Marriage License

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Marriage Record

A Marriage License is required to get married in New York State. You can make an appointment to apply at any borough office.

Marriage Licenses are usually valid for 60 days. For active military personnel, the License is valid for 180 days.

The marriage ceremony needs to take place at least 24 hours after you receive the License. The ceremony can be held anywhere in New York State.

You and your future spouse must schedule an appointment to appear in person at the City Clerk’s Office or attend a virtual appointment through Project Cupid at nyc.gov/cupid. City Clerk offices are not providing walk-in services.

You are required to provide proper ID and payment at your appointment.

The application includes your:

Name
Address
Birth place
Date of birth
Social Security number
Marital history
Sworn statement that are no legal barriers to the marriage

Bring your confirmation number, proper identification, required documents and payment when you appear in person with your future spouse.

Expiration of Application

Online application expires after 21 days. If you are unable to complete the application in person, you will need to submit a new application.

Technical Issues

If you're experiencing issues with the website, you can contact the City Clerk online.

Report a problem with a marriage license.

You must be 18 and older to be permitted to marry in New York State. If you provide all necessary documents, you will get a Marriage License on the same day. If your appointment was online, your Cupid account will have a digital download.

Identification Documents that are accepted:

Driver's license (from the United States or one of its territories)
Non driver's identification card (from the United States or one of its territories)
Learner's permit from New York State only
IDNYC
United States Military Identification Card
A valid passport from any country
U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (issued within the past 10 years)
United States Alien Registration Card with expiration date
Employment authorization card issued by the United States immigration authorities

All documents must be valid. Expired documents will not be accepted.

Providing Marital History

If you were married before, list all prior marriages on the Marriage License application. You must include:

Full name of your former spouse, if deceased you must include date of death
Date the divorce was granted
Place you filed the divorce

You may be asked to provide the final divorce decree. All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before applying.

Payment

The fee for a Marriage License is $35. You can pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), debit card (Visa or MasterCard) or a money order payable to the City Clerk.

Surname Change Options

Various surname options are listed on the back of the Marriage License application. You must state your choice. If you indicate a surname change, the change takes legal effect at the conclusion of the marriage ceremony.

If you wish to change your surname through the City Clerk's office after a marriage ceremony, you must remarry.

Same-Sex Couples

The Marriage Equality Act allows same-sex couples to marry legally in New York State.

Additional Information

Learn more about applying for a Marriage License.

New York State Law require that you wait 24 hours after you obtain a Marriage License before the marriage ceremony. If you must marry before, you can request a waiver from a Judge.

Judicial Waiver

You can request a Judicial Waiver from the County Clerk in the borough where you obtained your Marriage License.

There is no fee. You must give the Judicial Waiver to your Marriage Officiant to enable them to perform the ceremony within the 24 hour waiting period. The Marriage Officiant must attach the Judicial Waiver when returning the Marriage License to the City Clerk’s Office.

Submitting the License after the Marriage Ceremony

At the end of the marriage ceremony, the Marriage Officiant, both spouses, and the witness(es) should sign the Marriage License.

The Marriage Officiant must return the Marriage License within 5 business days to the City Clerk’s borough office where the Marriage License was issued.

You will receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration in the mail within approximately 20 days. If a month has passed, contact City Clerk's Office where you obtained your Marriage License. You can also send an email to officeservices@cityclerk.nyc.gov.

If the Marriage Ceremony is at the City Clerk's Office, you will get a Certificate of Marriage Registration on that same day.

Duplicate Marriage License

You can get a duplicate Marriage License if it is lost, stolen, or mutilated. You must obtain a Marriage License in order to get married.

Either spouse may apply. The applicant must return to the City Clerk’s borough office that issued the original Marriage License. You will be required to complete an affidavit and pay the fee.

Correcting a Marriage License

A Marriage License is the document you obtain in order to get married. If your Marriage License is incorrect, you must make the changes before the marriage ceremony is held.

To correct your Marriage License, you must go to the City Clerk’s borough office where the initial Marriage License was issued and pay the fee.

Fee

The fee for obtaining a duplicate Marriage License or correcting a Marriage License is $25.

You can pay by credit card, debit card (Visa or MasterCard), or money order payable to the City Clerk.