Your Marriage License in NYC
How to obtain a marriage license:
Super easy! The first thing you need to do is obtain your marriage license. To that end, you begin by making appointment for your license here: City Clerk’s office & fill out your application for a marriage license. At the end of your application you will receive a confirmation number which indicates that your information was submitted and it is now in our government’s data base.
Next, both you and your spouse to be must go TOGETHER to the City clerk’s office to pick up your license. You cannot just walk in, you must make an appointment to see the City Clerk.
Because of Covid, couples are doing this next step from the comfort of their homes, virtually.
In order to schedule your virtual interview, you will need to pay their fee of $35
You will pay $35 required, with a credit card, and you will proceed to schedule an appointment to see a clerk.
*Available appointments are hard to find, we advise to check the website every Thursday at 9:00AM.
You must both show a form of Id (passport, drivers license, state id, etc). You should also bring a copy of your divorce papers, if you were married before.
Because of Covid, you can now upload a photo of your ID and any other documentation into your Cupid’s account, prior to your interview.
Next, you must show up for your online interview with the clerk. During the interview, the clerk will corroborate your documentation, and they will immediately send you your marriage license via email. The interview typically lasts about 10 minutes.
After you obtained your marriage license you will need to wait 24 hours to have your ceremony. This means: You can NOT get married the same day that you obtained your license.
Of course you don’t need to get married immediately after you obtained your license. Your license is good for 60 days. After you have your license in your hands you can get married within 60 days.
On the day of your wedding, you will bring us your marriage license, and the officiant, the witness (you only need one witness), and the couple will sign it.
We will take care of the filling of the paperwork and you will receive your Wedding Certificate in the mail within 4 weeks.
If you are in a hurry and you don’t want to wait 4 weeks to receive your Marriage Certificate, you may go back to the City Clerk’s office with your signed license in hand and obtain your wedding certificate right there on the spot. Please read HERE.
Is a marriage legal elsewhere?
If you have any doubts about the legally of your nuptials in NYC. Please consult with your consulate, in case they need you to have your license notarized. But in general that is not necessary. All marriages performed here are binding worldwide.
Not a US Resident:
There are no residence or citizenship requirements to be married in New York. Just bring your passport. That’s it.
Are you divorced?
- If you were married before, you must list all prior marriages. You must include your previous spouse’s full name; the date the divorce decree was granted; and the city, state, and country where the divorce was issued.
- All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before you apply for a new Marriage License.
- You may be asked to produce the final divorce decree.
- If your spouse is deceased, you must provide such spouse’s full name and date of death.
Proper Identification:
You and your prospective spouse must have one form of proper identification in order to apply for a Marriage license. Basically you need any Government issue id. that is not expired and has your photo in it. A passport will do. Also a driver’s license or an id card. You do not need a birth certificate to obtain your marriage license.
How long until I get my Certificate in the mail?
- If you send your marriage license in the mail after the ceremony, the government may take up to 6 weeks to mail your Certificate. It usually only takes a week or two, but you should be aware that this time frame varies depending on the volume of work that they have, and the number of employees available each day.
- If you are in a hurry, we suggest going back to the City Clerk’s office with your signed papers, and retrieve your Certificate of marriage in person.
