MarriageLicenseCheck

Ada County marriage license

Issued by the Ada County Recorder's Office (Ada County Clerk's Office)

To marry in Ada County, you apply to the Ada County Recorder's Office (Ada County Clerk's Office). There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$30
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
Never expires
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20263 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Ada County Recorder's Office (Ada County Clerk's Office)

Apply online
Yes

The online form starts the application only. Both applicants must still appear at the Recorder's Office to verify identity, sign the affidavit and pay.

Official requirement

You must complete the online marriage license application prior to coming into the Recorder’s Office to pick up your marriage license.

Apply in person
Yes

Licenses are issued from the Recorder's Office on the 1st floor of the Ada County Courthouse, 200 W Front St., Room 1207, Boise. The office recommends arriving by 4:45 pm.

Official requirement

Couples are welcome to schedule an appointment to come in and pick up their license or they are able to walk in; our office is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

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

Where one applicant cannot appear because of military service or incarceration, the office runs a two-step process needing at least two separate visits. For dual-incarcerated or dual-military applicants a third party aged 18 or over carries the documents between the office and the applicants.

Official requirement

To obtain a marriage license, both applicants must appear together before the deputy clerk.

Residency
No Idaho residency is required of either applicant. The license may only be used for a ceremony inside Idaho.
Official requirement

No; however, with an Idaho State Marriage License, you must get married in Idaho.

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • A non-expired, government-issued photo ID for each applicant, such as a driver's license or passport
  • Each applicant's Social Security number
  • If an applicant has no Social Security number: a letter from the Social Security office, plus a valid non-expired passport and proof of legal entry (visa, entry stamp or I-94 traveler log)
  • For an applicant aged 16 or 17: an original birth certificate or certified copy, plus a current driver's license, passport or state ID card

Photo ID is needed to sign the Marriage License Affidavit in front of the deputy clerk.

Official requirement

Both applicants need to have a non-expired government issued, photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) in order to sign the Marriage License Affidavit.

Social Security number
Both applicants must supply their Social Security number. An applicant without one must first obtain a letter from the Social Security office; a denial letter must be accompanied by a valid, non-expired passport and proof of legal entry. An applicant holding a letter saying a number is being issued must wait until the number can be provided.
Official requirement

Both applicants will need their social security number.

Age
Applicants aged 18 or older may marry. Applicants aged 16 or 17 need sworn written parental or guardian consent, and no license may be issued to a 16- or 17-year-old where the parties are three or more years apart in age. No license may be issued to anyone under 16.
Official requirement

Anyone who is younger than 16 years old may not obtain a marriage license. Per Idaho Code, a marriage may not take place when one of the applicants is under the age of 18 and the applicants are more than three years apart in age.

Applicants under 18
An applicant aged 16 or 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and must present an original birth certificate or certified copy plus a current driver's license, passport or state ID card. The parent or legal guardian completes an Affidavit of Consent to Marriage of Minor and shows a State or federally issued photo ID so the affidavit can be notarised. A legal guardian must also supply a certified copy of the appointment of guardianship.

Idaho Code additionally bars a license where one applicant is under 18 and the parties are three or more years apart in age.

Applies in some cases

Applicants who are 16 or 17 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (legal guardians must supply a certified copy of their appointment of guardianship).

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended

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

The Recorder's Office publishes no divorce-decree or prior-marriage documentation requirement and no waiting period after a divorce.

Not published by this office

Fee and payment

Fee
$30

An additional service fee applies to credit and debit card transactions. Additional certified copies cost $2.00 each.

Official requirement

The license fee of $30.00 can be paid by credit/debit card, cash or a check made payable to the Ada County Recorder.

Payment methods
  • Credit or debit card (an additional service fee applies)
  • Cash
  • Check made payable to the Ada County Recorder

Where one applicant is incarcerated, the Recorder's Office states the $30.00 fee is collected in cash when the signed forms are returned.

Official requirement

Yes, debit/credit cards are accepted, along with cash or check. An additional service fee will apply to credit/debit card transactions.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

The license may be used on the day it is issued.

Official requirement

No, you may get married the same day.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires

This does not apply here.

The Recorder publishes that the license carries no expiry date, so there is no deadline by which the ceremony must happen. A separate and different clock applies after the ceremony: if the completed license has not been returned to the Recorder within a year of the marriage date, the State Bureau of Vital Statistics must be contacted and charges extra steps and fees.

Not applicable here

There is no expiration date on your marriage license.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony anywhere inside Idaho. An Idaho license cannot be used for a ceremony in another state or abroad, cannot be backdated, and the date cannot be altered to show a different ceremony date.

Idaho does not restrict use to the issuing county, but it does restrict use to the state.

Official requirement

An Idaho Marriage License must be used within the boundaries of Idaho.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses

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

The Recorder's Office publishes no witness requirement or count.

Not published by this office
Officiant
The Recorder's Office does not perform ceremonies. Courthouse ceremonies depend on the judges' calendars and are not guaranteed on a walk-in basis; the office emails a current list of judges on request. Idaho Code section 32-303 authorises current and retired Supreme Court justices, appeals judges, district judges and magistrates, current and former governors, the lieutenant governor, current Idaho mayors, federal judges, tribal judges, and a priest or minister of the gospel of any denomination or faith.

Idaho does not recognise a telephonic or video ceremony, and an Idaho license is not valid unless the ceremony takes place in Idaho with both applicants in the state.

Official requirement

No, you may contact a judge to make an appointment for the same day you pick up your marriage license or for a future date. A list of judges is available at our office.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
The completed license is returned to the Recorder's Office in the mailing envelope provided. One certified copy is then mailed to the address on file; additional copies cost $2.00 each from the Recorder's Office.

If the completed license has not reached the Recorder's Office within a year of the marriage date, the couple is told to contact Idaho Vital Statistics on (208) 334-5980, and extra State steps and fees apply.

Official requirement

Completed marriage licenses should be returned to our office using the provided mailing envelope.

Processing
The license is issued during the office visit, by appointment or walk-in, Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Couples may marry the same day.

Booking an appointment reserves the license visit only, not a ceremony. Where one applicant is incarcerated or serving in the military, the two-step process spans multiple days and the couple does not leave with a license after the first visit.

Official requirement

We recommend that couples arrive by 4:45 pm to ensure they are able to be assisted prior to 5:00 pm.

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • A court-approved translator is provided when either applicant needs one, by scheduled appointment only — contact the Recorder's Office before the visit
  • A translator is also required where a document such as a birth certificate is in a language other than English
  • The Recorder's Office publishes its marriage license information sheet in Spanish as well as English
Official requirement

If either applicant requires the assistance of a translator, please contact the Recorder’s Office prior to your visit.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Ada County?
The fee is $30, set by the Ada County Recorder's Office (Ada County Clerk's Office).
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Ada County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Ada County marriage license valid?
It does not expire — once issued, the license remains valid until used.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Ada County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Ada County?
No Idaho residency is required of either applicant. The license may only be used for a ceremony inside Idaho.

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. Marriage LicenseAda County Clerk's Office — Recorder's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. Marriage License Information – SpanishAda County Clerk's Office — Recorder's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Idaho Code 32-202. Persons who may marryIdaho State Legislature — Idaho Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • The Recorder publishes two different one-year-adjacent facts that must not be conflated: the license itself carries no expiration date, while a completed license that has not been returned to the Recorder within a year of the marriage date must be dealt with through Idaho Vital Statistics. The one-year figure is a return deadline after the ceremony, not a deadline by which the ceremony must take place.
  • The office is titled the Ada County Clerk's Office online, but marriage licenses are issued by its Recorder's Office, and Idaho Code 32-401 vests the power to issue in the county recorder rather than a county clerk. Ada County's elected Clerk holds the Clerk, Auditor and Recorder roles together, so both names describe the same office.

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