City of Boston exact answer
Can you apply for a marriage license in person 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. The published process allows an in-person application in City of Boston. In Massachusetts the issuer is the municipal clerk or registrar, not a county office. In Boston that office is the Registry Division at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, windows 24 and 25 — not the separate City Clerk's Office, which performs ceremonies and handles domestic partnerships but does not issue licenses. Appointments must be booked in advance through the Registry's online booking application, linked from its page; walk-ins are not accepted.
Published rule and conditions
- In-person marriage license application
- Yes
In Massachusetts the issuer is the municipal clerk or registrar, not a county office. In Boston that office is the Registry Division at 1 City Hall Square, Room 213, windows 24 and 25 — not the separate City Clerk's Office, which performs ceremonies and handles domestic partnerships but does not issue licenses. Appointments must be booked in advance through the Registry's online booking application, linked from its page; walk-ins are not accepted.
Official requirementTo apply for a marriage license, couples must apply together and in person, and you need to make an appointment.
Issuing office
City of Boston Registry Division (Registry: Birth, Death, and Marriage)
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".
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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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