The short answer
The office that issues marriage licenses where you marry sets its own requirements, and this guide does not state them. Ask that office, or read its official website, about what the two of you bring, when to apply, how long a license stays valid, whether witnesses are needed, what the officiant signs, and how to order certified copies afterward. Write down each answer with its date and source.
Which office issues your marriage license?
Start with the place the ceremony will happen. Depending on where you marry, licenses may be issued by a county clerk, a city or town office, a registrar or a court, and the government website for that place names the office. Give the office the ceremony address and ask it to confirm that it is the right office for a ceremony there, especially if you live somewhere else or the ceremony and reception are in different towns.
Use the office’s own website or phone line rather than a summary on another site. Requirements change, and a page that copies them can fall out of date without saying so. Beside each answer, note the page address or the name of the person you spoke to and the date, so you know later which answer you planned around.
- The ceremony address, as the office will want it
- The office that issues licenses there, from an official source
- Its website, phone number and opening hours
- Whether you apply in person, online, or both
- Whether an appointment is needed, and how far ahead
What should the two of you ask about identification and documents?
Ask the office what the two of you need to bring when you apply, in what form, and whether it accepts copies or only originals. Ask whether both of you must be there in person, and what happens if one of you cannot be. If one of you has a document in another language, ask whether the office needs a translation and who may provide it.
If either of you has been married before, ask what the office wants to see about how that marriage ended, and in what form. If either of you has changed your name, ask whether your documents need to show the change. Gather what the office names in good time: a replacement certificate from another office can take longer to arrive than you expect.
- Identification the office accepts, for both of you
- Whether originals, certified copies or plain copies are accepted
- Whether both of you must attend, and the alternative if not
- What to bring about a previous marriage, if either of you has one
- Whether a translation is needed, and who may provide it
- How the fee is paid, and in what form
When should you apply, and how long does a license last?
Two answers from the office set your window. Ask whether there is a waiting period between the day a license is issued and the first day it can be used, and how long a license stays valid once it is issued. The latest day to collect your license is your wedding date less the waiting period; the earliest is your wedding date less the time a license stays valid.
Ask the office how it counts those days: whether the day of issue counts, whether weekends and holidays count, and whether a license that expires on a day the office is closed is still usable. Put the earliest and latest days on your calendar with the office’s wording beside them, and leave room before the latest one in case the office is closed or busy that week.
What does the office say about the ceremony, witnesses and officiant?
Ask who may sign the license as officiant where you marry, and whether that person must register, be authorized or show the office anything first. If a friend or relative is officiating, ask what they need to do and how long it takes, and leave time for it. The officiant agreement guide covers what to settle with whoever officiates, including who keeps the license on the day.
Ask whether witnesses are needed, how many, and whether the office sets an age or asks them for identification. Ask whether anything must be said or signed during the ceremony for the marriage to be recorded, and give that answer to your officiant in writing. If your ceremony is religious or cultural, ask the office whether anything changes for it.
- Who may sign the license as officiant
- Whether the officiant must register or be authorized first
- Whether witnesses are needed, and how many
- Anything that must be said or signed at the ceremony
- Who returns the signed license, and by when
What happens to the license after the wedding?
Ask who returns the signed license to the office, by what date and in what way, and how you will know it has been recorded. Ask how to order certified copies of the record afterward, what they cost, and how long they take to arrive. If one of you plans to change your name, a certified copy may be asked for by the offices you update, so ask how many you can order at once.
Name one person to carry the license on the day, keep it flat and dry, and bring a pen that works on the paper. After the ceremony, check the signatures and dates before anyone leaves, and note when the license was handed back or mailed. The name change checklist guide picks up from the certified copy.
What if you marry somewhere else first, or abroad?
If you marry at a courthouse first and celebrate later, the license questions belong to the courthouse date, not the party. Ask the office which date will appear on the record, and plan the celebration as its own event. The courthouse wedding guide covers timing a reception around the ceremony.
If you plan to marry in another country, the questions change: whether you can marry there, and whether the marriage will be recognized where you live. Ask the country’s marriage authority and the office that records marriages at home before you book anything. The guide to marrying in another country lists those questions.
Marriage license questions
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Question | Answer from the office | Source and date | Who follows up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which office issues the license for our ceremony address | — | — | — |
| What each of us brings when we apply | — | — | — |
| Whether both of us must attend | — | — | — |
| Waiting period before the license can be used | — | — | — |
| How long the license stays valid | — | — | — |
| Who may sign as officiant, and what they must do first | — | — | — |
| Witnesses needed | — | — | — |
| Fee and how it is paid | — | — | — |
| Who returns the signed license, and by when | — | — | — |
| How to order certified copies | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Hello, we plan to marry on [date] at [venue name and address]. Could you confirm that your office issues the marriage license for a ceremony there? We would also like to know what each of us needs to bring when we apply, whether we both need to attend and whether an appointment is needed, whether there is a waiting period before the license can be used and how long it stays valid, whether witnesses are needed, and how we order certified copies after the wedding. If this is on your website, a link to the page would be a great help. Thank you.
Common questions
How far ahead can you get a marriage license?
How far ahead you can get a marriage license depends on how long a license stays valid where you marry, which the issuing office sets. Ask the office how long a license is valid after it is issued, whether there is a waiting period before it can be used, and how it counts the days. Your window to collect it sits between those two answers.
Do both of you have to be there to apply for a marriage license?
Whether both of you need to appear when you apply for a marriage license is for the issuing office to say. Ask it directly, and ask what happens if one of you cannot attend in person. Rely on the office’s own answer, with its date, rather than another couple’s experience or a summary on another website.
Can a friend officiate our wedding?
Whether a friend can officiate your wedding depends on the rules where you marry. Ask the issuing office who may sign the license as officiant, and whether that person must register, be ordained or be authorized first. Leave time for any step the office names, and settle the rest with your friend in writing.
What is the difference between a marriage license and a certificate?
The issuing office decides what each document is called and when you receive it. Ask which document you sign at the ceremony, which one records the marriage afterward, and how you order certified copies of the record. A name change and other updates may ask for a certified copy, so ask how long copies take to arrive.
Are marriage license rules the same in every state?
Marriage license rules in the US differ from state to state, and the details can differ by county or city too. That is why this guide lists questions rather than answers. Ask the office that issues licenses where you will marry, and check its answers again close to your date in case anything has changed.
Who should look after the license on the wedding day?
Choose one person to look after the license on the wedding day, such as the officiant or your point person, and tell them where it will be and when it needs signing. Ask them to check the signatures and dates before anyone leaves, and to note when the license is returned or mailed to the office.