Getting Married in New York State
The Marriage License
Where to get a marriage license
To be married in
New York State,
the couple must
apply in person for a marriage license to any town or city clerk in
the state – both the bride and groom to be must do this
TOGETHER. Both the bride
and groom must sign the license application in the presence of the
town or city clerk. A representative cannot apply for the license
on behalf of the bride or groom.
24 Hour Waiting Period
Although the
marriage license is issued immediately, the marriage ceremony may
not take place within 24 hours from the time the license was
issued.
The License is valid for 60 days
A marriage
license is valid for 60 days, beginning the day after it is
issued.
How
much does it cost?
If the marriage
license is issued by a town or city clerk in New York State outside
of New York City, it costs $40. This fee includes the issuance of a
Certificate of Marriage Registration. This certificate is
automatically sent by the issuing clerk to the applicants within 15
days after the completed license is returned by the officiant. It
serves as notice that a record of the marriage is on file. Couples
who do not receive a Certificate of Marriage Registration within
four weeks of the wedding should contact the town or city clerk who
issued the license.
If the license is to be issued by the City Clerk of the City of New
York, please contact the New York City Clerk's Office for current
fees and requirements. The City Clerk's Office can be reached at
(212) 669-2400 or via their web site at
New York City Marriage Bureau.
No premarital physical exam or blood test is
required
Proof
of Age and Identity
A person is
required to establish proof of age and identity by submitting to
the issuing clerk one of the following age related documents:
1. Birth Certificate
2. Baptismal record
3. Naturalization record
4. Census record
And one of the
following identity
related
documents:
1. Driver's license
2. Passport
3. Employment picture ID
4. Immigration record
Previous Marriages
Information
regarding previous marriages must be furnished in the application
for a marriage license. This includes whether the former spouse or
spouses are living, and whether the applicants are divorced and, if
so, when, where and against whom the divorce or divorces were
granted. A certified copy of the Decree of Divorce or a Certificate
of Dissolution of Marriage may be required by the clerk issuing the
marriage license.
Surname
Options
Every person has
the right to adopt any name by which he or she wishes to be known
simply by using that name consistently and without intent to
defraud. 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. The bride and groom need not take
the same last name.
One or both parties to a marriage may elect to change the surname
by which he or she wishes to be known after the marriage by
entering the new name in the appropriate space provided on the
marriage license. The new name must consist of one of the following
options:
•
the
surname of the other spouse;
•
any
former surname of either spouse;
•
a
name combining into a single surname all or a segment of the
premarriage surname or any former surname of each
spouse;
•
a
combination name separated by a hyphen, provided that each part of
such combination surname is the premarriage surname, or any former
surname, of each of the spouses.
If you plan to use your married name at work, be sure to have your
name changed in Social Security records. This way, you will get
credit for all your earnings. It's easy and it's absolutely free.
Contact any Social Security office. Look in the telephone book for
the address and phone number. You will need documentary evidence
showing both your old name and your new
name.
Where
can a marriage take place?
A New York State
marriage license may be used within New York State only. Please
note that if you go out of New York State to be married, your New
York State marriage license will not be filed in New York
State.
What
about the ceremony?
There is no
particular form or ceremony required except that the parties must
state in the presence of an authorized member of the clergy or
public official and at least one other witness that they take each
other as husband and wife.
There is no minimum age for a witness. However, in selecting a
witness, choose at least one person who you feel would be competent
to testify in a court proceeding as to what he or she
witnessed.
Where can I get copies of my records?
For copies of
marriage licenses issued anywhere in New York State except the five
(5) boroughs of New York City, a certified copy of the marriage
record may be obtained from the office of the town or city clerk
who issued the license, or from the New York State Department of
Health. The fee is $10 if you obtain a certified copy from the town
or city clerk who issued the license. If applying to the New York
State Department of Health, the fee is $30. For a certified copy,
write to:
Certification
Unit
Vital Records Section
New York State Department of
Health
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, New York
12220-2602
For marriage
licenses issued in New York City, do not apply to the New York
State Department of Health. For an application, current fees and
ordering information contact the City Clerk of New York at (212)
669-2400 or visit their web site at
New York City Marriage Bureau.
You
can also write them at:
New
York City marriage records from 1930 to 1995 can be obtained solely
from the Manhattan Office.
MANHATTAN:
Municipal
Building
1 Centre Street, Room 252 South
New York, New
York 10007
BRONX:
Supreme Court Building
851 Grand Concourse
New York,
New York 10451
BROOKLYN:
Municipal Building
210 Joralemon Street,
2nd Floor, Room 205
Brooklyn, New York
11201
QUEENS:
Borough Hall Building 120-55 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens,
New York 11424
RICHMOND:
Borough Hall Building
10 Richmond Terrace, 3rd Floor, Room
311
Staten Island, New York 10301