Your officiant must return your marriage license to the issuing city or town clerk within five days after marriage. 5. Get married in New York and sign the marriage license As with pre-Covid marriage licenses, you will still need to wait at least 24 hours after you receive the license to get married. You can also send an email toofficeservices@cityclerk.nyc.gov. First, you must apply for and obtain a valid marriage license from a town or city clerk in New York. New York State Law requires the collection of this information. a court record or any other document or record issued by a governmental entity, showing the date of birth. Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance by phone. A person's last name (surname) does not automatically change upon marriage, and neither party to the marriage is required to change his or her last name. You can fill out your application online and present it at the Office of the City Clerk, or fill it out in-person at the office at your appointment. License application, you will receive a Confirmation Number. You may hyphenate each's current or former last name. You can get a duplicate Marriage License if it is lost, stolen, or mutilated. However, marriage licenses from other states are not valid for weddings taking place in New York so out of state residents that are planning on a marriage in New York must make the time to apply for and receive a New York marriage license to be legally married there. Once you file the application and pay the license fee, the license will be issued immediately but is not valid until 24 hours after it is issued. Your ceremony must be conducted by a marriage officiant who is eligible to solemnize marriage ceremonies under New York State law. 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, Full name of your former spouse, if deceased you must include date of death. 2. A few days following the ceremony, the officiant needs to file the certificate (which typically needs to be signed by both spouses, the officiant, and one or two witnesses aged 18 or older) in the appropriate county office for things to be official. Yes. There is no particular form or ceremony required except that the parties must state in the presence of an authorized public official or authorized member of the clergy and at least one other witness that each takes the other as his or her spouse. Notarized marriage license affidavits signed by the applicants cannot be substituted for their personal appearance. "Very thorough explanation on the process of obtaining a marriage license in the state of New York. By using our site, you agree to our. It is best to check with the City Clerks office where you will be applying to see if any additional documentation is needed. Application Information Requirements New York: You may apply for a New York marriage license at any city or town clerk's office. We've laid out all the details here for how to get married in New York City and provided answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding how to get a marriage license and certificate in NYC. A marriage may not take place in New York State between an ancestor and descendant, siblings (full or half blood), an uncle and niece or nephew or an aunt and niece or nephew, regardless of whether or not these persons are legitimate or illegitimate offspring. This way, you will get credit for all your earnings. To complete your application, Fortunately, the process for getting legally married in New York City is pretty straightforwardprovided that you do your homework. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Your last name choices do not have to match. To use the NYC Cupid platform, you will need to upgrade or switch to another web browser. City of New York. If you choose to fill it out online, just know that it expires within 21 days so make sure to get to the city clerk's office before then. What to Do If You Made a Mistake on Your Marriage License. If either applicant is under 18 years of age, a marriage license cannot be issued. You and your prospective spouse must arrive together with the same identification you used to obtain your marriage license. Individuals under 14 cannot get a marriage license. Premarital Preparation Courses: Big Moneysavers. You can apply for your marriage license online through the Office of the City Clerk and then complete your application in person. You will also need to bring certain documentation of your age and identity, a photo ID, and the fee to pay for your license. A judge will give the waiver order. One or both parties may choose to change their surnames. When completed, the town or city clerk will issue you a new Certificate of Marriage Registration. There is no minimum legal age for a witness to a marriage ceremony. Should you elect to change your surname (or middle name), you'll need to provide it on the application. You dont need a premarital medical examination or blood test to get a New York marriage license. If your Marriage License is incorrect, you must make the changes before the marriage ceremony is held. Expired documents will not be accepted. You may apply for a normal marriage license to remarry your current spouse. Will the marriage still be acknowledged if the certificate is not returned? It costs $35 to fill out a marriage license application, which you'll pay to the New York City Clerk by credit card or money order. Information regarding previous marriages must be furnished in the application for a marriage license. Acceptable ID must usually include a photograph and be government issued; the most common forms of proof are a driver's license or passport. Since the confidential marriage license requires the signature of a marriage officiant, they are not available to members of religious . After you finish submitting the application, a confirmation number will be provided to you or email to you. Possible documents include those listed below. New York abolished the practice of common-law marriage in 1933. This is a read only version of the page. You'll be asked to list all previous marriagesand the dates they were dissolvedon your marriage license application. We are currently experiencing significant delays in order processing. Your custodial parents, guardians, or caretaker must grant consent. Where do you get a marriage license? For information about having a wedding ceremony performed by our office, please click here . You must request a waiver from the county clerks office where you obtained your marriage license. If a month has passed, contactCity Clerk's Office where you obtained yourMarriage License. Some cities and towns may require additional proof of identification, such as a certified birth certificate. State only needed if Country selected is United States. Survey participation is voluntary. If applying to the New York State Department of Health, the fee is $30. Your marriage record is filed with the City Clerk's Office and the New York Department of Health. All Rights Reserved. Whether you decide to use or not use this option at the time of your marriage license application, you still have the right to adopt a different name through usage at some future date. Express consent in person to the city or town clerk or by written affidavit. You can find the address and phone number of your local Social Security Office at http://www.ssa.gov. Applicants must provide a certified, long-form birth certificate that show parent's names on them, and photo identification in the form of a valid driver's license, passport, or non-driver ID. The marriage officiant will mail the signed marriage license to the Manhattan office within five business days after the ceremony. A New York marriage license costs $30 to $40. However, you cannot hold your New York wedding for at least 24 hours after you file for your marriage license unless you get a judicial waiver. site, View the exact language of the Domestic Relations Law of the State of New York, Learn more about getting married if you are under the age of 18 years. Cuomo signed an anti-child marriage law that bumped up the minimum marriage age from 14 to 17. Cherisse Harris is a fact-checker with a focus on lifestyle, beauty, and parenting. Various city and town clerks might allow separate appearances for religious reasons. It takes a bit. People eligible to get a marriage certificate: If you are not a spouse, you must document a judicial or other proper purpose. Depending of your township, you might be able to pay by credit card, but some townships only accept cash or check. Schedule Marriage License (in-person) Language. You might immediately think of searching around Manhattan for your perfect spot to tie the knot, but don't overlook venues in Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, too for even more variety and potentially more privacy. The Marriage Officiant must return the Marriage License within 5 business days to the City Clerks borough office where the Marriage License was issued. Marriage License | Need something else? To learn how to change your name, keep reading! Deny request or grant a written court order approving marriage. What is time frame that it is valid for? When do you apply for a marriage license in New York City? 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Print your application. You can schedule an in-person appointment for a Marriage Ceremony, Marriage License, and other select services through Project Cupid. Thank you! The quickest way is to walk in to apply first thing in the morning. You may even reverse hyphenate. Confidential License and Certificate of Marriage (VS 123) Confidential marriage licenses may only be issued to unmarried parties who are at least 18 years old and have been living together as spouses. You can fill out . If there is only one legal name, you may enter it in either the "Surname" or "First Name" fields. Currently, licenses issued by the New York City Clerks office cost $35. Although it's late, you can still return it. You may take either's current or former last name. In a city that spans more than 22 square miles, you'll have plenty of backdrops to choose from for your special event. The state of New York does not require couples to be residents of New York to marry in the state. Location: There are five locations in New York City. Two witnessesnot counting the officiantmust be at your marriage ceremony. If you're getting married in New York, you must first apply for a marriage license. While the rules for marriage licenses vary by state and sometimes county (the time you have to wait to get married, how long it's valid, the cost, etc. You can also schedule an appointment for a civil marriage ceremony to take place at one of the City Clerk Office locations. The above noted documentation must be submitted to the town or city clerk where you purchased (i.e., applied for) your marriage original license. When completed, the town or city clerk will issue you a new Certificate of Marriage Registration. No worriesyou're in the right place! Let your imagination run wild with NYC as your playground as you plan your dream wedding in the City That Never Sleeps. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. We Lost Our Marriage License! visit the. Clergy or ministers of any religion, mayors of cities and towns, the city clerks of cities of more than a million people, federal judges, state judges, and justices of the peace can be officiants. To proceed to the next step, click the "Next" button. Marriage Bureau section of the Office of the City Clerk Web But keep in mind there's a 24-hour lag between the point of issuance (which is immediate) and when the marriage can take place. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Visit the City Clerk Online. 1. The local Social Security Administration office should be contacted so that its records and your social security identification card reflect the name change. In cases of divorce, the custodial parent must grant consent. It can be difficult to correct these errors after the license has been filed.