How to Get a Fairfield County Marriage License in CT

To get a Fairfield County marriage license, both applicants go in person to the Town Clerk’s office in the Connecticut town where the ceremony will take place, present photo ID, complete a Marriage License Worksheet, and pay $50. The license is issued the same day. Connecticut imposes no waiting period and no blood test, and the license stays valid for 65 days.

Fairfield County has more than 20 municipalities, from Bridgeport and Stamford to smaller towns like Sherman and Easton, and each Town Clerk handles its own licenses. The town you apply in is the town where you will say your vows, not the town where you live.¹

Who Can Apply

Connecticut sets four eligibility rules. You must be at least 18, not already married or in a substantially equivalent legal relationship, not under a conservator’s supervision (with limited exceptions), and not closely related to the person you plan to marry. Connecticut eliminated all pathways for minors to marry in 2023, so there is no judicial workaround for anyone under 18.²

If either of you was married before, that marriage must have ended through divorce, annulment, or the death of the former spouse before a new license can issue. The prohibited-relationship rules are broader than many people expect: you cannot marry a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, stepparent, or stepchild. A ceremony between people in those relationships is automatically void.³

What to Bring to the Clerk’s Office

Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID showing date of birth, signature, and expiration date. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID all work.⁴

You will also complete a Marriage License Worksheet. Most Fairfield County Town Clerks post it as a downloadable PDF, and some ask you to email the completed worksheet before your appointment. The worksheet goes well beyond what’s on your ID. It asks for Social Security numbers for both applicants, full legal names of both sets of parents including mothers’ maiden names, and parents’ birthplaces. These answers feed Connecticut’s permanent vital records, so accuracy matters. If you’re uncertain about a parent’s birthplace or your mother’s maiden name, check your own birth certificate before the appointment rather than guess at the counter.

Connecticut does not require a blood test or any medical exam.⁴

Applying in Person

Both applicants must appear together at the Town Clerk’s office in the town where the ceremony will be held. The registrar reviews your worksheet, verifies your IDs, and places you under oath to confirm the information is accurate. Once satisfied, the clerk issues the license that day.⁴ There is no waiting period, so you could technically apply in the morning and marry the same afternoon. Connecticut does not allow proxy marriages or virtual ceremonies; both parties must be physically present both for the application and for the wedding itself.

The $50 Fee

The total fee is $50: a $15 base fee plus a $35 state-mandated surcharge.⁵ Accepted payment methods vary by town. Most Fairfield County offices take cash, checks, and credit or debit cards, but call ahead if you want to confirm. A certified copy of the marriage certificate, which you’ll want after the wedding, costs an additional $20.

If You Are Not a U.S. Citizen

Connecticut does not require applicants to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. A valid foreign passport generally satisfies the photo ID requirement. If your identification documents are in a language other than English, you will need a certified English translation; the translator must sign a statement attesting to their fluency and the accuracy of the translation. Notarization of that certification is not always strictly required, but it is standard practice and some clerks may expect it.

How Long the License Lasts

Your license is valid for 65 days from the date it was issued. If you don’t hold the ceremony within that window, the license expires and you’ll need to reapply and pay the $50 fee again.⁶

The license authorizes a ceremony anywhere in Connecticut, not only in the town that issued it. If your venue changes after you apply, you’re still covered as long as the new location is in-state.⁶

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Connecticut authorizes a broad range of officiants:

Any active or retired judge, including federal judges and judges from other states who are authorized to perform marriages in their own jurisdiction.
Family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, and justices of the peace appointed in Connecticut.
Any ordained or licensed member of the clergy from Connecticut or any other state.
A duly constituted Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, for Baha’i ceremonies.

A ceremony performed by anyone outside these categories is void under state law.⁷ Connecticut does not require officiants to register with any government office before performing a wedding, though ordained ministers should keep their credentials handy in case the clerk or venue asks. One restriction to note: a town clerk or registrar who issued your license cannot also officiate your wedding.

After the ceremony, your officiant signs the license and returns it to the Town Clerk’s office for permanent filing. Until that happens, the state has no official record of the marriage, and you cannot order certified copies or use the marriage for legal purposes such as a name change.

After the Wedding

Once the signed license is filed, you can order certified copies of the marriage certificate from the Town Clerk in the town where the ceremony took place or from the Connecticut State Vital Records Office, which keeps statewide marriage records back to 1897.⁸ Each certified copy is $20. Order at least two or three; many agencies require an original certified copy rather than a photocopy for name changes, insurance updates, and similar tasks.

If you are taking your spouse’s last name, you do not need to go through Probate Court. Your certified marriage certificate is the only legal document you need to update your name with government agencies, banks, and other institutions.⁹ Start with the Social Security Administration, since most other agencies require your SSA record to match your new name before they’ll process changes. The SSA recommends waiting at least 30 days after the wedding to give Connecticut time to update its records, and Connecticut participates in the SSA’s online name-change program, so you may be able to handle it at ssa.gov instead of visiting an office.¹⁰ Your Connecticut driver’s license comes next: visit a DMV hub or express office in person with a completed Change of Name Request form, your current license, and your certified marriage certificate. Photocopies and religious marriage certificates are not accepted. The fee is $30, with express locations charging up to $8 more.¹¹

1
Town of Fairfield. Vital Statistics
2
Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-20a – Eligibility to Marry
3
Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-21 – Marriage of Persons Related by Consanguinity or Affinity Prohibited
4
Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married
5
Justia. Connecticut Code 7-73 – Fees for Marriage License, Burial or Removal, Transit and Burial Permit. Marriage License Surcharge
6
Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-24 – License. Period of Validity. Penalty for Solemnization Without License. Validity of Marriage Ceremony
7
Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-22 – Who May Join Persons in Marriage. Penalty for Unauthorized Performance
8
Connecticut Department of Public Health. Vital Records
9
211 Connecticut. Name Changes / Changing Your Name – Connecticut
10
Social Security Administration. Just Married? Need to Change Your Name?
11
CT.gov. Update a Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or Non-Driver ID