MarriageLicenseCheck

District of Columbia marriage license

Issued by the Marriage Bureau, Superior Court of the District of Columbia

To marry in District of Columbia, you apply to the Marriage Bureau, Superior Court of the District of Columbia. There, both applicants must appear together.

Fee
$45$35 of the fee is waived if the applicants' original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate is presented at the time of application
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
Never expires
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 202610 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Marriage Bureau, Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Apply online
Yes

An online application form is published and the Bureau processes applications remotely. Applying online is not the same as marrying remotely: all parties must be physically present in the District at the time of the ceremony, and couples who officiate their own ceremony must both appear to collect the license.

Official requirement

The Marriage Bureau is processing marriage license applications and officiant applications remotely and in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. only.

Apply in person
Yes

The Marriage Bureau is in Room JM-690 of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001. No appointment booking system is published.

Official requirement

The Marriage Bureau is located in the Moultrie Courthouse, JM 690.

When to apply

We will work out when you can apply. We never ask for names, dates of birth or any other personal detail.

Who must appear

Both applicants
Yes

The Bureau publishes a both-parties rule only for couples who officiate their own ceremony: both must be present to collect the license, and both must apply in person when seeking authorisation to self-officiate. No blanket in-person appearance rule is published for couples using another officiant, and the Bureau states that it also processes applications remotely. Confirm with the Bureau before travelling.

Applies in some cases

If self, both parties must be present when picking up license

Residency

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

No current Marriage Bureau page states a residency requirement either way. A 2013 court press release said licenses are issued regardless of where the couple reside, but nothing current repeats it; see source conflict notes.

Not published by this office

Identification and personal information

We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.

Identification
  • One of: a valid US driver's license
  • A government-issued non-driver's ID
  • A passport

Proof of age must be shown for both parties. The Bureau publishes no separate identity-document list beyond these proof-of-age documents.

Official requirement

You will be required to show proof of age for both parties through one of the following documents: US valid driver’s license, Government-issued non-driver’s ID, or Passport.

Social Security number
A Social Security number is not required to marry. An applicant who does not have a Social Security number must bring their passport to get a marriage license.

The Bureau's marriage pages and online application do not otherwise ask for a Social Security number; the published rule applies only to applicants without one, who must show a passport.

Applies in some cases

Yes, you can still get married without a social security number. Anyone without a social security number must bring their passport to get a marriage license.

Age
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old.
Official requirement

The minimum age for marriage in the District of Columbia is 18.

Applicants under 18
No marriage license may be issued to an applicant under 18. District law directs the Clerk not to issue a license to anyone under 18, and the Marriage Bureau publishes the same minimum age with no consent exception.

This text is in force under temporary legislation that expires on 13 August 2026. The permanent codification of the same section still allows an applicant under 18 to marry with a parent's or guardian's consent, so this rule must be re-checked after that date; see source conflict notes.

Official requirement

If any person intending to marry and seeking a license therefore shall be under 18 years of age, the Mayor or Clerk shall not issue such license.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
An applicant who was previously married must state on the application how the marriage ended and, if it ended in divorce or annulment, where the decree was obtained. The Bureau does not publish any requirement to produce a copy of the decree.

District law also requires the Clerk to examine applicants under oath about whether they were previously married.

Applies in some cases

If divorced, where was decree obtained?

Fee and payment

Fee
$45$35 of the fee is waived if the applicants' original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate is presented at the time of application.

A certified copy of the marriage record is a separate $10 charge. The Bureau's downloadable PDF application still prints a $35 application fee; see source conflict notes.

Official requirement

The marriage license application fee is $45.00 ($35 of this fee will be waived if the applicant's’ original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate and is presented at the time of application).

Payment methods
  • Cash
  • Credit card
  • Check
  • Money order made payable to "Clerk, DC Superior Court"

Personal checks are not accepted for certified copies of the marriage record.

Official requirement

All fees must be paid in cash or credit card or by check or money order (made payable to: "Clerk, DC Superior Court").

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

The Courts' marriage FAQ states that a couple can marry any time after the license is received, including the same day it is issued. This is the clock between issuance and the ceremony. The separate clock between applying and receiving the license is a processing time, which the Bureau does not publish. A three-day statutory waiting period described in a 2013 press release rested on DC Code § 46-409, repealed in 2014; see source conflict notes.

Official requirement

You can get married any time after you receive your license. You can get married the same day you receive your license.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period to waive — the Courts state that a couple can marry the same day the license is issued.

Not applicable here

You can get married any time after you receive your license. You can get married the same day you receive your license.

License expires

This does not apply here.

The Marriage Bureau states that a District marriage license does not expire once it has been issued, so there is no expiry period to express as a number of days. Because this record carries no expiry figure, the ceremony-date planner cannot draw an outer boundary for the District.

Not applicable here

Once issued, a marriage license does not expire.

Where it is valid
The ceremony must take place in the District of Columbia. Both parties and the person performing the wedding must be physically present in the District at the time of the ceremony.

The Bureau performs both onsite and virtual civil ceremonies, but the physical-presence rule applies to all parties in either case.

Official requirement

All parties — both the parties to the wedding and the person performing the wedding — must be physically present in the District of Columbia at the time of the ceremony.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
No witnesses are required to get married in the District of Columbia.

The Courts' FAQ on private, self-officiated ceremonies repeats the same rule: "You do not need witnesses."

Official requirement

No, you can get married in the District of Columbia without witnesses.

Officiant
Religious celebrants, civil celebrants and judges other than DC Courts judges must be authorised by the Court and registered by the Marriage Bureau before performing a marriage, and the intended celebrant's full name must be given at the time of the application. A couple may instead officiate their own ceremony, or request a civil wedding performed by a court official.

Officiant authorisation carries its own fee: $35 for a religious or civil celebrant, $25 for a temporary officiant. For a court-officiated wedding the Bureau asks for at least ten business days after the license is issued.

Official requirement

Religious celebrants and judges other than those of the DC Courts must be authorized by the Court and registered by the Marriage Bureau in order to perform legal marriages in the District of Columbia.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Marriage Bureau publishes no return or recording instructions for the completed license on its marriage pages.

Not published by this office
Processing

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Bureau states only that a staff member will contact the applicants once the application has been received; it publishes no issuance timeframe. For a court-officiated wedding it asks for at least ten business days after the license is issued, which is scheduling advice rather than a license processing time.

Not published by this office

Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page

Access and language

Published notes
  • The Courts take ADA accommodation requests through an online form or the ADA Coordinator, at no cost, and ask for at least two weeks' notice where possible
  • Accommodations include sign language interpreters, real-time captioning (CART), assistive listening devices, large-print or accessible electronic documents, and help completing forms
  • The Office of Court Interpreting Services provides interpretation and translation at no cost to court users, in over 50 languages
  • The Courts' website is published in English, Spanish, French, Korean, Vietnamese, Amharic and Traditional Chinese
Official requirement

The District of Columbia Courts are committed to equal access for people with disabilities.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in District of Columbia?
The fee is $45, set by the Marriage Bureau, Superior Court of the District of Columbia. $35 of the fee is waived if the applicants' original DC Domestic Partnership Certificate is presented at the time of application.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in District of Columbia?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a District of Columbia marriage license valid?
It does not expire — once issued, the license remains valid until used.
Do both partners have to appear in person in District of Columbia?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.

Each answer restates the verified rule above; the official wording and sources are in the numbered sections.

Sources and reviewed date

Every fact above is quoted from one of these pages. Reviewed July 30, 2026.

  1. MarriageSuperior Court of the District of Columbia, Marriage Bureau · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  2. Marriage License ApplicationSuperior Court of the District of Columbia, Marriage Bureau · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  3. Order Certified Copy Marriage RecordSuperior Court of the District of Columbia, Marriage Bureau · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  4. Marriage — Frequently Asked QuestionsDistrict of Columbia Courts · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. § 46–411. Persons under 18 years of age.Council of the District of Columbia, Code of the District of Columbia · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  6. § 46–411(Perm). Consent of parent or guardian.Council of the District of Columbia, Code of the District of Columbia · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  7. § 46–409. Issuance of license — Waiting period. [Repealed]Council of the District of Columbia, Code of the District of Columbia · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  8. DC SUPERIOR COURT EXPANDS MARRIAGE BUREAUDistrict of Columbia Courts · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  9. ADA AccessibilityDistrict of Columbia Courts · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  10. Language Access ServicesDistrict of Columbia Courts, Office of Court Interpreting Services · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26

Recorded conflicts

  • A 2013 DC Courts press release states that "The DC Code requires a three-day waiting period from the date an application is received before the Marriage Bureau may issue a license". The section that imposed that waiting period, DC Code § 46-409, was repealed effective 17 December 2014, and the Courts' current marriage FAQ states "You can get married any time after you receive your license. You can get married the same day you receive your license." The current FAQ is recorded — no waiting period between issuance and ceremony — and the 2013 release is treated as superseded. The separate clock between applying and receiving the license remains unpublished and is recorded under processing time.
  • The same 2013 press release prints the fee as "$35 for the license, plus $10 for the certificate", and the Bureau's downloadable PDF application form still prints "APPLICATION FEE $35.00". The Bureau's current web page states $45.00. The current web page is recorded; the press release and the PDF are treated as stale.
  • The same 2013 press release also states that the Court issues licenses "regardless of where they reside", and that couples may have a proxy apply on their behalf. No current Marriage Bureau page states a residency rule or a proxy rule either way, so residency is recorded as not published rather than sourced from the superseded release.
  • The Marriage Bureau states that a license does not expire once issued. Expiration is therefore recorded as not applicable, with the Bureau's own wording preserved, rather than converted into a day count that the authority never published.
  • DC Code § 46-411 currently bars issuing a license to anyone under 18, but only through temporary legislation that expires on 13 August 2026. The permanent codification of the same section still permits marriage under 18 with parental or guardian consent. Re-check the minor rule after 13 August 2026.

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