after the adoption is final, an updated birth certificate is handled through the Nevada Office of Vital Records.

What to do next. Check that you are an adult and at least 10 years older than the person you want to adopt. Then decide whether you are adopting a child or an adult, since the paperwork differs. For fees, local filing details, or anything that turns on your family's facts, call the District Court clerk in your county.