MarriageLicenseCheck

New York City marriage license

Issued by the Office of the City Clerk of the City of New York, Marriage Bureau

To marry in New York City, you apply to the Office of the City Clerk of the City of New York, Marriage Bureau. There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$35A marriage ceremony at the City Clerk's Office is $25 more
Waiting period
24 hoursWaiver available
License valid
60 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 26, 20268 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Office of the City Clerk of the City of New York, Marriage Bureau

Apply online
Yes

This is genuine remote issuance, not merely an online form. Both parties still appear together at the same time, but they may do so virtually through Project Cupid, and the license is then delivered as a digital download in the couple's Cupid account. In-person ceremonies remain in-person: virtual marriage ceremonies are no longer available.

Official requirement

You will take the Marriage License with you when you leave our office or receive it by digital download in your Cupid account after a virtual appointment.

Apply in person
Yes

In-person service is by appointment only through Project Cupid; no walk-in visits are permitted and couples must arrive on time. Licenses are issued at the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island offices.

Official requirement

Couples can now apply for a Marriage License in person or online at www.nyc.gov/cupid . In-person Marriage Licenses are issued by appointment only, and couples must arrive on time .

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

The requirement is satisfied by a virtual appointment as well as an in-person one, but both parties must attend the same appointment simultaneously. Proxy application is not permitted.

Official requirement

You and your prospective spouse must complete the application process by appearing at the Office of the City Clerk for a scheduled appointment in-person or virtually, together and at the same time.

Residency

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

The Office of the City Clerk publishes no residency or citizenship requirement either way. Where the license may be used is a separate rule and is recorded below.

Not published by this office

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • One form of proper identification per applicant, which also serves as proof of age
  • IDNYC
  • Driver License with photograph (from the United States or any of its territories)
  • Non-Driver Identification Card with photograph (from the United States or any of its territories)
  • Learner Permit with photograph (from the United States or any of its territories)
  • Active United States Military Identification Card
  • Passport
  • United States Certificate of Naturalization (good for 10 years after date of issue)
  • United States Permanent Resident Card
  • United States Employment Authorization Card
  • Expired identification is not accepted

Applicants who hold none of these forms are directed to contact the Legal Bureau of the Office of the City Clerk. The same identification must be brought again to the ceremony.

Official requirement

You and your prospective spouse must have one form of proper identification in order to apply for a Marriage License. State law also requires documentation of proof of age. Since all forms of proper identification are also acceptable proof of age, holders of proper identification will not need additional documentation.

Social Security number
Each applicant must state their Social Security number on the marriage license application, which is a sworn affidavit.
Official requirement

The application is an affidavit where you and your prospective spouse must list your name; current address; city, state, ZIP code and country; country of birth; date of birth; name and country of birth of your parents; Social Security number; and marital history.

Age
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. No parental or judicial consent is required at 18 or over, and no consent route exists below 18.

First cousins may marry in New York. Licenses may not be issued to an ancestor and descendant, to full or half siblings, or to an uncle and niece or aunt and nephew of full blood.

Official requirement

No consent is required if you and your prospective spouse are 18 years of age or older.

Applicants under 18
Anyone under 18 is prohibited from marrying in New York. There is no parental-consent or court-order route: the City Clerk may not issue a marriage license to a person under 18.

The Marriage FAQ page still implies a route exists for under-18 applicants; that text is stale and is contradicted by the Marriage License and Marriage Ceremony pages. See source conflict notes.

Official requirement

Those under 18 are not permitted to marry in the state of New York. Any marriage in which either party is under the age of eighteen years is hereby prohibited.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
All previous marriages must be listed on the application, with the previous spouse's full name, the date the divorce decree was granted, and the city, state and country where the divorce was issued. Every divorce, annulment and dissolution must be finalised before applying. The final divorce decree may be requested. If a previous spouse has died, that spouse's full name and date of death must be given.

The City Clerk states the decree 'may be' requested rather than always required, so bring it.

Applies in some cases

If you were married before, you must list all prior marriages. You must include your previous spouse's full name; the date the divorce decree was granted; and the city, state, and country where the divorce was issued. All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before you apply for a new Marriage License. You may be asked to produce the final divorce decree.

Fee and payment

Fee
$35A marriage ceremony at the City Clerk's Office is $25 more. A duplicate marriage license is $25.

The fee is non-refundable.

Official requirement

The fee for a Marriage License is $35 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk. The fee is non-refundable .

Payment methods
  • Credit card
  • Money order payable to the City Clerk

For marriage record copies the City Clerk adds that personal checks are not accepted and that money orders must be payable to "The City Clerk of New York".

Official requirement

The fee for a Marriage License is $35 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
24 hours

A full 24 hours must pass between obtaining the license and the ceremony. This applies to a license issued at a virtual appointment as well as an in-person one.

Official requirement

A 24-hour waiting period after you and your prospective spouse obtain your license is required by New York State Law.

Waiver
The 24-hour waiting period may be waived by a judge or justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The waiver document must be given to the marriage officiant so that the ceremony can be performed within the 24 hours, and the officiant must attach the waiver when returning the license to the City Clerk.

The City Clerk does not grant the waiver and directs enquiries about availability to the New York State Supreme Court.

Applies in some cases

The 24-hour waiting period may be waived by a judge or justice of the Supreme Court of New York State. If a judge or justice of the Supreme Court grants a Judicial Waiver, please give the waiver document to your Marriage Officiant to enable them to perform the ceremony within the 24-hour waiting period.

License expires
60 days

The Marriage FAQ states the 60 days begin the day after the license is issued. If either applicant is an active member of the armed forces, the license is valid for 180 days instead — show an Active United States Military Identification Card when applying.

Official requirement

A New York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days (except for active military personnel , for whom the validity runs for 180 days).

Where it is valid
A license issued at any of the five City Clerk offices may be used for a ceremony anywhere in New York State, but it may not be used outside New York State. A license issued by a town or city clerk elsewhere in New York State may likewise be used anywhere in New York City.

Where the license was obtained decides who holds the record: a New York City license is kept by the Office of the City Clerk, while a license from a town or city clerk outside the city is kept by the New York State Department of Health in Albany.

Official requirement

A Marriage License issued in New York can be used anywhere within New York State but may not be used outside New York State.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
At least one witness aged 18 or over is required, and the witness must bring proper identification. At the conclusion of a ceremony held outside the City Clerk's Office the officiant, the couple and the witness or witnesses all sign the marriage license.

The Marriage Ceremony page also states that only one witness is currently allowed and no other guests are permitted 'because of Covid-19 restrictions'. That restriction is stale and is not published here as a current limit — see source conflict notes. Confirm guest numbers with the office before inviting anyone.

Official requirement

You and your prospective spouse must have at least one witness, who must be 18 years of age or over. The witness or witnesses must bring proper identification.

Officiant
A ceremony may be held at the City Clerk's Office for $25, by appointment through Project Cupid; virtual ceremonies are no longer offered. A ceremony may instead be held anywhere in New York State, conducted by an officiant eligible to solemnise marriages under New York State law. An officiant performing a ceremony within New York City must be registered with the Office of the City Clerk before the ceremony. New York State law also permits a marriage to be solemnised by written contract signed by both parties and at least two witnesses and acknowledged before a judge of a New York court of record.

For a ceremony at the City Clerk's Office both parties must arrive together with the same identification they used for the license; the office will not perform the ceremony for late arrivals.

Official requirement

If your private Marriage Ceremony will be performed in the City of New York, the Marriage Officiant must be registered with the Office of the City Clerk before the Marriage Ceremony.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
For a ceremony outside the City Clerk's Office the marriage officiant must mail the license to the Manhattan office within five business days after the ceremony. The Certificate of Marriage Registration then arrives by post about 20 days after the office receives and processes the license. For a ceremony held at the City Clerk's Office the certificate is handed over at the end of the ceremony.

If the certificate has not arrived within a month of the ceremony, the couple is asked to contact the Office of the City Clerk.

Official requirement

The Marriage Officiant must mail the Marriage License to the Manhattan office within five business days after the Marriage Ceremony.

Processing
The license is issued at the appointment itself — taken away at the end of an in-person appointment, or delivered by digital download to the couple's Cupid account after a virtual appointment.

Errors can be corrected free of charge within the 24 hours after the license is obtained; after that a correction costs $25.

Official requirement

You will take the Marriage License with you when you leave our office or receive it by digital download in your Cupid account after a virtual appointment.

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • The Office of the City Clerk states it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law
  • Auxiliary aids, services and reasonable modifications of policy can be requested from the Disability Service Facilitator by email, phone or post, ideally at least three business days before the scheduled service
  • The office publishes a Website Accessibility Statement, a grievance procedure and a Five Year Accessibility Plan 2024-2028
  • The website offers machine translation through a language toggle on every page
Official requirement

It is the policy of Office of the City Clerk ("City Clerk") to comply with all applicable laws including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act, the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in New York City?
The fee is $35, set by the Office of the City Clerk of the City of New York, Marriage Bureau. A marriage ceremony at the City Clerk's Office is $25 more.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in New York City?
Yes. A waiting period of 24 hours applies between issuance and the ceremony. A waiver is available in some circumstances.
How long is a New York City 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 New York City?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.

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 26, 2026.

  1. Marriage LicenseOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  2. Marriage CeremonyOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  3. Marriage Frequently Asked QuestionsOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  4. Proper IdentificationOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  5. FeesOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  6. Marriage RecordsOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  7. Office of the City Clerk — site-wide service noticeOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  8. AccessibilityOffice of the City Clerk of the City of New York · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26

Recorded conflicts

  • The Marriage Ceremony page still carries COVID-era text: 'Because of Covid-19 restrictions, we currently only allow one witness. No other guest are permitted.' The same page's substantive rule is that at least one witness aged 18 or over is required, and the site-wide banner no longer refers to pandemic restrictions. The one-witness-and-no-guests limit is treated as stale and is not published as a current rule; the published witness requirement is the minimum of one.
  • The Marriage FAQ page answers the minors question with 'There are several requirements if you are under the age of 18', implying a consent route still exists. Both the Marriage License and Marriage Ceremony pages state that anyone under 18 is prohibited from marrying in New York and that a clerk who knowingly issues such a license commits a misdemeanour. The prohibition is published as current and the FAQ text is treated as stale.
  • The Marriage Bureau landing page opens with 'As of Monday, July 19, you can schedule an in-person marriage ceremony or license with the City Clerk', an undated pandemic-reopening announcement, and lists jurisdictions performing same-sex marriages 'as of January 1, 2020'. Neither is used as a fact source here; the current appointment rules come from the site-wide banner and the Marriage License page.
  • The Marriage License page says the license 'is valid for 60 days' and the Marriage Ceremony page says it 'expires in 60 days after the time of purchase', while the Marriage FAQ says it is 'valid for 60 days, beginning the day after it is issued'. The 60-day figure is consistent; the start of the count differs by a day between pages, so a couple planning near the deadline should treat the issue date as day zero.
  • The Office Locations & Hours page lists '(Walk-in hours until 3:45pm)' under the Manhattan office, while the site-wide banner states that no walk-in visits are permitted and that no office should be visited without a scheduled appointment and confirmation email. The banner is treated as current; the walk-in line appears under the Lobbying Bureau hours and does not override the Marriage Bureau's appointment-only rule.
  • cityclerk.nyc.gov returns only a JavaScript shell to a plain fetch; the page bodies were read from the City of New York content API that the site itself loads (apps.nyc.gov/content-api/v1/content/cityclerk/...). The site-wide service banner is served in the HTML shell itself and was read there.

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