Alaska Marriage License: Requirements, Cost, and Ceremony

To get an Alaska marriage license, both people apply together through Health Analytics and Vital Records (part of the Alaska Department of Health) or through any Alaska court office, pay the $60 in-person fee, and wait three business days for the license to be issued. Once issued, it stays valid for three months and can be used anywhere in Alaska or in Alaska state waters. Neither person needs to live in Alaska or be a U.S. citizen, which is why the license works equally well for residents and for couples flying in for a destination wedding.¹

Who Can Get Married in Alaska

Both people must be 18 or older to marry without court involvement. A 16- or 17-year-old can marry only if a superior court judge issues an order after a hearing, finding that the marriage is in the minor’s best interest, that the other person is no more than three years older, and that the minor’s parents consent. If the parents are unreachable, in disagreement, or withholding consent without good reason, the judge can proceed anyway. No one under 16 can legally marry in Alaska.²

Both parties must be legally single. A pending divorce does not count; any prior marriage has to be fully dissolved. Alaska also bars marriages between people more closely related than first cousins, so first cousins can marry but siblings, parents and children, aunts or uncles and nieces or nephews, and half-blood relatives within those same degrees cannot.³

There is no residency requirement. Proxy marriages are not allowed: both people must be physically present at the ceremony with the officiant and the witness.¹

What to Bring to the Application

Each person needs a government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID card, passport, military ID, or Tribal/BIA card all work. The application itself asks for each person’s full legal name, date of birth, birthplace, and the full names and birthplaces of both parents.⁴

The form has a field for Social Security numbers, required under federal law for child support enforcement. If you do not have a valid Social Security number, you can leave it blank. If either person was previously married, be ready to give the date and location of the divorce or the date of the former spouse’s death. A divorce finalized within the last 60 days may require you to submit the decree itself.⁴

You also need to name one witness who is at least 18. Older guides sometimes still list two witnesses, but the current requirement is one. That witness must attend the ceremony and sign the license along with both spouses and the officiant. The officiant cannot also serve as the witness.¹

Where to Apply and What It Costs

You can download the application as a PDF from the Department of Health website or pick it up at a Vital Records office or an Alaska court office. Vital Records has offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. Court offices are spread across the state, which matters for couples in rural areas who cannot easily reach one of those three cities.

An in-person application costs $60, paid by check or money order made out to “Alaska Vital Records.” Once the license is issued, no refunds or extensions are given.¹

Applying by Mail

If you cannot appear in person, you can mail the completed application and payment to a Vital Records office or court office. The mailed-out fee is $70. For tracked delivery, add $10 for Priority Mail. Without it, regular mail can take up to four weeks and cannot be tracked, so build in time if your ceremony date is set.¹

The Three-Day Wait and Three-Month Validity

Alaska imposes a three-day waiting period between the day the issuing office receives your application and the day the license can be issued. For mailed applications, that clock starts when the office receives the envelope, not when you send it. The wait is measured in full business days.

Once issued, the license is valid for three months. If the ceremony does not happen inside that window, the license expires and you start over with a new application and fee. The license is only valid for ceremonies performed in Alaska or Alaska state waters.¹

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Alaska law recognizes four categories of people who can solemnize a marriage:⁵

Ministers, priests, or rabbis of any church or congregation in the state, commissioned officers of the Salvation Army, or the principal officer or elder of a recognized congregation that traditionally does not have clergy.
Judges, magistrates, and marriage commissioners appointed by the court, acting within their jurisdiction.
A religious organization itself, according to its established practices.
Any person holding an elective public office in Alaska.

Having a Friend or Relative Officiate

If you want someone close to you to perform the ceremony, they can apply for a marriage commissioner appointment through the court nearest the wedding location. The fee is $25, and the applicant must be at least 18 but does not need to live in Alaska. The Fourth Judicial District asks that applications come in at least a week before the wedding. Procedures vary slightly by judicial district, and there is no online application; the applicant must call or visit the court to start.⁶

The court issues a written order appointing the commissioner along with instructions. The ceremony should not go ahead until the commissioner has that order in hand.⁶

After the Ceremony

After vows are exchanged, the officiant, the witness, and both spouses sign the license. The signed license must be returned to Health Analytics and Vital Records within seven days of the ceremony. Either the officiant or the couple can send it in. Missing that window can delay the official recording of the marriage, which becomes a problem if you need quick proof for insurance enrollment, name changes, or anything else time-sensitive.⁷

Once the license is returned and the marriage is registered, you can order a Certificate of Marriage for $30. That certified document, not the license itself, is the legal proof you will need for updating insurance, filing joint taxes, changing your name, and adding a spouse to financial accounts.¹

Changing Your Name

Getting married does not automatically change your legal name. If you are taking a spouse’s surname or a hyphenated name, you have to update each agency separately, starting with the Social Security Administration, which requires a certified copy of your marriage certificate to issue a new card. Once the new card arrives, take it and the certified certificate to a DMV office to update your Alaska driver’s license or state ID. Alaska law requires you to notify the DMV of a name change within 30 days, and the update has to be done in person on a new license application. A vision test may be required.⁸

1
Alaska Department of Health. Marriage License
2
Justia Law. Alaska Code 25.05.171 – Judicial Permission to Marry
3
Justia Law. Alaska Code 25.05.021 – Prohibited Marriages
4
Alaska Department of Health. Alaska Marriage License Application
5
Justia Law. Alaska Code 25.05.261 – Who May Solemnize
6
Alaska Court System. Marriage Information
7
Alaska Department of Health. Vital Records Orders
8
Division of Motor Vehicles, State of Alaska. Changing Identification Details