Obtaining a marriage license in the US varies by state, with differences in cost, waiting periods, blood tests, and age requirements. Applicants must provide identification and may need to prove legal status. After obtaining a license, it must be filed with the county clerk to make the marriage legal. It is important to check with the clerk for current requirements.
The procedure for obtaining a marriage license in the United States varies from state to state, and individual counties may impose additional restrictions. The main points on which obtaining a marriage license differs are how long it takes to get licensed, the cost, whether the state requires blood tests, and how long the license will be valid. Age was also a notable difference in most states, but now only Nebraska has an age requirement other than 18. In Nebraska, you must be 19 to get a marriage license. Some states will allow young people to marry if they have parental permission or are legally emancipated.
What you will, in most cases, do when applying for a marriage license is apply to the county clerk’s office. It is usually located near other state court offices, although in some states, such as Nevada, it is possible to obtain a marriage license from a registered chapel. You may need to make an appointment to apply, so you may want to call ahead. You usually report to the county clerk’s office during normal business hours. Note that most county clerks observe all federal holidays and generally have “bankers hours” from approximately 8 am to 5 pm.
The moment you get your marriage license, both prospective spouses must bring documentation to prove they are who they claim to be. This may include a driver’s licence, social security card and/or birth certificate. If you are not a US citizen, you may also need to bring proof of your legal right to be in the US. That proof might include a green card, a visa, and usually a passport.
Before getting a license, some states may require you to have a blood test. This used to be required in nearly every state, but now only 12 states still ask you to take one. The purpose behind the blood test is to type the blood of both parties entering the marriage. A negative blood type in the mother can mean problems with future pregnancies if the father has a positive blood type. The goal of blood typing was to prevent the devastating effects of Rh incompatibility.
The cost to obtain the marriage license ranges from 4-80 US dollars (USD). Most states offer a license for around $40. A state that requires blood testing will cost a little more since you have to pay for it, usually around $50-100.
Most states have no waiting period between applying for and receiving a license. Some states need up to a day to get the paperwork sorted. A handful of states take three to six days to prepare the marriage license. Some states also impose a waiting period between the time you get your license and the time you can legally marry. This waiting period is three days at most, and most states do not have a waiting period.
A marriage license may have an expiration date, usually three months to a year. Some states don’t have an expiration date. You should check with your state two to three months before getting married to see when they recommend starting the licensing process.
Once you have your marriage license, keep it. It normally needs to be filed with the county clerk after the wedding has taken place to make the marriage legally binding. Some ministers and judges perform this service for the couple, but you should definitely have someone responsible keep the license on hand for you to sign after the wedding has taken place.
In all cases, check with the clerk in your city or country before obtaining a marriage license. The rules on the requirements for a license may change from time to time. Again, this is best done several months before the wedding so that failure to issue a marriage license does not make it a marriage.
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