New York Weddings - Information

Legal Requirements

Please use these requirements as a guide only, individual requirements will be advised on booking and our unique service means we'll guide you through the paperwork taking care of administration where possible.

Legal requirements for marriage in NYC are the same for everyone, whether you are a U.S. citizen or not. The fee for a Marriage License is $35 payable in a money order only . No other method of payment is acceptable. (this is included in your wedding package)

Both the prospective bride and groom must appear together in person to apply for a Marriage License. The application must be completed in the city hall offices.

Marriage License/Marriage Ceremony
City Clerk of New York in Manhattan: Municipal Building (south side), 1 Centre Street, 2nd Floor, NY 10007, 212-669-2400; hours: 8:30am-4pm.

The application consists of an affidavit wherein the applicants list various personal details such as their name, address, birth place, date of birth, social security number, 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. Unless you obtain a judicial waiver, you must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed.

It is strongly suggested that you proof read your Marriage License before leaving city hall. If an error is found, your must return to the clerk for a correction. Any errors found within the first 24 hours after issuance will be corrected at no cost to you. After the 24 hours, there is a fee of $25 payable in money order only for any corrections.
A Marriage License which is lost in the mail or is returned to the City Clerk's Office mutilated must be replaced with a duplicate Marriage License for a fee of $25 payable in money order only .

A New York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days only and can only be used in the state of New York .

A blood test is not required to obtain a Marriage License in New York State .

All applicants must bring valid forms of identification when applying for a Marriage License. All identification must be valid. Expired forms of identification will not be accepted, no exceptions.

Acceptable forms of identification:

1. Valid passport

If you are under the age of 18 and want to obtain a Marriage License, continue to read the following message:

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 you are less than eighteen 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, life insurance policy, school records, naturalization record or court record. In all instances where either prospective bride or groom is under eighteen years, 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.

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