how to get married in NYC

Frequently Asked Questions

About Getting Married In

New York City

The Office of the City Clerk The City of New York

Manhattan Office

141 Worth Street @ the corner of Centre & Worth.

The Court District of Downtown Manhattan

Marriage Licenses, Ceremonies & Certificates

212-818-0689 A New York Way to Say "I Do"

800-510-1203

What are the Legal Requirements to Get Married in NYC?

Who can legally Officiate Marriage Ceremonies in NYC?

What are the legal requirements to Get a Marriage License in New York City and How Do We Get One?

Can we Get Married in NYC with a license issued in New York State but, not from any of the 5 NYC Clerk Office's?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can We Get Married In New York with a license issued in another State?

What is an Interfaith Minister?

Is it required to have wedding rings?

We are thinking about a "City Hall" Wedding, how do we go about it and what is it like?

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212-818-0689 A New York Way to Say "I Do"

800-510-1203

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What are the Legal Requirements to Get Married in NYC?

A Valid Marriage License

A Ceremony

At least 1 adult witness to your ceremony. Witnesses must be 18 yrs or older. Please note, your witness must have accepted ID.

A NYC registered/licensed Officiant to officiate your vows/ceremony and pronounce you "married"

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Who can legally Officiate Marriage Ceremonies in NYC?

The City Clerk's of New York (in their offices only).

The Mayor

New York State appointed and NYC registered Judges.

Ordained, NYC registered Clergy

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AVOID LUNCH HOUR

The Earlier in the day you get there

The Better

What are the legal requirements to Get a Marriage License in New York City and How Do We Get One?.

You must be 18 or over. If you are under 18, please see my link below.

All Divorces, Annulments and Dissolutions must be finalized prior to applying for a marriage license in NY.

You can only obtain a marriage license in person and you must be together when you apply.

You Do NOT need a witness to get your marriage license.

You can apply for your Marriage License at any one of the 5 Offices of the City Clerk of NYC (there is one in each Borough (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island & Manhattan))

All of the 5 Offices of The City Clerk of NYC are open Monday - Friday ONLY . They open at 8:30AM and with the exception of the Manhattan Office, they close at 4:00PM SHARP. The Manhattan Office closes at 3:45 PM SHARP.

You will leave the City Clerk's office with your Marriage License in hand, however, It will NOT BE VALID FOR USE in a Ceremony FOR 24 HOURS from the exact time it was printed. It will remain valid for 60 days thereafter.

When you are at the City Clerk's Office you will Each need to:

Present Valid Accepted ID - (please see my link below). Please do not apply for your license if you do not have accepted ID. There is no exception to this , or other requirements and YOU WILL NOT BE ISSUED A MARRIAGE LICENSE WITHOUT ACCEPTED ID.

Fill out the Marriage License Application.

As you may have read, The Manhattan Office of the City Clerk of New York has recently made it's debut as a 500% (in my opinion; A Huge Thank You NYC for the New Manhattan Office) improved and upgraded facility to obtain a marriage license and have a marriage ceremony. One of the updates is the multiple placement of computer kiosks. They are designed & intended to allow you to pre-complete your Marriage License Application on-line thereby saving time and creating much greater ease when actually applying for your license. So, if you are planning to get your license at The Manhattan Office ONLY, if you can, complete your Marriage license application on-line. You will be able to print a receipt with your confirmation number. When you arrive at the Manhattan Office, you will enter your confirmation number at one of their computer kiosks (Don't worry, there are really friendly and helpful people there to help if you need it and the computers speak seemingly endless languages). You will immediately be placed in the queue and given a number to see one of the Clerks. Please see my link below to complete your application on-line.

You EACH must provide the following information on the application:

. Your Name

. Your Complete Current Address

. Your Birth Date and the Country You Were Born In

. Your Father's Name

. The Country Your Father Was Born In

. Your Mother's Maiden Name

. The Country Your Mother Was Born In

. You will indicate whether you are changing your Surname

All previous marriages must be reported. You must know the date that your divorce, annulment or dissolution was finalized. While finalization papers are not always asked for, they may be. I suggest you bring your finalization papers (translated to English) just in case they are. You do not want anything to stop you from getting your Marriage License.

If you are a widow or widower you will need to report your deceased Spouse's name and the date of their death

When you get to a window, you will:

Each sign the application. Your signature is your affidavit that the information provided is accurate and that there are no legal impediments or reasons why you cannot get married.

Each of you will present your Accepted ID. Please see my link below

You will pay the fee of $35.00, payable via any major Credit Card or by money order. The City Clerk of New York does not accept cash or checks.

Please Carefully CHECK YOUR LICENSE for typo's and or any other errors BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CLERK'S WINDOW. If you discover errors on your License after you leave the window, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY an additional $25.00 to correct and re-print your license.

Having said all of this, everyone planning to come to NYC for their wedding should visit The City Clerk Of New York City's Excellent web site.

http://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/home/home.shtml

5 Locations | Days Closed | Accepted ID | Under 18 | Application

Be there

at least

ONE HOUR

BEFORE CLOSING.

Can we Get Married in NYC with a license issued in New York State but, not from any of the 5 NYC Clerk Office's?

Yes

A Marriage License issued anywhere in the State of New York is valid for use in a ceremony anywhere in the State of New York..

Any Official office of any City, Town or County Clerk anywhere within the State of New York can issue a Valid NY State Marriage License. Please call the local Clerk's Office for their fee, ID requirements, hours and location. If you are traveling to NYC by car, this is an option you may want to consider . You can stop and get your license as soon as you enter NY State.

Can We Get Married In New York with a license issued in another State?

No.

A Marriage License must be obtained in the State that the Marriage Ceremony will take place. It is the law.

We are thinking about a "City Hall" Wedding, how do we go about it and what is it like?

A New York "City Hall" wedding actually takes place at the Offices of the City Clerk of NYC. Weddings do not literally take place at City Hall. The new Manhattan office in

cludes a back-drop of City Hall so you can take "City Hall" Wedding Photos".

You will need to have your valid marriage License

There are no reservations, there is a queue.

The 2 Chapels are shown along with their lime green waiting area which is available just before or after your ceremony.

The Ceremony performed at The City Clerk's Office satisfies the legal requirement of vows and a pronouncement and is brief, lasting a little more than a minute.

You will need an adult (18 or over) witness. Your witness must have accepted ID

Your Official Certificate of Marriage Registration will be processed,on the spot and you will be presented to you when you leave.

The City Store sells Bridal Bouquets , wedding rings and really lovely preservers for your Official Certificate of Marriage Registsration.

Is it required to have wedding rings?

No, it is not.

However do not let not having rings stop you from exchanging wedding rings during your ceremony if you would like to. The NY City Store (located at the Manhattan NYC Clerk's Office) has fabulous ladies rings for sale for $9.00 and you can pick one up when you get your license. For men and for a larger selection for women, NYC 's Department Stores all have wedding rings as do the many jewelry stores located all over NYC in addition to NYC's 2 famous jewelry districts. And then ... there is always Tiffany's

What is an Interfaith Minister?

An Interfaith Minister is an ordained non-denominational minister. Interfaith Minister's study all faiths and are charged with performing ceremonies that honor and respect all faiths equally.

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