MarriageLicenseCheck

Cass County marriage license

Issued by the Cass County Finance Office

To marry in Cass County, you apply to the Cass County Finance Office. There, both applicants must appear together, there is no residency requirement and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$65
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
60 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20264 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Cass County Finance Office

Apply online
Yes

The online form starts the application only. Both applicants still have to come to the Cass County Courthouse — to apply in person, or to pick up the license after applying online.

Official requirement

In order to obtain a marriage license in Cass County, North Dakota, an application must be completed online or in person at the Cass County Courthouse.

Apply in person
Yes

The Finance Office is on the main floor of the Cass County Courthouse, 211 9th Street South, Fargo.

Official requirement

Hours of operation for issuance of marriage licenses: Monday through Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm (excluding 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
Official requirement

Both applicants must be present when applying in person or picking up the license at the Courthouse.

Residency
No residency requirement. Applicants do not have to live in Cass County.

State law does limit which county may issue: a license must come from an office serving a county where one of the parties, or a parent of one of the parties, lives or is temporarily domiciled, or where the ceremony will be held.

Official requirement

Applicants do not have to be Cass County residents

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • Identification proving date of birth for both parties — for example a driver's license, passport, or a certified copy of a birth certificate
  • Both parties must know their Social Security number; bringing the card is preferred but not required
  • If either party has been married before: a certified copy of every divorce decree

The Finance Office does not publish a closed list of acceptable documents; these are the examples it gives.

Official requirement

Both parties must bring identification that proves their date of birth. Some examples are a driver's license, passport, or a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Social Security number
Both parties must know their Social Security number. Bringing the Social Security card is preferred but not required.
Official requirement

Both parties must also know their social security number and it is preferred, but not required to have your social security card with.

Age
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old.

State law sets 16 as the absolute floor: no license may be issued below that age, whatever consent is offered.

Official requirement

To obtain a marriage license you must be at least 18 years of age.

Applicants under 18
Applicants aged 16 or 17 may obtain a license with the written consent of either parent or a legal guardian, who must be present at the time of the application.

State law specifies whose consent counts: either parent if the parents live together, the parent with legal custody if they do not, the surviving parent, or the guardian or person with legal and actual custody.

Applies in some cases

If applicants are under the age of 18, ages 16 and 17 only, under North Dakota Century Code you must have the written consent of either parent or legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian must be present at the time of the application.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
An applicant who has been married before must provide a certified copy of the divorce decree. Someone divorced more than once must provide certified copies of ALL divorce decrees before a license can be issued.

The Finance Office keeps the application and any certified copies on file for 4 years. A certified copy carries a stamp saying it is a true and correct copy of the original, plus a raised or stamped seal.

Applies in some cases

If either applicant has been previously married, that applicant MUST provide a certified copy of the divorce decree. If the applicant has been divorced more than once, then certified copies of ALL divorce decrees MUST be provided before obtaining a license.

Fee and payment

Fee
$65

A courthouse ceremony costs an additional $30.00, set by statute. Certified copies of the license are $10.00 each and are ordered separately.

Official requirement

The fee for the marriage license is $65.00.

Payment methods
  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit card (a minimum fee applies)
Official requirement

Payment may be made by cash, check or credit card. Payments made by credit card will incur a minimum fee.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

The Finance Office states this as a statewide rule, not a local practice.

Official requirement

In the state of North Dakota there is no waiting period after you apply for the license before the marriage may take place.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

North Dakota has no waiting period, so there is nothing to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires
60 days

An unused license simply expires and is not refunded — a couple who miss the window has to buy a new one. State law likewise bars solemnizing a marriage on a license issued more than sixty days before the ceremony.

Official requirement

The license must be used within 60 days and may be used anywhere in North Dakota.

Where it is valid
Valid anywhere in North Dakota. A North Dakota license cannot be used for a ceremony in another state.

This matters in Fargo: couples marrying across the river in Minnesota need a Minnesota license, no matter where they live.

Official requirement

A North Dakota marriage license allows a couple to get married anywhere within the state of North Dakota. If applicants are residents of North Dakota but getting married anywhere within the state of Minnesota, they must obtain a Minnesota marriage license.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony and sign the marriage license. They may be related or unrelated to the couple.

State law requires the certificate of marriage to be signed by two witnesses in addition to the person who solemnized the marriage.

Official requirement

By obtaining a marriage license it permits you to be legally married, however you are not legally married until you have had some sort of a ceremony with an officiant and two witnesses.

Officiant
The license alone does not marry you: a ceremony with an officiant and two witnesses is required. The Cass County Finance Office performs civil ceremonies at the Courthouse Monday through Friday at 9:00AM, 10:00AM, 11:00AM, 2:00PM, 3:00PM and 4:00PM, on a first-come first-served basis, after the room is reserved and paid for. The ceremony lasts about five minutes and the fee is $30.00, set by statute.

Up to fourteen guests including the two witnesses, plus one photographer, may attend. Arrive 15 minutes early. Ceremony fees are not refunded, and a ceremony may be rescheduled once if done a week or more ahead. The office does not officiate on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Election Day.

Official requirement

The Cass County Finance Office will perform the civil ceremony which lasts approximately five minutes. The cost of the wedding ceremony is set by statute at $30.00.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony

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

The Finance Office does not publish a deadline for returning the completed license after the ceremony. It states only that the original stays on file with the office and that certified copies are made from it, and that the "Duplicate B" copy handed to the couple has no legal effect and is for personal records only.

Not published by this office
Processing

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

The Finance Office publishes issuance hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm, excluding holidays) but not how long issuing a license takes. Do not assume same-visit issuance for an application started online.

Not published by this office

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • Cass County Government states it is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA — some content does not fully conform
  • Accessibility barriers can be reported by phone on (701) 241-5794, by e-mail to pio@casscountynd.gov, or by post to 211 9th Street S, Fargo, ND 58103
  • The county aims to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days

No language-assistance or translation service is published.

Official requirement

Cass County Government is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Cass County?
The fee is $65, set by the Cass County Finance Office.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Cass County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Cass 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 Cass County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Cass County?
No residency requirement. Applicants do not have to live in Cass County.

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 Licenses and WeddingsCass County Finance Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. Marriage LicensesCass County Finance Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Accessibility StatementCass County Government · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. North Dakota Century Code Chapter 14-03 — Marriage ContractNorth Dakota Legislative Branch · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • The issuing office is not the one the state default implies. North Dakota Century Code 14-03-17 and 14-03-19 assign marriage licensing to the county recorder "unless the board of county commissioners designates a different official", and Cass County has designated the Finance Office: "In Cass County, the Finance office handles the duties of administering marriage licenses and performing wedding solemnizations (ceremonies)." The Cass County Recorder's own pages describe that office only as the county's land records officer and carry no marriage content, so a couple who go to the Recorder are in the wrong office. Recorded as the Finance Office.
  • Cass County publishes the same marriage content at two paths — /services/marriage-licenses and the Finance Office pages under /our-county/finance-office/marriage-licenses-and-weddings. The text is identical; the Finance Office paths are recorded as canonical because they carry the department attribution.
  • The $65.00 license fee matches the statutory maximum in NDCC 14-03-22: a license fee of up to thirty dollars plus a thirty-five dollar supplemental fee for the domestic violence prevention fund. The county's published figure is recorded.

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