How to Fill Out a Marriage License
Have a wedding coming up? Congrats! Beyond exchanging rings and popping champagne bottles, there’s also a legal process to ensure a marriage is legitimate—and that means paperwork.
Don’t worry, it’s not too complicated. But there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost: Couples must apply for a marriage license from the county where you are getting married—not your hometown.
Keep in mind that every state is different. What might be legal and required in one state might be inappropriate in another. Luckily, it’s usually not that difficult to look up local laws or even fix an error after the fact—although, it usually costs a little extra and takes a little longer as you play back and forth with the county clerk’s office.
Hopefully, this guide helps you get things right the first time. So without further ado, here’s how to fill out a marriage license.
The Couple’s Section
To pick up the paperwork for your marriage license, both partners must visit the county clerk’s office together. While some counties are small enough to allow for walk-ins, you’ll almost certainly want to book an appointment ahead of time.
Filling out the couple’s section of this paperwork is super easy—especially considering that the couple will most often fill this out with the county clerk’s office during their application. Like most government documents, you’ll need to know some basic information like names, dates of birth, home addresses, and the like. It's just that simple.
Important: Keep your signatures clean and in the lines. If a signature is too big or overlaps multiple fields, you’ll have to start all over with the county clerk’s office. They are strict! We know this from experience.
The Witnesses Section
You’ll need one or two witness signatures, depending on the state. These witnesses need to be adults; aged 18 or 21, depending on state laws. Friends or family members are easy picks. But if you are eloping and don’t have any attendees at your wedding, your wedding photographer or passerby can complete this section. Note that your officiant can’t act as a witness since they have other duties regarding your marriage license (more on that in the next section).
Fun fact: Some states let you self-solemnize marriage. This means you don’t need any witnesses, which is why you’ll sometimes see pictures of people getting married by their pets.
Important: Keep witness signatures clean and in the lines. If a signature is too big or overlaps multiple fields, you’ll have to start all over with the county clerk’s office. Additionally, avoid scratching out spelling errors as this will invalidate the form entirely.
The Officiant Section
Before you can officiate a wedding, you need to get ordained. The easiest (and most common) way to become an officiant is through an online service like the Universal Life Church (ULC). This is perfect for anyone who wants to officiate a wedding for a friend or family member—or even if you want to turn officiating weddings into a job.
Here’s where things get tricky. Since this is a legal document, you really want an officiant who understands the fields being filled out. These include:
County of Ceremony: Double check that you have the right county.
Date of Marriage: Obviously.
Date Signed: More often than not, all of this is signed just after the ceremony.
Religious or Civil Ceremony: If you are ordained through ULC, you’ll want to check the box for “religious.”
If Religious, Type of Denomination: If you are ordained through ULC, you must write “Nondenominational.”
Officiant’s Title: If you are ordained through ULC, you must write “Minister” or “Clergy.”
Officiant Name, Address, Phone Number, and Signature: You know what you do here.
Pro tip: As with anything else written here, investigate local laws. Certain states do not accept ULC ordinations or even require officiants to register as notary publics or ministers to officiate weddings. These rules can change, so it’s something to be aware of.
Need an officiant for your outdoor wedding or elopement? Love & Latitudes Elopement Photography has an officiant on staff.
Next Steps: What to Do With the Marriage License
A marriage isn’t official until the paperwork is complete and returned to the office that issued it. There’s usually a window of a few days or even a few weeks to return this completed form. Depending on the county and type of license, these forms can be mailed or returned in person.
Taking Things to the Next Level
Every couple is different. Some just want to get the paperwork and legal stuff out of the way. And that’s totally cool. Other couples might want to fill out the boring forms as quickly as possible—right before signing a decorative version of their marriage license which they can keep in their homes. And that’s cool too. So—if you are officiating a wedding—ask your couple if they want a decorative version of their marriage license.
Want more tips from your Love & Latitudes officiant?
Check out our blog for tips on how to write your vows!
Now You Know How to Fill Out a Marriage License
That’s all that you need to know! If you get nervous about filling out the marriage license, it helps to keep a few notes handy such as the county in which the wedding is taking place and your title and denomination (“minister” and “non-denominational” respectively).
If you have any trouble filling out a certain section, that’s okay. Pause and fill it out later. It’s better to get it correct after the fact than to rush yourself and make a mistake. Remember, these are government forms so mistakes can be tedious to correct.
Now that you have the legal stuff out of the way, you can celebrate the wedding day! Have fun.
Meet Your Photographer + Officiant Duo
Need an officiant for your wedding day? Diana and Isiah are the team behind Love & Latitudes offering elopement photography and wedding officiating. Contact us today!