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City of Boston exact answer

Do both applicants have to appear in City of Boston?

This answer belongs to the issuing office and task named above. It does not substitute a statewide summary or infer a rule the office does not publish.

Direct answer

Yes. Both applicants must appear as the office describes in City of Boston. The Registry Division asks couples to call 617-635-4175 if one party is a Massachusetts resident on active military duty outside the state, or if a special circumstance such as hospitalisation or imprisonment prevents either party from coming to City Hall.

Published rule and conditions

Applicant appearance rule
Yes

The Registry Division asks couples to call 617-635-4175 if one party is a Massachusetts resident on active military duty outside the state, or if a special circumstance such as hospitalisation or imprisonment prevents either party from coming to City Hall.

Official requirement

To apply for a marriage license couples must apply together, make an appointment, and come to City Hall in person.

Issuing office

City of Boston Registry Division (Registry: Birth, Death, and Marriage)

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Official sources for this answer

  • How to Get Married in BostonCity of Boston Registry Division - checked July 26, 2026

    To apply for a marriage license couples must apply together, make an appointment, and come to City Hall in person. A marriage license is only good to use between 3 and 60 days in Massachusetts from the date you applied. You also can't use the marriage license outside of Massachusetts. The Registry will issue your marriage license immediately. However, you cannot use it to get married for 3 days after your appointment. A $50 application fee. We take cash, a debit or credit card, or a money order made payable to the "City of Boston".

Answer boundary

MarriageLicenseCheck is an independent reference, not the issuing office or legal advice. Applicant facts, timing, prior marriages, and document type can change the result. The official office decides what it will accept.

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