Getting married in New Jersey takes three steps and about a month of calendar time: apply in person at a local registrar’s office with ID, a witness, and $28; wait 72 hours for the license to issue; then hold your ceremony with an authorized officiant within the next 30 days. No blood test, no health exam, no court involvement. Miss a deadline along the way and you start over.
Who Can Get Married
Both parties must be at least 18. New Jersey registrars cannot issue a marriage license to anyone younger, and there is no parental-consent or judicial-approval workaround.1Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-6 – Prohibition of Issuance of Marriage, Civil Union License to Minor Both of you must also be single at the time you apply. If you are still a party to another marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership, you cannot apply until that status is formally ended.2New Jersey Department of Health. Marriage License
State law also voids marriages between close relatives: ancestors, descendants, siblings, aunts or uncles, and nieces or nephews.3Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-1 – Marriages and Civil Unions, Limitations, Certain New Jersey does not require any pre-marital medical testing.
Where to Apply
If either of you lives in New Jersey, apply at the registrar’s office in the municipality where one of you resides. A license issued this way is good for a ceremony anywhere in the state.4Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-3 – Where Marriage or Civil Union License to Be Obtained If neither of you is a New Jersey resident, you apply in the municipality where the ceremony will be held, and the license is only valid for a ceremony in that same municipality.5New Jersey Department of Health. Entering Into a Marriage or Civil Union in New Jersey
What to Bring to the Appointment
Each applicant needs a valid government photo ID showing name, age, date of birth, and address. A driver’s license, passport, military ID, or state ID card all work. New Jersey residents also need proof of residency. U.S. citizens must provide a Social Security number, which stays confidential on the license and can only be released for child support enforcement.6Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-17 – Marriage or Civil Union License; Information Provided
If either of you was previously married, bring the final divorce decree, annulment order, or the death certificate of the former spouse. The registrar will also ask for the names and birthplaces of both parents. All of this information goes onto Form REG-77, which you can download from the Department of Health website or pick up at the registrar’s office.7New Jersey Department of Health. Vital Statistics – Vital Records Forms
You also need one witness who is at least 18. Both applicants must appear in person, though not necessarily on the same day. If you split the appointments, the same witness has to come to both.
The Fee and the Application
The application fee is $28, which combines a $3 base licensing fee with a $25 fee that goes to the Department of Human Services.2New Jersey Department of Health. Marriage License8Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-12.1 – Additional Fee At the appointment, the registrar puts both applicants and the witness under oath about the information on the application, then enters it into the state system. You do not walk out with a usable license that day. The filing starts the mandatory waiting period.
The 72-Hour Wait and the 30-Day Window
The registrar cannot issue the license until at least 72 hours have passed since you filed the application. In a genuine emergency, a Superior Court judge can waive some or all of the wait by court order, which gets attached to your application.9Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-4 – Issuance of Marriage or Civil Union License, Emergencies, Validity The statute does not define emergency, so a judge decides. Military deployment is a commonly accepted reason.
Once issued, the license is valid for 30 days. If you do not hold the ceremony within that window, the license expires and you have to apply and pay the fee again.9Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-4 – Issuance of Marriage or Civil Union License, Emergencies, Validity Plan the ceremony date accordingly: file at least 72 hours ahead, pick up the license, then marry within 30 days.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
New Jersey authorizes a long list of officiants: federal and state judges, surrogates, county clerks, mayors, mayor-authorized deputy mayors, township committee chairs, village presidents, and clergy of any religion. Religious organizations can also marry couples according to their own customs. For a non-religious ceremony without a government official, the Secretary of State certifies civil celebrants who can officiate.10Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-13 – Authorization to Solemnize Marriages and Civil Unions
The ceremony itself does not require any particular script. Legally, what matters is that both parties exchange consent to the marriage in the presence of the officiant. Two witnesses should be there to observe and sign the certificate afterward.
Filing the Marriage Record
After the ceremony, the officiant, both spouses, and the witnesses sign the marriage certificate. The officiant then has five days to transmit the signed certificate and the license to the registrar in the municipality where the ceremony took place.11Justia. New Jersey Code 26-8-41 – Transmittal of Certificate and License This is the officiant’s responsibility, but you are the one who deals with a missing record when it comes time to prove you are married for insurance, taxes, or a property transfer. If a friend or family member is officiating, remind them of the five-day deadline.
One copy of the certificate stays with the registrar, one goes to you, and one is kept by the officiant.12Justia. New Jersey Code 37-1-17.1 – License and Certificate of Marriage or Civil Union; Transmittal
Getting a Certified Marriage Certificate
The copy you get at the ceremony is not what most agencies accept as proof. For name changes, insurance, and legal matters, you need a certified copy on official state safety paper with a raised seal.13New Jersey Department of Health. Order a Vital Record Order through the New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics and Registry or the local registrar where the marriage was recorded. The state office charges $25 for the first certified copy and $2 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.14New Jersey Department of Health. Fees at a Glance Local registrar fees vary by municipality.
Order several copies at once. You will probably need them in parallel for the Social Security Administration, the MVC, your employer, and your bank.
Changing Your Name
Marriage does not automatically change your legal name. If you want to take your spouse’s name or hyphenate, you update each agency individually. Start with Social Security, because the MVC and other agencies often want your Social Security record to match before they process a change on their end. File Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration, providing proof of identity, your new name, and the marriage. You can check whether you qualify to submit online through a my Social Security account, or go to a local office with your documents.15Social Security Administration. How Do I Change or Correct My Name on My Social Security Number Card?
For your driver’s license, bring the certified marriage certificate to any Motor Vehicle Commission licensing center on a walk-in basis, along with your 6 Points of ID. Documents must be originals or certified copies with proper seals, and anything not in English needs an approved translation.16NJMVC. Name Change
For your passport, the right form and fee depend on how recently the current passport was issued. The State Department’s fee calculator will point you to Form DS-82 (renewal by mail), DS-5504 (corrections within a year of issuance), or DS-11 (new application).17U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Processing runs several weeks, so file well before any international travel.
What Changes Legally the Day You Marry
Marriage triggers automatic legal changes that most couples never think about until something goes wrong. Inheritance is the biggest one. If your spouse dies without a will, you take a share of the estate under New Jersey’s intestacy laws. With no surviving children or parents, you inherit everything. The same is true if the only surviving descendants are also your descendants and you have no other children. When a surviving parent or children from another relationship are in the picture, you receive the first 25 percent of the estate (not less than $50,000 and not more than $200,000) plus a share of the remainder that depends on the family situation.18Justia. New Jersey Code 3B-5-3 – Intestate Share of Surviving Spouse
Marriage also creates rights to equitable distribution of property in a divorce, spousal privileges in court, and authority to make medical decisions for an incapacitated spouse. If you have significant assets, debts, or children from a previous relationship, talk to an attorney about a prenuptial agreement before the wedding. Once the marriage is recorded, these rights and obligations take effect immediately.