MarriageLicenseCheck

City of Portland marriage license

Issued by the City of Portland Office of the City Clerk

To marry in City of Portland, you apply to the City of Portland Office of the City Clerk. There, both applicants must appear together.

Not yet fully reviewedWhat is shown below is verified against the issuing authority, but at least one requirement is not published or not yet confirmed, so treat this page as a starting point.

Fee
$40
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
90 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20268 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

City of Portland Office of the City Clerk

Apply online
No

A printable Intentions of Marriage form can be filled in beforehand, but it must be filed in person and the signature must be sworn before an authorised official. Filing is by appointment, made by calling the Clerk's Office on 207-874-8610.

Official requirement

Residents of the state intending to be joined in marriage are required to record notice of their intentions in person (both parties must be present) in the office of the clerk of the municipality in which at least one of them resides.

Apply in person
Yes

In-person filing is the only route, and it is by appointment rather than walk-in.

Official requirement

PLEASE NOTE: The filing of marriage intentions is by appointment only.

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

If you are more than 15 minutes late for the appointment, the Clerk's Office reserves the right to reschedule it.

Official requirement

Residents of the state intending to be joined in marriage are required to record notice of their intentions in person (both parties must be present) in the office of the clerk of the municipality in which at least one of them resides.

Residency
If either applicant lives in Maine, intentions must be filed with the clerk of the municipality where at least one of them resides — so Portland issues where at least one applicant is a Portland resident. If both applicants live outside Maine, they may file in any Maine municipal office, including Portland.

Once the intentions are filed and the license is issued, the couple may marry anywhere in Maine, not only in the issuing municipality.

Applies in some cases

Out-of-state residents may file their Intentions in any municipal office. If filing in Portland, appointments are still required.

Identification and personal information

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

Identification

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

The City Clerk refers to "accompanying documents" filed with the intentions form but never says what they are, and the printable VS-2A the City publishes lists only prior-marriage records, a genetic-counselling certificate for first cousins and an incarceration letter — no identification. Maine law imposes no ID requirement and leaves any policy to each municipal clerk, so no state rule can stand in for Portland's. Confirm with the Clerk's Office on 207-874-8610 before your appointment.

Not published by this office
Social Security number
A Social Security number is collected on the Intention of Marriage application. It is confidential, is retained by the State agency and the municipal clerk, and is redacted before the application ever becomes a public record.
Official requirement

Federal law requires the collection of Social Security numbers from applicants for a marriage license. (42 USC §666).

Age
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old.

First cousins must obtain a physician's certificate of genetic counselling before a license can be issued.

Official requirement

(Parties under the age of 18 are not permitted to be married in the State of Maine.)

Applicants under 18
No license may be issued to anyone under 18. Maine has no parental-consent or judicial-approval route for a minor.

The former provisions for applicants aged 17 and under were repealed; 19-A M.R.S. §652(8) now bars issuance outright.

Official requirement

The clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics may not issue a marriage license to a person under 18 years of age.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
If either applicant has been married before, a certified copy of the divorce decree, annulment, or the death record of the last spouse must be presented to the clerk. A divorce granted outside the United States that is not in English also needs a notarised English translation prepared by a disinterested third party, alongside a certified copy of the original judgment.

Both applicants must produce their own certificate if both have been married before.

Applies in some cases

If either party has been previously married, the certified document of the divorce decree or death certificate must be presented to the clerk.

Fee and payment

Fee
$40

The $40 covers the license only. A ceremony performed by the City Clerk's Office is priced separately: $150 at the counter in Room 203, or $300 for one hour in the State of Maine Room.

Official requirement

Marriage license - $40.

Payment methods

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

The Clerk publishes payment instructions for certified copies of records but not for the $40 license fee itself.

Not published by this office

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

Maine abolished its waiting period, so the license can be used as soon as it is issued. The City Clerk's own page does not restate this, and the rule is uniform statewide.

Official requirement

There is no longer a waiting period from the time your marriage license is issued until your wedding can take place.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period in Maine, so there is nothing to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires
90 days

The 90 days runs from the day the intentions are filed — not from a later pickup date and not from the ceremony date. A license that is not used inside that window is void.

Official requirement

This marriage license is valid in any community in Maine for a period of 90 days from the date the intentions are filed.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony in any community in Maine. It can only be used within the State of Maine.

Maine does not restrict use to the issuing municipality.

Official requirement

This marriage license is valid in any community in Maine for a period of 90 days from the date the intentions are filed.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
Two witnesses must be physically present at the ceremony and sign the marriage license. Maine sets no minimum age for a witness, but a witness must understand that they are witnessing a marriage and must be able to sign their own name.

For a ceremony booked with the City Clerk's Office itself, the City's own wedding package states plainly that two witnesses will be needed.

Official requirement

Both parties, two witnesses, and the officiant must be physically present at the time of the marriage ceremony/solemnization.

Officiant
The City Clerk's Office performs ceremonies by appointment: a short ceremony at the counter in Room 203 for up to 6 people including the couple, or a one-hour booking of the State of Maine Room for up to 50 people, bookable no more than 6 months ahead. Otherwise, ceremonies in Maine may be performed by an ordained minister of the gospel, a person licensed to preach by an association of ministers, a Maine-resident judge or justice, a Maine-resident lawyer admitted to the Maine Bar, or a licensed Maine marriage officiant. Maine has no Justices of the Peace, and out-of-state notaries and Justices of the Peace cannot officiate.
Official requirement

We offer the ability to have your marriage ceremony performed by notary staff in the City Clerk's Office. This is by appointment only.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
The officiant or the couple must return the completed license to the office that issued it — here, the Portland City Clerk — within 15 working days of the ceremony. A license returned later than that is recorded as a late filing.

The instructions the City publishes with its own Intentions of Marriage form carry this deadline; the marriage-licenses web page itself does not repeat it.

Official requirement

The officiant or the parties must return the marriage license to the issuing authority that issued the marriage license within 15 working days after the ceremony was performed.

Processing

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

The Clerk does not publish how long issuance takes. Filing of intentions is by appointment only, made by calling 207-874-8610 between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

Not published by this office

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • The City states it has attempted specifically to comply with Section 508 website accessibility standards
  • Users of assistive technology can request material in an alternative format by emailing info@portlandmaine.gov
  • TTY/Voice contact is available through the Federal Information Relay Service on 800-877-8339

The City publishes no language-access or translation commitment for the Clerk's marriage services.

Official requirement

We have attempted specifically to comply with Section 508 referring to website accessibility standards.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in City of Portland?
The fee is $40, set by the City of Portland Office of the City Clerk.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in City of Portland?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a City of Portland marriage license valid?
The license is valid for 90 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
Do both partners have to appear in person in City of Portland?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in City of Portland?
If either applicant lives in Maine, intentions must be filed with the clerk of the municipality where at least one of them resides — so Portland issues where at least one applicant is a Portland resident. If both applicants live outside Maine, they may file in any Maine municipal office, including Portland.

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 LicensesCity of Portland Office of the City Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  2. Intentions of Marriage Form (VS-2A)City of Portland Office of the City Clerk (State of Maine Intention of Marriage Application VS-2A, as published by the City) · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  3. Wedding Package — State of Maine Room (City Clerk application form)City of Portland Office of the City Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. AccessibilityCity of Portland, Maine · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  5. Getting Married in MaineState of Maine (Maine.gov) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  6. Municipal Clerk's Handbook — Marriage section (revised September 2025)Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine CDC, Data, Research and Vital Statistics (State Registrar) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  7. 19-A M.R.S. §651: Recording of intentionsMaine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  8. 19-A M.R.S. §652: Issuance of marriage licenseMaine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26

Recorded conflicts

  • Cumberland County does not issue marriage licenses. Under 19-A M.R.S. §651 the issuing authority in Maine is the municipal clerk, so this record is filed under the City of Portland and its City Clerk rather than under the county. Cumberland County is recorded only as the surrounding county.
  • Maine.gov's "Getting Married in Maine" page is stale on age: it still says "Applicants must be over 18 years old. Written parental consent is required for an applicant under 18" and describes a judicial-consent route for applicants under 16. That is superseded — 19-A M.R.S. §652(8) bars a clerk from issuing a license to anyone under 18, and the current VS-2A application form (rev. 09/2025) states that parties under 18 are not permitted to marry in Maine. The current rule is what is recorded here.
  • The same Maine.gov page carries a 2017 copyright footer. Its statement that there is no longer a waiting period is not contradicted by the City Clerk's page or by 19-A M.R.S. §§651-652, so it is recorded as current. Nothing else on that page is relied on except the officiant list.
  • Maine.gov says "Photo ID such as a driver's license may be required" and advises checking with the municipal clerk. Because that is hedged and is not a rule the State makes uniform, it is not used: identification is recorded as not published by the City Clerk.
  • Identification was re-checked on 30 July 2026 against the City Clerk's marriage-licenses page, the City Clerk department page, the City's printable VS-2A and its three-page instruction sheet, and the City Clerk's own wedding-package application. None names an identification requirement. The "**" that precedes "accompanying documents" on the marriage page has no matching footnote anywhere on the page.
  • The State Registrar's Municipal Clerk's Handbook states that Maine law imposes no identification requirement for filing marriage intentions and that each municipal clerk may set an office policy at their own discretion. That is a reason not to record "no ID required" as much as not to record a list: the State expressly leaves the decision to Portland, and Portland publishes no policy. The field therefore stays not published rather than being closed from a state source.
  • The Portland City Clerk requires photo identification for a certified copy of a birth, death or marriage record. That rule is published under "Request a Vital Record" and applies to ordering copies of an existing record, not to filing marriage intentions, so it is deliberately not carried across to the license.

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