How to Get a Marriage License and Certificate in 6 Easy Steps

Your union won't be official until you obtain your marriage license. Here's everything you need to know before you head to the marriage bureau.

How to Get Marriage License and a Certificate in 6 Easy Steps

Design: Falak Khoja / Photos: Getty

Updated Jul 29, 2024

Amid the blur of organizing your wedding and honeymoon plans, you'll need to know where and how to get a marriage license in order to get legally married on paper. What is a marriage license versus a marriage certificate and how do you apply? Whether you are planning a civil marriage ceremony or a religious one, a marriage license is a permit to get married in a particular location and a legal document for public records stating that you and your partner are free and eligible to marry one another. A marriage certificate is a certified copy of the marriage registration secured after the wedding.

Marriage License vs. Certificate. Here's the Difference

So, where do you get a marriage license (a.k.a. wedding license)? We've broken it all down for you with these six easy steps to getting your marriage license papers in order, along with answers to frequently asked questions and info for every state plus a few major U.S. cities. We also have details on how to get a marriage certificate after the wedding ceremony to prove you are married. Sure, it's paperwork, but it's still exciting (not to mention necessary).

Marriage License vs. Certificate. Here's the Difference

Marriage License Application Steps and Info in this Article:

Step 1: Choose Your Marriage Location
Step 2: Set Your Wedding Date
Step 3: Decide Whether You Will Change Your Name
Step 4: Apply for a Marriage License
Step 5. Sign and Submit Your Marriage License
Step 6: Get a Marriage Certificate
How to Get a Mariage License FAQs
Where to Get a Marriage License by State
Where to Get a Marriage License in Select Cities

Step 1: Choose Your Marriage Location

Marriage licenses are issued to couples based on their legal wedding ceremony location, therefore, before applying for a marriage license, you will need to settle on a location. Once you know in which municipality (city, district and county) your nuptials will take place, you'll need to locate where to obtain the license and learn whether they schedule walk-in visits or offer marriage license online applications. Be aware that the rules can vary by region and state. Refer to the Marriage License Information by State and for select U.S. cities below to find the office location, legal requirements and additional information for planning a wedding in that region. Getting legally married abroad? Find marriage license info in our destination wedding guides by entering the country in the search bar.

Step 2: Set Your Wedding Date

The next step is to set your wedding date. Why, you ask? In addition to obtaining the physical paperwork for your marriage location, it's important to be aware of when to apply for a marriage license. There is a specific time window around your wedding date within which you must apply, receive, sign and submit your marriage license. You should plan to file as early as 90 days or at least one week before your wedding. Furthermore, a marriage license can expire so you must get your timing right for the jurisdiction.

Pro tip: Don't wait until the last minute to get organized. You must allow enough time to research the procedure and timing in your wedding location, complete the application form and gather up the ID requirements so you're ready to apply within the appropriate window. Once you've done your research, add these important dates to your calendar and wedding checklist.

Step 3: Decide Whether You Will Change Your Name

The marriage license application may also ask you if you're changing your surname after marriage, so we highly recommend having that discussion well before you file for one (the city clerk's office isn't the place to weigh your name change options). Of course, if you'd rather wait to decide, you can. In that case, work with a name change service to make the process as seamless as possible post-wedding. P.S. We have all the details on how to change your last name.

Step 4: Apply for a Marriage License

Next up, how to get a marriage license. The marriage license application that you complete and submit is an affidavit —a sworn statement that there are no legal impediments to the marriage. Once you're ready to apply, you and your future spouse should be prepared to visit the office together (either in person or virtually (if available)). In some states, you may be required to bring a witness.

Bring Your Documentation

Requirements do vary by state, but they all want to confirm the basics: that you have proper forms of identification, that you're not currently married to anyone else (if you previously were, you need proper proof of divorce or widowhood), and date of birth to prove that you're of legal age to marry.

Marriage License ID Requirements:

Proof of age (birth certificate)
Parental consent if underage (usually under 18 years of age); you may also need a court order in this case
Photo id (driver's license, state ID card, military ID, passport or birth certificate)
Social security number
Proof of citizenship and/or residence
Both your parents' full birth names, birth dates and birth states. If they are deceased, the date of their passing.
Divorce decree, if divorced
Death certificate, if widowed

Marriage License Cost

The marriage license fee varies by office and ranges from $35 to $150. Check to see which methods of payment are accepted—cash, debit card, credit card, check or money order.

Marriage License Processing Time

Depending on the location's office hours and procedure you may receive it in person at the time of application or receive it by mail a few days later.

Step 5. Sign and Submit Your Marriage License

Once you receive your marriage license, don't forget to bring it to your wedding ceremony. After the marriage ceremony, the couple, witnesses and the officiant will sign the marriage license.

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Witnesses

Typically, the best man and maid-of-honor or parents act as witnesses, but this doesn't have to be the case. The usual requirement is that a marriage license witness needs to be old enough to know that they are witnessing a marriage ceremony (usually over 18 years of age) and must be able to sign their own name without assistance.

Officiant's Signature

The officiant is a legal official—justice of the peace, county or court clerk, a judge, magistrate or notary public. Exact requirements vary from state to state (and county to county in some cases).

The officiant submits the signed marriage license to be certified by local officials within a time limit (e.g. within 10 days in California or within 60 days of issue date in Texas).

Step 6: Get a Marriage Certificate

The issuance of a marriage certificate occurs after the marriage license has been certified by local officials. Some states automatically send the marriage certificate to the newlywed couple in the mail; others require that copies are ordered and purchased. Check out the region-specific links for your marriage location below for how to get a marriage certificate.

It's a good idea to have a marriage certificate on file as proof of marriage for taxes, insurance, banking, mortgage applications, a name change, etc.

How to Get a Mariage License FAQs

Where do you get a marriage license?

You get a marriage license in the region where you plan to get legally married.

It might be city hall, the town or city clerk's office, or the marriage license bureau in the county where you plan to wed. For example, in Connecticut, marriage licenses are issued by the municipal clerk's office in the town where you'll be married, whereas in Iowa, couples may apply at any county registrar or recorder's office. In some states, like New Jersey, you can simply download a marriage license brochure and the license itself to be filled out by you and your spouse-to-be. In the State of California, they have two types of marriage licenses: a public marriage license and a confidential marriage license, adding yet another regional difference.

Refer to the marriage license information by state and for select cities below for information in that region.

When do you get a marriage license?

There is a specific window around your wedding date within which you must apply, receive, sign and submit your marriage license. You should plan to file as early as 90 days or at least one week before your wedding.

As soon as your wedding date and location are set, get the marriage license application so that you know when to apply and the ID requirements for your jurisdiction.

Once you receive your license, some states require a several-day mandatory waiting period between granting the license and your nuptials taking place—this can range from 24 hours in New York City, to 72 hours, as required in the State of Texas.

You don't want to run the risk of applying too early, as your marriage license could expire, or too late such that you haven't allowed for the waiting period.

How long does a marriage license last?

Most marriage licenses are only valid for a period of time and then expire—anywhere between 10 days and a year—during which you must have the wedding ceremony, sign the license (together with your officiant and witnesses) and file for a certified marriage record (the signed marriage license is usually submitted by the officiant).

For example, in California, the completed marriage license needs to be returned to the clerk recorder's office within 10 business days. In Florida, it needs to be submitted before the marriage license expires (i.e. 60 days after issuance).

How much does a marriage license cost?

The marriage license fee and methods of payment vary by office and range from $35 to $150.

How long does it take to get a marriage license?

The actual time between filing your application and receiving your license can take a few days depending on the location's office hours and procedure (e.g. whether you can pick it up in person at the time of application or receive it by mail a few days later).

Where to Get a Marriage License by State

Looking for a marriage license office location near you or at your wedding destination? With all of this general information in mind, we've got everything you need to know about the application process and where to get a marriage license in each state:

Where to Get a Marriage License in Select Cities

Looking for a marriage license office in a major city? We have additional details including where to apply for a marriage license in these select cities: