Filing the Adoption Case
To adopt a child, there are certain forms you must fill out and file with the court. You can find instructions and all the forms you need to file an adoption case in this section.
Before you begin:
What laws apply? Before you file anything, review the basics of the laws that apply on the Adoption Overview page.
Is this page for me? This page is for people who want to do a private adoption between family members in Clark County, Nevada only.
This page only applies if ALL of the following are true:
- The family lives in Clark County, Nevada; AND
- The child to be adopted is related to you by blood or marriage (within 3 levels, usually stepparents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunts/uncles); AND
- If two people are adopting, those two people are married or registered domestic partners; AND
- The child to be adopted is not an American Indian; AND
- If the child is age 14 or older, the child will consent to the adoption; AND
- The parent to be "replaced" through the adoption will either sign a written consent or their parental rights have already been terminated by a court. If you need to have the parent's rights involuntarily terminated, visit the Termination of Parental Rights page.
If ALL of the above conditions are not met, you may need the assistance of a private adoption company and/or a private attorney. Do not use the forms on this page unless all of the above statements are true.
Follow these steps to file for an adoption:
1. Fill out the forms. You have to fill out at least 4 forms to start your case, maybe more.
2. File the forms. Turn in your completed forms by mail, efiling, or in person to the Clerk of Court.
3. Give documents to the judge and the Child Welfare Agency. There are some forms you will have to send to the judge and the Department of Family Services.
Learn more about each step below.
1. Fill out the forms
To file for an adoption, you will need to file the forms below.
Family Court Cover Sheet
This form is REQUIRED. This form asks for basic information about you and the children. You are the Petitioner. The Clerk of Court uses this information to open your case.
Family Court Cover Sheet (pdf) Family Court Cover Sheet (pdf fillable)
Petition for Adoption
This form is REQUIRED. This form tells the judge about the child to be adopted and the parents wishing to adopt. You can request a name change for the child if desired.
If a stepparent is adopting, the parent and the stepparent must both fill out the papers and sign them as co-petitioners.
If two people are petitioning to adopt, the petitioners must be married or registered domestic partners.
Petition for Adoption (pdf fillable)
Consents (if applicable)
You may need consent forms depending on if the parent to be "replaced" will agree to the adoption and if the child to be adopted is an older child.
Parental Consent. This form is for the parent who will be giving up their rights. If the noncustodial parent you are "replacing" will agree to terminate their own rights and will agree to the adoption, that parent can sign this form to put their consent in writing. The form must be signed and notarized by the parent and 2 neutral witnesses. If the parent will not sign this form, you may need to file a separate case to terminate their rights first.
Parent's Consent to Termination of Parental Rights & Adoption (pdf fillable)
Child's Consent. If the child to be adopted is age 14 or older, the child will have to sign a written consent to the adoption. The child should fill out the following form in front of two neutral witnesses. The witnesses' signatures must be notarized.
Child's Consent to Adoption (pdf fillable)
Ex Parte Application and Order to Waive Child Welfare Investigation & Affidavit of Fees
These forms are REQUIRED. Usually, a home study is required before a family can adopt a child. The adoptive family also usually has to file an affidavit listing all of the fees paid toward the adoption.
If the adoptive parents are already related to the child (such as stepparents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc.), the court can waive these requirements. These forms ask the court to waive both requirements based on your relationship to the child. Fill out BOTH forms below:
Ex Parte Application to Waive Child Welfare Investigation & Affidavit of Fees (pdf fillable)
Order to Waive Child Welfare Investigation & Affidavit of Fees (pdf fillable)
Setting Slip
This form is REQUIRED. This form sets a court date for you and the children to appear in court. The Clerk of Court will fill in a hearing date when you file this form.
2. File the forms
The court charges $238 to file the papers. You can pay by cash, money order, or most major credit/debit cards. If you cannot afford the fee, please see Filing Fees and Waivers to find out how to ask the court to waive the fee.
You can file your papers one of these ways:
- Online: You can file online through the court's e-filing system, eFileNV. There is a fee of $3.50 to upload your documents, in addition to the regular filing fee. You must register for an account, you must provide a valid email address, and you must be able to scan and upload your documents as separate pdfs. Do not upload one pdf with all of the forms included - this will significantly delay the processing. Each form needs to be filed as its own pdf, but you can upload all of them in one submission. Carefully follow the E-Filing Guide to avoid mistakes.
E-Filing Guide - In person at the Family Courthouse (check our How to File page for hours and more information).
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By Mail: (mail takes about 6-8 weeks to process) Mail your forms and the filing fee (with check or money order made out to Clerk of Court) to:
Family Courts and Services Center
Attn: Clerk of Court
601 North Pecos Road
Las Vegas, NV 89101
3. Provide documents to the Judge and DFS
You will need to provide copies of some of your documents to the judge and also to the county's child welfare/adoption agency. Find out how to do this on the next page.
