The Cove state guide
Statutory frameworkNevada expressly provides for gestational carrier agreements in its parentage statutes. A qualifying agreement supports intended parentage, with separate counsel and detailed execution requirements.
See the rules for your familyYour family. Your legal pathway.
Start with your situation, then read the conditions. A route can depend on marriage, a genetic connection, residence, and how the court establishes each parent’s rights. More than one row may apply to your family.
Nevada defines an intended parent as a person who may be married or unmarried, and its agreement can name one intended parent. A single parent can use donor gametes without a statutory genetic-connection requirement. Independent legal advice and a compliant agreement are required for the statutory parentage protections.
Sources 1Nevada expressly includes unmarried intended parents. If two people intend to parent, both must be parties to the gestational agreement. When the statutory conditions are met, their rights arise at birth; the non-genetic partner does not need to rely solely on their relationship with the genetic parent.
Sources 1Two fathers can be intended parents under Nevada's gestational framework, without a marriage or genetic-connection requirement. The agreement must identify both fathers and meet the statutory safeguards. The court can confirm parentage and direct the birth certificate before or after birth when a listed Nevada connection exists.
Sources 1Two mothers using a separate gestational carrier can use Nevada's statutory parentage process. Neither marriage nor an egg contribution by an intended parent is required. Both intended mothers must join the agreement, while the carrier must not provide any gametes for the embryo she will carry.
Sources 1Nevada offers several jurisdictional connections, including an anticipated Nevada birth, a resident carrier, execution of the agreement there or relevant assisted-reproduction procedures there. Overseas parents need not qualify through personal Nevada residence if another listed connection applies. Foreign recognition, nationality and travel documentation need separate advice.
Sources 12How to read these answers: “Recognized route” means the cited law or legal practice provides a pathway for that family situation. “Conditions apply” flags an additional eligibility or parentage issue. “Case-specific” means the answer depends on the facts or court practice. “Significant restriction” points to a legal obstacle explained in the answer.
These categories describe legal pathways, not a clinic’s medical criteria or a guaranteed outcome. For transgender or nonbinary parents, counsel should also examine any sex-specific wording and how the planned use of eggs, sperm, or embryos affects the route.
State law provides a gestational surrogacy framework. Eligibility, agreements, payments, and court requirements still differ.
This guide covers gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate does not provide the egg. Traditional surrogacy follows different rules. A state’s category does not determine whether your particular arrangement qualifies.
Nevada's intended-parent definition expressly covers married and unmarried people. One parent may proceed alone; if there are two, both must be parties. A carrier's spouse or domestic partner must also be addressed under the agreement requirements, independently of the intended parents' relationship status.
The gestational carrier cannot contribute gametes. Nevada's framework contemplates intended-parent or donor gametes and does not demand that either intended parent be genetically related. Clear donation documents and a compliant agreement separate the donors' role from the intended parents' legal status.
Section 126.720 lists seven possible Nevada connections for a court order, including birth, residence, signing the agreement and relevant medical procedures. A nonresident family needs at least an applicable connection and compliance with the agreement requirements, not an assumption that every arrangement qualifies.
The carrier and intended parents must have separate, independent lawyers. The written agreement must be executed before covered medical procedures, meet notarization requirements and contain the statutory acknowledgments and commitments.
For a compliant arrangement, intended parentage and custody vest at birth. The parties may seek a court order before or after birth validating the agreement and directing the birth certificate. Separate independent counsel and execution before covered medical procedures are central safeguards.
Nevada expressly permits reasonable compensation and reimbursement of reasonable expenses. The agreement should distinguish those payments and document their terms.
A state’s parentage process and your home country’s recognition of that parentage are separate questions. Before matching, have counsel in both countries confirm the legal route, the child’s citizenship and passport requirements, and the documents needed to return home.
Plan who will obtain certified court orders and birth certificates, whether translations or authentication are needed, and how much time to allow after birth. A favorable state-law answer does not settle immigration or travel requirements.
International parentage recognition: HCCH (opens in a new tab)Learn how Cove helps intended parents explore their options and keep the journey organized.
Explore Cove for parentsSources checked October 13, 2026. Check the source’s effective date as well as its publication date.
General information, not legal advice. Laws and court practices can change. A reproductive-law attorney should confirm the rules for your circumstances before you sign an agreement or begin treatment.
