How to Record a Marriage License
In order to be legally recognized, a marriage must be recorded in the county or municipality where the marriage license was obtained and the ceremony, whether civil or religious, was performed. The requirements for this process vary from one municipality to the next, and from state to state, but in all cases the basic steps to officially record a marriage are similar.
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Instructions
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Obtain a marriage license from the court clerk or magistrate in the county where the marriage ceremony will be performed. You must provide identification and proof of your age (age requirements for legal marriage vary from one state to the next, and for teenagers may depend on parents' written consent as well as a court order granting permission). There will be a time limit for use of the marriage license, often 30 days.
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Have the wedding performed by exchanging vows in a religious setting of your choice, such as a church, synagogue or mosque; or have a civil ceremony presided over by a duly appointed official, notary public or clerk sanctioned to perform marriage ceremonies. Some states, but not all, allow couples to solemnize their own weddings.
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Have the presiding clerk, notary or religious official sign and date the marriage license. The license must show the county where the ceremony took place, as well as the signature of the presiding official and of the bride and groom. Some municipalities require this official to forward the license to the office that originally issued it for recording.
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Otherwise, return to the clerk of court where you obtained the marriage license to have it officially entered into the court files, or "recorded." There is a time limit for this procedure, and there will be an additional recording fee. The license will be returned to you with a court seal indicating its legally recorded status.
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Tips & Warnings
Some states require Social Security numbers to issue marriage licenses.
Most states will not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Some states require waiting periods before the ceremony is conducted.
Some states require blood tests.
All states require divorced persons to have their divorces legally completed.
All states require widows and widowers to provide the date of death of their former spouse.
Some jurisdictions require the presence of witnesses on the marriage license.
Performing a wedding without obtaining and recording a marriage license will result in the marriage not being legally recognized. The result is a common-law marriage, the laws for which vary from one state to the next.
