Philadelphia marriage license
To marry in Philadelphia, you apply to the Philadelphia Marriage License Bureau, Office of the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court. There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.
- Fee
- $90A Quaker or self-uniting license costs $100 instead
- Waiting period
- 3 days
- License valid
- 60 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 26, 20263 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
No online or mail application is published. Walk-ins are accepted and an appointment can be requested by email, but the application itself is completed at the counter.
Not published by this office- Apply in person
- Yes
The Marriage License Department is at City Hall, Room 413. Walk-ins are accepted Monday through Friday until 3:15 p.m.; an appointment can also be requested by email.
Official requirementBoth applicants must appear in person at the Register of Wills and provide the required documents, including identification.
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
Only the two applicants need to attend. Gender is not recorded on the application.
Official requirementBoth applicants must appear at the Marriage License Department. Only the applicants need to attend.
- Residency
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Register of Wills publishes no residency requirement either way. Where the license may be used is a separate rule, 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
- Two forms of identification per applicant, one of which must be a photo ID
- Photo ID (current and valid), one of: driver's license, state-issued photo ID, international driver's license, U.S. or international passport, military ID, or PHL City ID
- Second ID: proof of Social Security number or ITIN — Social Security card, Social Security printout, ITIN document from the IRS, pay stub, W-2 form, or income tax return
- An applicant with no Social Security number or ITIN must still provide a second ID: a birth certificate (officially translated if necessary) or another acceptable photo ID
The Bureau's legacy instruction page adds resident alien card and consulate card to the accepted photo ID list.
Official requirementAll applicants for a marriage license must provide two forms of identification, one of which must be a photo ID.
- Social Security number
- Applicants must show proof of their Social Security number or Tax ID (ITIN) as the second form of identification. An applicant who has neither must still provide a second ID, such as a birth certificate or another acceptable photo ID.Official requirement
Applicants must show proof of their Social Security number or Tax ID (ITIN) to fulfill the requirement for a second ID.
- Age
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The current service page publishes no age rule. The Bureau's legacy instruction page still carries an age statement that the current page does not repeat; see the source conflict note.
Not published by this office- Applicants under 18
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
No rule for applicants under 18 is published on the current service page. Contact the Marriage License Bureau at (215) 686-2233 before relying on anything else.
Not published by this office
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- An applicant who was previously married must prove the marriage has ended at the time of application. A widowed applicant must present a certified copy of the deceased spouse's death certificate. A divorced applicant must present their original divorce decree. Documents not in English must be translated and certified as accurate.
The Bureau's legacy instruction page instead asks a divorced applicant for a certified copy of the most recent divorce decree. Bring both the original and a certified copy if you can.
Applies in some casesWidowed applicants must present a certified copy of the deceased spouse’s death certificate. Divorced applicants must present their original divorce decree.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $90A Quaker or self-uniting license costs $100 instead.
Other published costs: corrections $25, additional certified copy $15 at the time of application or $40 afterwards, replacement of a lost or destroyed license $10. No refunds are given after purchase.
Official requirementA regular marriage license costs $90. Quaker or self-uniting licenses cost $100.
- Payment methods
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Money order
Cash and personal checks are not accepted. The Bureau's legacy instruction page also lists certified checks; the current service page does not.
Official requirementYou can pay with Visa, Mastercard, or money order at the time of your visit. We do not accept cash or personal checks.
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- 3 days
The license is handed to you at the end of your visit, but it cannot be used until the third day after you apply.
Official requirementIt will be valid on the third day after you apply, and remain valid for 60 days from the issue date.
- Waiver
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
No waiver or shortening of the three-day period is published by the Bureau.
Not published by this office- License expires
- 60 days
If the license is not used within 60 days it must be returned and the whole application repeated, with the fee paid again. No refunds are given for an unused license.
Official requirementIf you don’t use the license within 60 days, you must return the license and reapply. You’ll also need to pay the fee again.
- Where it is valid
- Valid for a ceremony held anywhere in Pennsylvania, not only in Philadelphia. It cannot be used in another state or country.
Pennsylvania is unlike Illinois here: the license is not restricted to the issuing county.
Official requirementYou can use your marriage license in any county in Pennsylvania. You cannot use it in another state or country.
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
- Two witnesses must sign a Quaker or self-uniting license, along with the couple. For a regular license the Bureau publishes no witness count; the officiant signs the license.
The published wording ties this to the license type: "arrange for an officiant or witnesses, if required by your license type".
Applies in some casesAfterward the couple and two witnesses sign the license, the couple must return the license to the Marriage License Department within 10 days.
- Officiant
- Philadelphia issues two license types. With a regular license an officiant qualified under 23 Pa.C.S. §1503 must preside over the ceremony and sign the license. With a Quaker or self-uniting license, which costs $100, the couple officiate their own ceremony; another person may preside only in an unofficial capacity, and the couple plus two witnesses sign the license.
If you are married by someone not qualified under 23 Pa.C.S. §1503, the Bureau states you are responsible for proving the marriage is legal.
Official requirementWith a self-uniting license, a couple officiates their own ceremony. (Another person may preside over the ceremony, but only in an unofficial capacity.)
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- The completed license must be returned to the Marriage License Department within 10 days after the ceremony. With a regular license the officiant returns it; with a self-uniting license the couple return it.Official requirement
After the ceremony, the license is signed by the officiant, who must return the license to the Marriage License Department within 10 days.
- Processing
- The license is issued at the end of your visit. It becomes usable on the third day after you apply.
Certified copies bought at the time of application are $15 each; later copies are $40 each.
Official requirementYou will receive your license at the end of your visit.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- Applicants may bring their own interpreter, who must show a current valid photo ID and be at least 18 years old
- An interpreter can instead be requested through the Register of Wills free of charge
- The service page is published in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Haitian Creole, French, Swahili, Portuguese, Russian and Vietnamese as well as English
The same page gives two different lead times for language help: at least 48 hours before the desired appointment time for an interpreter, and at least one week before the visit if a translator is needed. Allow a week.
Official requirementAlternatively, the applicants may request an interpreter through the Register of Wills office. The interpreter will be provided free of charge.
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in Philadelphia?
- The fee is $90, set by the Philadelphia Marriage License Bureau, Office of the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court. A Quaker or self-uniting license costs $100 instead.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Philadelphia?
- Yes. A waiting period of 3 days applies between issuance and the ceremony.
- How long is a Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia?
- 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.
- Get a marriage licenseCity of Philadelphia, Register of Wills (Marriage License Department) · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Contact us — Register of WillsCity of Philadelphia, Register of Wills · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Marriage License Information — Instructions for obtaining a marriage license in PhiladelphiaCity of Philadelphia, Register of Wills — Marriage License Bureau · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
Recorded conflicts
- The Bureau's legacy instruction page at rowlawyer.phila.gov still states that an applicant under 18 may obtain a license with parental consent and cites "PA House Bill 360". The current phila.gov service page, last updated 2025-02-05, publishes no age rule at all, and the legacy page also disagrees with it on office hours (Wednesdays until 7:30 p.m.) and on the contact room number (415 rather than 413). The legacy age statement is not propagated; the age and minor rules are recorded as not published.
- The legacy instruction page lists certified checks among accepted payments; the current service page lists only Visa, Mastercard and money order. The current page is recorded.
- The current service page asks a divorced applicant for their original divorce decree; the legacy instruction page asks for a certified copy of the most recent divorce decree. Both are surfaced in the prior-marriage note.
- Philadelphia is one of the few jurisdictions that issues a self-uniting (Quaker) license, under which the couple solemnise their own marriage with no officiant. It is a distinct, higher-priced license type ($100 rather than $90) and must be requested at the counter.
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