Orleans Parish marriage license
To marry in Orleans Parish, you apply to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry (Louisiana Department of Health), Orleans Parish Marriage License Office. There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.
- Fee
- $27.50
- Waiting period
- 24 hoursWaiver available
- License valid
- 30 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 26, 202610 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- No
There is no online application and no remote issuance. The Registry publishes a printable application form that the couple may fill in beforehand, but it is presented at the counter, and at least one party must sign in person.
Official requirementAn Application to Obtain an Orleans Parish Marriage License is available and may be completed by the parties prior to applying in person.
- Apply in person
- Yes
Licenses are issued at the counter during posted hours; the Registry publishes no appointment system for a marriage license.
Official requirementThe Orleans Parish Marriage License Office is located at Benson Tower, 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 407, in downtown New Orleans. Licenses are issued between 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding state holidays).
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
One published exception: if a party is absent, the application is accepted only when that party's signature on it has been separately notarised. If the absent party is a member of the US armed forces, a copy of a military ID can stand in for the signature. Either way, at least one party must sign in person — a relative or other proxy cannot apply on the couple's behalf.
Official requirementIn order to apply for a marriage license, both parties should be present and present all required documents.
- Residency
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Registry publishes no residency requirement for applying. Residency matters only for which of the two waiting-period waiver routes is available to a couple.
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
- A current driver's license, current state ID or passport
- A certified birth certificate or a certified birth card for both parties; a birth certificate not in English must be translated
- If an applicant was not born in the US or a US territory and cannot produce a certified birth certificate, a waiver must be presented in accordance with LA R.S. 9:228
- An applicant not born in the US or a US territory must present a valid passport from their country of birth, or a visa with the I-94 form attached
- An applicant who has been divorced must present a certified copy of the final divorce decree
- A widowed applicant must present a certified copy of the death certificate showing they are the surviving spouse
Orleans Parish requires the certified divorce decree itself, not merely the date. The Registry does not issue divorce decrees — those come from the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce was granted.
Official requirementA certified birth certificate or a certified birth card for both parties. The birth certificate must be translated if not in English.
- Social Security number
- Applicants born in the United States must provide their Social Security numbers. An applicant not born in the US or a US territory presents a valid passport from their country of birth, or a visa with the I-94 form attached, instead.Official requirement
Applicants must provide their Social Security numbers if born in the United States.
- Age
- Marriage under the age of 16 is prohibited by law. An applicant who is 16 or 17 needs judicial authorization and written parental consent; the Registry publishes no additional authorisation requirement for an applicant who is 18 or older.Official requirement
Marriage under the age of 16 is prohibited by law.
- Applicants under 18
- An applicant who is 16 or 17 years of age must have judicial authorization together with the written consent of parent or parents, tutor or legal guardian, under Louisiana Children's Code article 1545. No license may be issued to an applicant under 16.Applies in some cases
Applicants 16 or 17 years of age must have judicial authorization and written consent of parent(s), Tutor or Legal guardian.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- An applicant who has been divorced must provide a certified copy of the final divorce decree when applying. A widowed applicant must provide a certified copy of the death certificate showing they are the surviving spouse. The application also records the number of previous marriages and the date and reason the last marriage ended.
A certified copy of the decree is required in every case, however long ago the divorce was granted. The Registry cannot supply it — request it from the Clerk of Court in the parish where the divorce was granted.
Applies in some casesIf either party has been divorced, the individual must provide a certified copy of the final divorce decree.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $27.50
All fees are non-refundable. Certified copies of the marriage certificate are a separate $5 each, plus a $0.50 mailing charge per transaction, and may be bought at the same time as the license.
Official requirementFees of $27.50 payable by cash (must contain EXACT AMOUNT), check, money order, or credit/debit card (non-refundable), plus $5 for each certified copy of the marriage certificate desired by the customer.
- Payment methods
- Cash — the exact amount is required, as change is not given
- Check
- Money order
- Credit or debit card
- All fees are non-refundable
The Registry's own downloadable requirements sheet (Rev 8/18) still states that credit and debit cards are not accepted. The current web page supersedes it. The separate certified-copy counter at the same address takes only cash, check or money order, so bring a non-card method as a fallback.
Official requirementMARRIAGE LICENSE: $27.50 CASH, CHECK, MONEY ORDERS AND CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTED ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- 24 hours
The clock runs from the moment the license is issued to the moment of the ceremony, not in calendar days. Two waiver routes exist — see the waiver entry.
Official requirementA 24-hour waiting period is required by law between the time of issuance of the license and the ceremony.
- Waiver
- Two distinct routes. (1) Louisiana residents: a judge of the First or Second City Court may waive the 24-hour delay, on the parties' application giving serious and meritorious reasons. This can only be done during those courts' Monday-to-Friday hours of operation, and the judge's certificate authorising immediate performance must be attached to the marriage license. (2) Non-resident couples: if both parties reside outside Louisiana, the ceremony takes place in Orleans Parish, and it is performed by a registered Orleans officiant, that officiant may waive the delay on the parties' application giving serious and meritorious reasons. The officiant's written waiver must be attached to the completed marriage certificate when it is returned to Vital Records. The Registry publishes a suggested letter format for the non-resident waiver, to be reproduced on the officiant's letterhead.
Route 2 is specific to Orleans Parish and is not available elsewhere in Louisiana. A non-resident is a person domiciled or residing outside the state, so a couple with one Louisiana partner and one out-of-state partner does not qualify for it and must use route 1.
Applies in some casesJudges of the First or Second City Courts are authorized by law to waive the waiting period for Louisiana residents and they can do this during their Monday-Friday hours of operation ONLY. If both parties reside outside of Louisiana and the services will occur in Orleans parish AND be performed by a registered Orleans officiant, that officiant can waive this waiting period.
- License expires
- 30 days
The license dies at midnight on the thirtieth day after issuance, not at the end of that day's ceremony window. If the ceremony is postponed past that point, the expired license must be returned and a new one purchased at full price.
Official requirementA marriage license expires and becomes invalid at midnight thirty (30) days after the date of issuance.
- Where it is valid
- Valid for a ceremony in any parish in Louisiana, not just Orleans Parish. It may not be used for a ceremony outside the state.
This differs from states such as Illinois, where a license is good only in the issuing county.
Official requirementThe licenses are valid in any parish in the State of Louisiana.
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
- The ceremony must be performed in the presence of two competent witnesses of full age.
Louisiana sets this by statute and it is uniform statewide. The Registry does not restate it on its Orleans Parish license pages; the requirement is recorded here from the state statute.
Official requirementThe marriage ceremony shall be performed in the presence of two competent witnesses of full age.
- Officiant
- No ceremonies are performed at the Orleans Parish Marriage License Office — it issues the license only, and the couple must arrange their own officiant. An officiant who will principally perform marriages in Orleans Parish registers with the Registry by filing a Louisiana Marriage Officiant Registration Affidavit, sworn before a notary, with a photocopy of their ID or driver's license and a photocopy of their ordination certificate attached, sent to the Center for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Attn: Marriage Office, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Registration is required by LSA-R.S. 9:204.
For any other parish the same affidavit goes to that parish's Clerk of Court instead.
Official requirementYou may only purchase your marriage license at the Orleans Parish Marriage Office. There are no officiants that can perform marriages at this office.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- The officiant completes the marriage certificate and returns it to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry, which files the record. Any 24-hour waiver certificate must be attached to the completed certificate when it is returned. The Registry holds Orleans Parish marriage records for 50 years; older records are held by the Louisiana State Archives.
The Registry does not itself publish a deadline for the officiant to return the completed certificate. Ask the officiant to confirm their filing timeline before ordering certified copies.
Official requirementThe waiver must be attached to the completed marriage certificate when it is returned to Vital Records.
- Processing
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Registry publishes no turnaround time for issuing the license itself, only the counter hours of 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday to Friday. For comparison, it does publish a timescale for records: certified copies of a marriage certificate ordered by mail take approximately 8-10 weeks.
Not published by this office
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- Free aids and services for people with disabilities, such as qualified sign language interpreters and written information in large print, audio and accessible electronic formats
- Free language services for people whose primary language is not English, including qualified interpreters and information written in other languages
- These services are requested by contacting the LDH Bureau of Legal Services at 225-342-1128
- LDH states that its websites and digital services follow recognised accessibility standards in alignment with Louisiana PPM 74, and names a Website Accessibility Coordinator for reporting problems
This is the Louisiana Department of Health's department-wide notice of non-discrimination. The Registry does not publish accessibility or language provisions specific to the Orleans Parish Marriage License Office.
Official requirementFree language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as qualified interpreters and information written in other languages
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in Orleans Parish?
- The fee is $27.50, set by the Louisiana Vital Records Registry (Louisiana Department of Health), Orleans Parish Marriage License Office.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Orleans Parish?
- Yes. A waiting period of 24 hours applies between issuance and the ceremony. A waiver is available in some circumstances.
- How long is a Orleans Parish 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 Orleans Parish?
- 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 26, 2026.
- How To Obtain An Orleans Parish Marriage LicenseLouisiana Department of Health, Center for Vital Records and Health Statistics · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Marriage Licenses and Officiant Registration — FAQLouisiana Department of Health, Center for Vital Records and Health Statistics · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Marriage Officiant — 24 Hour Waiver (form M4, Rev 10/25)Louisiana Vital Records Registry, Office of Public Health · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Louisiana Marriage Officiant Registration Affidavit (form M3, Rev 10/25)Louisiana Vital Records Registry, Office of Public Health · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Requirements for Obtaining a Marriage License — Orleans Parish (Rev 8/18)Louisiana Vital Records Registry, Office of Public Health · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- How To Order Orleans Parish Marriage RecordsLouisiana Department of Health, Center for Vital Records and Health Statistics · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Marriage Certificates & LicensesLouisiana Department of Health, Vital Records · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Non-Discrimination DisclaimerLouisiana Department of Health · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- La. R.S. 9:242 — Waiver of delayLouisiana State Legislature · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
- La. R.S. 9:244 — Witnesses requiredLouisiana State Legislature · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
Recorded conflicts
- Payment methods: the Registry's downloadable requirements sheet (Rev 8/18) states "$27.50 ONLY CASH, CHECK, OR MONEY ORDERS ACCEPTED (NO CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS)", while the current web page lists credit and debit cards as accepted. The web page is recorded as current and the PDF treated as stale. The fee itself is $27.50 on both. Note separately that the certified-copy counter at the same building genuinely takes no cards, so a couple buying copies at the same visit should still bring cash, a check or a money order.
- Minimum age: the same Rev 8/18 sheet says marriage under 18 is prohibited with consent of both parents or a juvenile-court order for applicants aged 16 to 18, and adds a gendered rule for applicants under 16. The current web page states outright that marriage under 16 is prohibited and that applicants who are 16 or 17 need judicial authorization plus written consent, citing Children's Code article 1545. The web page is recorded; the PDF text is superseded.
- Issuance locations: the Rev 8/18 sheet lists a second issuance point at the Second City Court of New Orleans, Historic Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan Street, issuing 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays. The current web page names only Benson Tower, 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 407. Only the Benson Tower location is recorded; the Algiers location is unconfirmed and should be checked by phone before travelling there.
- Appearance wording: the current web page says both parties "should be present", the Rev 8/18 sheet says both parties "must be present", and the FAQ says an applicant is required to apply in person. All three are recorded as one rule — both parties appear together, with the notarised-signature exception for an absent party.
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