You cannot get a marriage license online in Virginia. Some Circuit Court Clerk’s offices let you fill out a pre-application through their website, and Loudoun County offers a virtual appointment option, but every couple has to complete the process through a Circuit Court Clerk’s office before a license is issued.1Loudoun County, VA – Official Website. Marriage Licenses
What You Can Actually Do Online
Several Circuit Court Clerk’s offices accept a pre-application through their websites. Fairfax County and Loudoun County, for example, encourage couples to submit the online form before coming in, which cuts down on counter paperwork and reduces the chance of delays from misspelled names or missing details.1Loudoun County, VA – Official Website. Marriage Licenses A pre-application is not a license. It just loads your information into the system ahead of the appointment.
Loudoun County currently offers what it calls a Virtual Appearance Appointment as an alternative to visiting the office. After submitting the online application, couples can schedule either an in-person or a virtual appointment to complete the oath and finalize the license.1Loudoun County, VA – Official Website. Marriage Licenses Most courthouses do not provide this option, so check directly with the Clerk’s office in the county where you plan to apply.
Where You Can Apply
Virginia has no residency requirement for a marriage license. You and your partner can live anywhere in the world and still apply at any Virginia Circuit Court Clerk’s office. Virginia also dropped its blood test requirement years ago, so no medical exam stands between you and your license.2Fairfax County, Virginia. Marriage License Information The one geographic rule that does matter is that the ceremony itself has to take place within Virginia. A Virginia license does not authorize a wedding in another state.
What To Bring to the Clerk’s Office
Both applicants must appear together. Each of you needs a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID all work.3Rockingham County, VA. Marriage License Information If your ID is in a language other than English, call the Clerk’s office in advance about translation requirements.
You will also need to provide a Social Security number. Virginia law requires it on the application, and if you do not have one, a control number issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles can substitute.4Virginia Code Commission. Article 5 – Marriage Records and Divorce and Annulment Reports – Section 32.1-267 The number does not become part of the public record.5Fauquier County. Obtaining a Marriage License
Beyond ID and Social Security information, the application asks for the full names of both parents (including mothers’ maiden names), your places of birth, and your current addresses. If either of you was previously married, you will need to provide the date and location of the divorce or the death of a former spouse.
The Oath, the Fee, and the Timing
When you arrive, the clerk reviews your documents, and both of you swear under oath that the information on the application is true. Providing false information constitutes perjury under Virginia law.6Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-16 – Issuance of Marriage Licenses and Marriage Certificates
The statutory clerk’s fee for issuing a marriage license is $10.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 17.1-275 – Fees Collected by Clerks of Circuit Courts Generally A state tax and possible local fees push the total higher, and the exact amount varies by courthouse. Henrico County, for instance, charges $33.8Henrico County, Virginia. Marriage Licenses Some offices add a convenience fee of around 2 percent for credit card payments, so bring cash or a check if you want to avoid the surcharge.
Virginia has no waiting period. Once the clerk processes your application and collects the fee, the license is issued on the spot.3Rockingham County, VA. Marriage License Information You could technically hold your ceremony the same day.
Minimum Age
Both parties must be at least 18 years old. Virginia law is straightforward on this point, with no exceptions for parental consent or emancipation.9Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia Title 20-48 – Minimum Age of Marriage
How Long the License Is Good For
A Virginia marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date it is issued. If you do not hold a ceremony within that window, the license expires, and you will need to start over with a new application and a new fee. The statute specifically notes that an expired license does not bar you from applying again; you just repeat the process.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-14.1 – Duration of License; Issuance of Additional Licenses
Can the Ceremony Itself Happen Online?
No. Virginia requires the marriage ceremony to be conducted in person within the Commonwealth. Every marriage must be “solemnized in the manner herein provided” under state law, meaning a physical ceremony performed by an authorized officiant.11Virginia Code Commission. Chapter 2 – Marriage Generally – Section 20-13 You cannot have an officiant marry you over Zoom while one spouse sits in another state. Both you and the officiant need to be present in Virginia.
If you obtained a legally valid remote marriage through a jurisdiction that permits one, Virginia will generally recognize that marriage under the principle of comity. But a Virginia license cannot be used for a remote ceremony.