The fee for a marriage license is $35 in NYC (check your local municipality for the exact cost in your area) payable in money order only. No other method of payment will be accepted.

A New York State marriage license is valid for 60 days (except for active military personnel for whom the validity runs for 180 days) and can only be used in the State of New York. A blood test is not required to obtain a marriage license in the State of New York.

Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together in person to apply for a marriage license. The application must be completed in our offices. The application consists of an affidavit wherein the applicants list various personal details such as their name, address, and birth place, date of birth, social security, and marital history and make a sworn statement that there are no legal impediments to the marriage. Applicants who have been married previously must list all prior marriages on the marriage license application. They are required to supply their prior spouse's full name, the date the divorce was granted and the place the divorce was filed and may be asked to produce the final divorce decree. All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before applying for a new marriage license. If you are a widow or widower, you must provide your deceased spouse's full name and date of death. The marriage license is generated based on this information. It will be prepared while you wait, and you will take it with you upon your departure. You must wait a full 24 hours before your marriage ceremony can be performed unless you obtain a judicial waiver.

You are advised to carefully consider whether to change your surname or not. The various options are listed on the back of the application. Whatever your choice of surname it will be final and the only way you will be able to change it is by marrying your spouse for a second time. Although you may amend other mistakes in your marriage record a surname choice is not considered a mistake and therefore cannot be amended.

A marriage license which is lost or is returned to the Office of the City Clerk in a mutilated condition must be replaced with a duplicate marriage license at a cost of $25 payable in money order only.

If you are under the age of eighteen and wish to obtain a marriage license, please continue to read.

If either prospective bride or groom is under the age of eighteen years but over the age of sixteen years, written parental consent is required to obtain a marriage license. If either prospective bride or groom is under the age of sixteen years, in addition to parental consent, the written approval of a judge of the Supreme Court or Family Court is needed. If you are less than 18 years of age be prepared to show proof of your date of birth. Such proof of date of birth may be one of the following: original or certified copy of birth certificate, baptismal record, passport, driver's license, naturalization record, or court records. In all instances where either prospective bride or groom is under eighteen both parents must be present with valid identification at the time of application for the marriage license and at the marriage ceremony if the ceremony is performed in our offices. If one parent is deceased, the surviving parent must appear and a death certificate for the deceased parent must be produced. If both parents are deceased, the legal guardian must appear instead. A person under the age of fourteen cannot be married.

NOTE:  Since laws may change at any time, please check with your local County Clerk's office for updates before applying for your marriage license.

Dotti Templeton, Interfaith Minister & Officiant
Westchester, Hudson Valley, & Metro NY
Dotti@Poetic-Ceremonies.com                914-673-5967