MarriageLicenseCheck

Mecklenburg County marriage license

Issued by the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds, Marriage Department

To marry in Mecklenburg County, you apply to the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds, Marriage Department. There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$60
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
60 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20267 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds, Marriage Department

Apply online
Yes

The online form starts the application only; both applicants must still appear at the Register of Deeds office. The 30-day window is how long the online submission is held before the visit — it is separate from the 60-day life of the issued license.

Official requirement

To expedite the process, please complete the online application 30 days prior to visiting the office.

Apply in person
Yes

The Marriage Department is in the County Courts & Office Building, 720 E 4th Street, Room 105, Charlotte.

Official requirement

To apply for a marriage license, both applicants should visit the Register of Deeds office in person between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

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
Official requirement

To apply for a marriage license, both applicants should visit the Register of Deeds office in person between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Residency
Couples marrying in North Carolina may apply to the Register of Deeds in any county in the state, wherever in the state the ceremony will be held.

The published rule is about where you may apply, not where you must live; neither the county nor the state judiciary publishes any residency requirement.

Official requirement

If your wedding will be in North Carolina, you can get a marriage license from the Register of Deeds in any county in the state.

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • A valid/unexpired government-issued photo identification for each applicant (government-issued driver's license, government-issued ID card, U.S. Military ID or valid passport)
  • Proof of a valid Social Security number for each applicant (Social Security card, W-2, pay stub or other legal document that reflects the number provided on the application)
  • Applicants between the ages of 18 and 20 must also present a certified copy of their birth certificate

Applicants without a Social Security number who are ineligible for one must instead present a notarized Affidavit of Social Security Ineligibility; the office does not provide notary services.

Official requirement

Both parties must present: A valid/unexpired government-issued photo identification (government-issued driver's license, government-issued ID card, U.S. Military ID or valid passport)

Social Security number
Each applicant must show proof of a valid Social Security number. An applicant who has no Social Security number and is not eligible for one must present a notarized Affidavit of Social Security Ineligibility, completed before a notary before the visit.

The affidavit form is available at the Register of Deeds office; the office does not provide notary services.

Official requirement

Applicants who do not have a U.S. Social Security Number or those who are not eligible for one, must present a notarized Affidavit of Social Security Ineligibility/No Social Security number when they appear to apply for their marriage license.

Age
Anyone over 18 years of age can legally marry in North Carolina without parental consent.

Applicants aged 18 to 20 must bring a certified copy of their birth certificate in addition to photo ID.

Official requirement

Anyone over 18 years of age can legally marry in North Carolina without parental consent.

Applicants under 18
Under state law, applicants aged 16 or 17 may marry a person no more than four years older, and only after filing with the Register of Deeds either written consent signed by a parent or guardian with legal custody or a certified copy of a district court order authorizing the marriage. No one under 16 may marry. The Mecklenburg Register of Deeds directs applicants under 18 to call the office at 980-314-4951 for its specific requirements.
Applies in some cases

Persons over 16 years of age and under 18 years of age may marry a person no more than four years older

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
Divorced applicants must provide an original or certified true copy of the divorce decree showing the date the divorce was finalized. Widowed applicants must provide a certified copy of the death certificate showing the date of the prior spouse's death.
Applies in some cases

Divorced applicants - Must provide an original or certified true copy of the divorce decree showing the date their divorce was finalized.

Fee and payment

Fee
$60

North Carolina fixes this fee statewide rather than county by county. N.C.G.S. § 161-10(a) requires every register of deeds to collect fees "which shall be uniform throughout the State", and § 161-10(a)(2) sets sixty dollars for issuing a marriage license — so the amount is not a Mecklenburg-specific charge, and the county's own schedule matches it.

Published by the Register of Deeds itself, on its Uniform Fee Schedule under the heading Marriage Licenses. A certified copy of the marriage license afterwards is $10.

Official requirement

Marriage License $60

Payment methods
  • Cash — accepted in person
  • Check or money order, payable to "Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds" — no starter or counter checks, and the drawer's name and address must be pre-printed on the front
  • Credit or debit card (MasterCard, Visa and Discover) — accepted in person
  • Escrow account, for copies and recording fees, by authorized account users

From the Acceptable Payment Methods table on the Register of Deeds' Uniform Fee Schedule. A $35 processing fee may be charged for a returned check.

Official requirement

No starter or counter checks are accepted. Checks must have the name and address of the drawer pre-printed on the front. A phone number should be printed/written on the front of the check. Please make checks payable to “Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds.” A $35 processing fee may be charged for returned checks.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
No waiting period

Set by state law and published by the North Carolina Judicial Branch: the license may be used as soon as it is issued.

Official requirement

North Carolina has no required waiting period between the issuance of the marriage license and the wedding.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires
60 days

If the wedding does not take place within 60 days, the couple must apply again.

Official requirement

A marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and may be used in any county within the State of North Carolina, but must be returned to the issuing office.

Where it is valid
Valid for ceremonies in any county within the State of North Carolina; the completed license must be returned to the issuing Mecklenburg County office.
Official requirement

A marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and may be used in any county within the State of North Carolina, but must be returned to the issuing office.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
State law requires at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony; following the ceremony the witnesses sign the marriage license.
Official requirement

There must be at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony.

Officiant
The Register of Deeds does not perform wedding ceremonies. Couples considering a civil ceremony may contact the Mecklenburg County Magistrates Office in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.
Official requirement

The Register of Deeds Office does not perform wedding ceremonies. Applicants who are considering a civil ceremony may contact the Mecklenburg County Magistrates Office in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
After the ceremony, the license must be returned to the issuing Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds office.

The office publishes no deadline for the return on its own pages.

Official requirement

A marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance and may be used in any county within the State of North Carolina, but must be returned to the issuing office.

Processing

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

The office publishes application hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) but no statement of how quickly the license is issued.

Not published by this office

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • Spanish-language marriage record request instructions and forms are provided (Solicitud de Copia de Acta de Matrimonio)
  • Mecklenburg County's site offers an Accessibility Toolbar
Official requirement

Solicitud de Copia de Acta de Matrimonio

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Mecklenburg County?
The fee is $60, set by the Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds, Marriage Department.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Mecklenburg County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Mecklenburg County marriage license valid?
The license is valid for 60 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Mecklenburg County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Mecklenburg County?
Couples marrying in North Carolina may apply to the Register of Deeds in any county in the state, wherever in the state the ceremony will be held.

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. Apply for a Marriage LicenseMecklenburg County Register of Deeds · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. About the Register of Deeds OfficeMecklenburg County Register of Deeds · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Uniform Fee ScheduleMecklenburg County Register of Deeds · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. Request a Marriage Vital RecordMecklenburg County Register of Deeds · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. Marriage | North Carolina Judicial BranchNorth Carolina Judicial Branch · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  6. North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 51 - MarriageNorth Carolina General Assembly · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  7. N.C.G.S. § 161-10 - Uniform fees of registers of deedsNorth Carolina General Assembly · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • The fee and payment methods are taken from the Register of Deeds' own Uniform Fee Schedule (deeds.mecknc.gov/Uniform-Fee-Schedule), re-checked on 2026-07-30 — the office's marriage license application page itself still prints no fee, which is why earlier reviews recorded it as unpublished. The county's $60 matches both N.C.G.S. § 161-10(a)(2), which fixes the amount statewide, and the figure shown by the Register's vendor-hosted online application (meckrod.manatron.com); the vendor host remains navigation-only and backs nothing here. The vendor screen also states a certified-birth-certificate requirement for applicants aged 18-21, while the county's own page states ages 18 to 20 — the county's bracket is what is recorded.
  • Search engines still surface legacy Mecklenburg hosts (wowbiz.mecknc.gov, meckconnect.mecknc.gov) with older marriage content, including a widowed-applicant rule requiring the death certificate only for deaths within one year. Those hosts now serve the new site or fail to resolve; the current deeds.mecknc.gov pages, which require the certified death certificate without a time threshold, are recorded.

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