New Castle County marriage license
To marry in New Castle County, you apply to the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace (Marriage Bureau). There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.
- Fee
- $70 if either applicant is a Delaware resident, $120 if neither is
- Waiting period
- 24 hoursWaiver available
- License valid
- 30 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 30, 202610 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- Yes
The online form starts the application only. Both applicants still have to appear in person to have their identification checked before any license exists.
Official requirementA marriage license cannot be issued solely online — in-person verification is required by law.
- Apply in person
- Yes
In Delaware the issuing office is the Clerk of the Peace, an elected county row office also called the Marriage Bureau — not a county clerk, recorder or court. New Castle County's Marriage Bureau is at 800 N. French St., Second Floor, Wilmington, open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed noon to 1 p.m. Appointments are booked through the Clerk's QLess scheduler.
Official requirementBoth applicants must appear together in person at the scheduled time to complete the process and receive the license.
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
State law makes the joint appearance a condition of issuance and provides one narrow exception: where one applicant is critically ill, the attending physician may appear as proxy for that applicant on a sworn affidavit. The Clerk does not publish a procedure for that exception.
Official requirementBoth applicants must appear together in person at the scheduled time to complete the process and receive the license.
- Residency
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk publishes no residency requirement for eligibility. Residency changes the price only: the published fee schedule sets one rate where at least one applicant is a Delaware resident and a higher rate where neither is.
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
- Valid, government-issued photo identification for each applicant, presented in person
- State I.D. or driver's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles
- Passport
- Military I.D. (Active Duty)
- Government-issued Consulate I.D.
- The identification must show the holder's date of birth
The marriage-license page itself asks only for "valid, government-issued photo identification". The itemized list above is the Clerk's own published list of acceptable photo ID, given on its Ceremonies page for check-in and repeated on its certified-copies page; the Clerk publishes no separate list for the license application.
Official requirementBoth parties must appear in person to verify their valid, government-issued photo ID.
- Social Security number
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk of the Peace does not publish whether a Social Security number is required for the license application.
Not published by this office- Age
- Both applicants must be 18 or older, must not be related to each other, and must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they apply.Official requirement
Both parties must be 18 years of age or older and not related to each other.
- Applicants under 18
This does not apply here.
Delaware has no route to marriage below 18. There is no parental-consent or judicial-approval path, so the Clerk has no minor rule to publish.
Not applicable hereNo individual under the age of 18 shall be granted a marriage license.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- An applicant whose previous marriage ended must present the original or a certified copy of the divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate. The online application also asks for the place and date of the previous marriage.
There is no time limit after which the document stops being required.
Applies in some casesIf previously married, the original or a certified copy of the divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate must be presented.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $70 if either applicant is a Delaware resident, $120 if neither is
The published fee schedule adds a separate $5.00 marriage license processing fee. Extending the 30-day validity costs $25 (30 days), $50 (60 days) or $75 (90 days). An in-office ceremony is charged separately: $50 on a Wednesday or $100 on a Friday where either applicant is a Delaware resident, and $100 or $150 respectively where neither is.
Official requirementParty A and/or Party B is a DE Resident Marriage License Application $70.00
- Payment methods
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk publishes payment methods for certified copies ordered by mail — money order or certified check, no personal checks — but does not publish how the license fee itself may be paid.
Not published by this office
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- 24 hours
The license is handed over at the appointment, but the ceremony cannot take place for 24 hours after issuance. The license itself prints a "Shall not marry before" date and time. Delaware's older split of 24 hours for residents and 96 hours for non-residents is no longer published or in the statute: one 24-hour period now applies to everyone.
Official requirementA 24-hour waiting period applies after the license is issued.
- Waiver
- The 24-hour wait can be waived where either applicant is active-duty military or critically ill. State law also lets the Clerk of the Peace shorten the period for good cause shown.
The Clerk does not publish how to request the waiver; ask the Marriage Bureau.
Official requirementIf either party is active-duty military or critically ill, the wait period can be waived.
- License expires
- 30 days
The license prints a "Shall not marry after" date. If the ceremony does not happen inside the 30 days the license is void and the couple must reapply and pay again — there is no refund and no postdating. Either applicant may appear in person beforehand and buy an extension of 30, 60 or 90 days; state law caps any extension at 180 days from issuance.
Official requirementThe license is valid for 30 days unless either party appears in person for an extension.
- Where it is valid
- Valid anywhere in the State of Delaware. The ceremony must take place in Delaware; a Delaware license cannot be used for a ceremony in another state.
The Clerk publishes no restriction confining a New Castle County license to New Castle County — the published limit is the state line.
Official requirementThe marriage ceremony must take place in the State of Delaware to be legal.
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
- Two witnesses, each at least 18 years old, must be present at the ceremony. This applies both to in-office ceremonies and to ceremonies held elsewhere in Delaware.
Each witness must show valid government-issued photo identification showing their date of birth, and must legibly write their full name, address and date of birth on all three copies of the license and sign them. The officiant has to check each witness's identification and date of birth.
Official requirementThe ceremony must have two witnesses present that are 18 years or older.
- Officiant
- Under 13 Del. C. § 106 a marriage may be solemnized by a clergyperson or minister of any religion registered with the Clerk of the Peace — in the county of residence for Delaware residents, or in the county where the ceremony takes place for out-of-state clergy — and by current or former Delaware judges, federal judges and magistrates with jurisdiction over Delaware, current or former Clerks of the Peace within their own county, and the chief executive officer of an incorporated municipality within its limits. The officiant must not appear on the Clerk's suspended officiator list. The Clerk also performs in-office ceremonies by appointment on Wednesdays and Fridays.
In-office ceremonies are limited to ten guests or fewer, no food or drink, and no dressing rooms; couples arriving 30 or more minutes late may have to rebook. Rings and vows can be included if requested in advance. The Clerk also offers vow renewals and heirloom certificates for milestone anniversaries.
Official requirementIn-office ceremonies are performed by appointment only on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- The officiant keeps the original for the couple and must mail the second copy of the completed license to the Clerk of the Peace within 15 days of the ceremony. The marriage is not recorded with the State of Delaware until that copy is returned.
A license returned late incurs a $50 late fee, and an officiant with an unpaid late fee cannot perform ceremonies in Delaware. Incomplete, illegible or inaccurate licenses are sent back for correction.
Official requirementOfficiators must mail the second copy of the license within 15 days to Clerk of the Peace.
- Processing
- The license is issued at the appointment: once both applicants' identification is verified, three copies of the license are handed to the couple. The ceremony still cannot take place for 24 hours.
Certified copies ordered online or by mail are mailed after payment; in-person orders require government-issued photo identification showing date of birth.
Official requirementAfter IDs are verified, three copies of the license are provided to the marrying couple.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- The County states it works to conform with WCAG 2.1 and to meet Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Users of assistive technology who cannot access material are asked to report it through the State of Delaware's digital accessibility form
- The Marriage Bureau publishes no translation or interpretation service for the license appointment
Paid parking is available at the Colonial Parking Garage, 820 N. French Street (enter on 9th Street), and at the DoubleTree Hotel garage.
Official requirementwe implemented AI tools to conform with Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and to ensure digital accessibility to as many residents as possible, we strive to meet Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in New Castle County?
- The fee is $70 if either applicant is a Delaware resident, $120 if neither is, set by the New Castle County Clerk of the Peace (Marriage Bureau).
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in New Castle County?
- Yes. A waiting period of 24 hours applies between issuance and the ceremony. A waiver is available in some circumstances.
- How long is a New Castle County marriage license valid?
- The license is valid for 30 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
- Do both partners have to appear in person in New Castle County?
- 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.
- Marriage LicensesNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- License & Ceremony FAQsNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Fees ScheduleNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- CeremoniesNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Certified Copies of RecordsNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Important NoticesNew Castle County Clerk of the Peace · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Website AccessibilityNew Castle County · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- 13 Del. C. § 107: Marriage licenses; obtaining and deliveryState of Delaware — Delaware Code Online · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- 13 Del. C. § 120: Marriage license application; appearance of parties; exceptionState of Delaware — Delaware Code Online · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- 13 Del. C. § 123: Marriage of minors; consent formsState of Delaware — Delaware Code Online · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
Recorded conflicts
- Delaware licenses are issued by the Clerk of the Peace, an elected county row office unique to Delaware and also known as the Marriage Bureau. It is not a county clerk, recorder or court, and the state vital-records agency does not issue licenses. 13 Del. C. § 109 assigns issuance to "the several clerks of the peace of the various counties or their deputies, also known as the Marriage Bureau".
- Delaware historically imposed a 24-hour wait on residents and 96 hours on non-residents. Neither the Clerk of the Peace nor 13 Del. C. § 107 publishes a non-resident wait now: a single 24-hour period applies to everyone. Residency still changes the fee, not the timing.
- The Clerk's fee schedule lists a $5.00 "Certified Copy of License Processing Fee", while the certified-copies page says a certified copy is "$25.00 plus a one-time $2.50 processing fee". The two pages disagree on the copy processing fee. This does not affect the license fee, which both the fee schedule and the license page treat consistently.
- The Clerk's online application and appointment booking both run on third-party hosts (GovPilot and QLess) linked from newcastlede.gov. They are recorded as navigation links only; every fact in this record comes from newcastlede.gov or the Delaware Code.
Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction or read how corrections work.
This page is formatted to print as a checklist you can take with you.