MarriageLicenseCheck

Fairfax County marriage license

Issued by the Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Public Service Division

To marry in Fairfax County, you apply to the Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Public Service Division. There, both applicants must appear together, there is no residency requirement and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$30
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
60 calendar daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20265 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Public Service Division

Apply online
Yes

The online pre-application is submitted to the Court but only speeds up the courthouse visit — both applicants must still appear together in person to be issued the license. A submitted pre-application is held for sixty days, which is a separate clock from the issued license's own 60-day validity.

Official requirement

To speed up the process of obtaining your marriage license, you may complete the Online Marriage License Pre-Application. Upon completion you will receive a confirmation document. The applicants have sixty days to obtain their license at the Fairfax County Courthouse.

Apply in person
Yes

Licenses are issued at the Public Service Division, Suite 116, first floor of the Fairfax County Courthouse, 4110 Chain Bridge Road. Marriage license hours are 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the Court also offers licenses at a satellite location on the second Tuesday of the month.

Official requirement

Hours for obtaining a marriage license are 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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 appear together in person at the Fairfax County Courthouse and be at least 18 years of age.

Residency
There is no residency requirement. A couple may obtain a marriage license from any circuit court in Virginia, regardless of where either applicant lives.

Virginia removed any residency condition; the only geographic rule is that the ceremony itself must take place in Virginia.

Official requirement

There are no residency requirements to obtain a marriage license in Virginia. Couples may obtain a marriage license from any circuit court in Virginia.

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • A valid photo ID for each applicant: driver's license, passport or military identification card
  • Social Security number for each applicant (the card itself does not need to be presented)
  • The full names of each applicant's parents, including full middle names, as they appear on their birth certificates (a parent's full maiden name where it differs from their current name)
  • The Online Marriage License Pre-Application confirmation document, if the online pre-application was used

No blood test is required.

Official requirement

(iii) a valid photo id (driver's license, passport or military identification card); (iv) social security number for each applicant (they do not need to bring their social security card); and (v) the full names of each applicant's parents (including full middle names) as they appear on their birth certificates.

Social Security number
Each applicant must provide their Social Security number when applying. The Social Security card itself does not need to be presented.
Official requirement

social security number for each applicant (they do not need to bring their social security card)

Age
Both applicants must be at least 18 years of age.

The Court cites Va. Code §20-48, which sets 18 as the minimum age at which a person may marry.

Official requirement

Both applicants must appear together in person at the Fairfax County Courthouse and be at least 18 years of age.

Applicants under 18
No one under 18 may be issued a marriage license: under Va. Code §20-48 the minimum age at which a person may marry is 18.

The Court publishes no parental-consent or other route for an applicant under 18.

Official requirement

Pursuant to §20-48 of the 1950 Virginia Code, as amended, the minimum age at which a person may marry is 18.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended

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

The Court's marriage pages publish no requirement to present a divorce decree or other prior-marriage documentation, and state no rule either way.

Not published by this office

Fee and payment

Fee
$30

Credit card payments carry a 4% processing fee.

Official requirement

The fee is $30.00 payable by cash or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only with a 4% processing fee).

Payment methods
  • Cash
  • Credit card — Visa or MasterCard only, with a 4% processing fee

For certified copies of a license the Clerk also accepts cashier's checks and money orders; personal checks are not accepted, and cash and credit card payments cannot be sent through the mail.

Official requirement

The fee is $30.00 payable by cash or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only with a 4% processing fee).

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
No waiting period

The license can be used as soon as it is issued.

Official requirement

Once the license is issued, there is no waiting period and no blood test is required.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

The Court states there is no waiting period once the license is issued, so there is no waiting period to waive.

Not applicable here

Once the license is issued, there is no waiting period and no blood test is required.

License expires
60 calendar days

This is a different clock from the sixty days the Court holds a submitted online pre-application: the license's 60 calendar days start at issuance, not at pre-application.

Official requirement

The marriage license is valid for 60 calendar days and the marriage must take place in Virginia.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony performed anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The marriage must take place in Virginia.

Ceremonies are not restricted to any official location — they may be performed anywhere in Virginia with the property owner's permission.

Official requirement

Wedding ceremonies are not required to take place in any "official" location. Ceremonies can be performed anywhere (with permission of the property owner), within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses

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

The Court publishes no witness requirement or count.

Not published by this office
Officiant
The Clerk's office does not perform marriages and Fairfax County provides no "Justice of the Peace" service. The Court publishes a list of civil marriage celebrants who are available by appointment at a location of the couple's choosing; every celebrant must be authorized to perform weddings in Virginia under Va. Code §20-25, and the ceremony fee is capped at $75 plus travel expenses. Clergy affiliated with a church outside Virginia must obtain authorization from a Virginia circuit court before performing a ceremony. Several county government centers can be reserved for wedding ceremonies.
Official requirement

Fairfax County does not provide "Justice of the Peace" services at the Courthouse. Civil Marriage Celebrants are available by appointment at the location of your choosing.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony

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

The Court's marriage pages publish no deadline or procedure for returning the completed license after the ceremony.

Not published by this office
Processing
A certified copy of a marriage license requested by mail is mailed within two weeks of receipt of the request; certified copies are $2.50 each, in person or by mail.

The Court publishes no processing time for issuing the license itself.

Official requirement

The copy will be mailed within two weeks from receipt of the request.

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • Fairfax County states public website content will be made accessible as much as possible to users with physical or cognitive disabilities, with nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities
  • Site features include text sizing, alternative text on images, a text-only version of the website and skip-to-content links; alternative document formats are available on request
  • The county website is machine-translated through Google Translate via a language selection menu; TTY 711 is published alongside every Court phone number
Official requirement

Public Website content will be made accessible as much as possible to users with physical or cognitive disabilities.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Fairfax County?
The fee is $30, set by the Clerk of the Fairfax Circuit Court, Public Service Division.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Fairfax County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Fairfax County marriage license valid?
The license is valid for 60 calendar days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Fairfax County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Fairfax County?
There is no residency requirement. A couple may obtain a marriage license from any circuit court in Virginia, regardless of where either applicant lives.

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 License InformationFairfax Circuit Court, Office of the Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. Copies of Marriage LicensesFairfax Circuit Court, Office of the Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Fairfax Circuit Court Civil Marriage CelebrantsFairfax Circuit Court, Office of the Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. Fairfax County Government Centers Available for Marriage CeremoniesFairfax Circuit Court, Office of the Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. Website AccessibilityFairfax County Government (host of the Circuit Court website) · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • Search engines still surface a Fairfax County Public Affairs release titled "Marriage Licenses Go Virtual" describing COVID-era remote issuance, but that page now returns "Access denied" on fairfaxcounty.gov and the authoritative Marriage License Information page requires both applicants to appear together in person. Treated as discontinued; in-person appearance is published as required, with the online pre-application recorded as a speed-up step only.

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