Marriage Licenses

Requirements

1. Marriage Licenses are good for 60 Days.
2. You must be planning to get married in the State of Massachusetts, and you can apply in any city/town in the Commonwealth to get married in any city/town in the Commonwealth.  For instance, if you may apply in Worcester and get married in Athol, or apply in Haverhill and get married in Boston.
3. There is a 3-day mandatory waiting period in the State of Massachusetts.  This means once you apply, you will not be able to pick up the license for at least 3 days (please remember we are not open weekends/holidays to pick-up licenses).  If you cannot wait this time period, you can go to the local court house and apply for a waive which costs just under $200.
4. Both parties must come in to apply together for the license.  There are only 3 exceptions to this: Military, Incarceration, and Doctor's verification of impending death.
5. A valid ID for both parties is required.
6. Each city/town charges different fees, our office charges $40.00 (all forms of payment are acceptable except American Express).
7. The application takes approximately 30 minutes.  Our office hours are 8am to 4pm (close) so please come in no later than 3:30 to fill out this paperwork.

Process

1. After you have filled out the paperwork, we prepare Marriage Licenses in the order they are received and the order in which they are needed.  
2. About a week before your wedding, at least one party should return to our office to pick up the license in person and review it carefully for any errors.  At this time, we will also provide instructions for officiates and information on how to get a certified copy once you are married. If the couple reviews and approves the license and then asks to make a change prior to the issuing of the license, there is a $10 fee to retype the license.
3. Once you are married, the license needs to be returned to our office to be registered.  Once we register it, you may request certified copies.