How To Make Your Marriage Legal
Planning a wedding is a beautiful thing, but sometimes the paperwork that comes with it can be overwhelming. You’ll want to consider the important steps to make your marriage official and legal.
Here I will address how to obtain a marriage license.
I will also link a resource at the bottom that helps with your name change AFTER the wedding.
Let’s get started:
What is a marriage license?
The marriage license is the application for issuance to receive the marriage certificate. The marriage certificate is a piece of paper that legalizes your marriage, and is the document needed for legal name changes and identification changes in the future.
Where do you get a marriage License?
Most of the time you will obtain a marriage license from a county clerk’s office. Usually when you Google your specific county and city you are getting married in, a specific address will be provided.
DON’T FORGET THIS: You need to obtain your marriage license in the county and state you are getting married in, not in the county and state you live in. So, if you live in California but plan to get married in Idaho, apply for an Idaho license in the county your ceremony will be in.
There are many items needed to obtain your license, be sure to check with the county, but here is a general list of what’s needed:
- Your partner (you’ll both need to be there)
- Birth certificate or Passport
- Driver’s License of other Photo ID
- Money (to pay for the license)
- Witness (if your state requires)
- Certificate of Divorce or Death Certificate (if previously married)
- Parent (if under the age of 18)
How long does it take to get a marriage license?
The appointment length itself depends on where you are obtaining the license. Check ahead to see whether an appointment is needed and inquire how long the average time is for that specific office. Usually it’s around an hour, but it can completely vary depending on how populate the city is.
Be sure to double check the following:
The waiting gap - Many places have a 48-72 hour waiting time in between getting your license and having your wedding – so do not wait for the last possible second to get this done! If you sign and date your license too soon after you have picked it up from the county clerk’s office, it can become null and void.
The expiration date: Most marriage licenses do expire. Usually, it’s between 30-90 days to use the license before it expires, so you also don’t want to obtain your marriage license too early OR forget to turn your license in after the wedding date.
How to get the Marriage Certificate:
After you have signed the license at your wedding with the witness signature requirements, you will return the license to the county clerk office – the same place you obtained it – either in person or by mail. Again, this is time sensitive.
I also recommend that if you are leaving for your honeymoon the next day or need some time to relax after your big day, your officiant should oversee this task, so you do not have to think about making another errand right after your wedding.
Keep in mind: Sometimes a county office will issue a decorative license that is for decorative purposes only. Do no mistake this for the real thing, and double check before trying to use the decorative license as the official one.
How much does a marriage license cost?
This varies state by state, but the cost ranges from about $10- $115. Be sure to bring a proper form of payment to the county clerk’s office.
Also note: Some counties charge extra for certified copies of the marriage certificate, so plan accordingly for this expense as well.
Name Change after the wedding:
For an amazing resource that helps you change your name in all the necessary ways, I highly recommend using NewlyNamed. They create personalized name change kits that save you time and give you peace of mind about the tedious process.