To get a marriage license in DuPage County, IL, both partners complete an online pre-application, then appear together at the County Clerk’s office at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton with valid photo ID and $35. The license takes effect the day after it’s issued and stays valid for 60 days.
Who Can Apply
Both applicants must be at least 18. Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds can apply with the consent of both parents or a legal guardian, or with a judge’s approval; if one parent can’t be found, the other can sign an affidavit describing the search, and that counts as consent from both.1Justia Law. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5 – Part II – Marriage
Neither of you has to live in Illinois. There are no blood tests or medical exams.
Any prior marriage or civil union must be legally ended before you apply. Illinois also bars marriage between close relatives (parent-child, siblings, aunt/uncle-niece/nephew) and between first cousins unless both parties are 50 or older or one provides a physician’s certificate of permanent sterility.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/212 – Prohibited Marriages
What to Bring
Each partner needs a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport) and proof of age.3DuPage County Circuit Clerk. Wedding Ceremony Registration The application asks for full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and parental information including your parents’ full legal names and birthplaces.
If either of you was married before, you’ll need the exact date the prior marriage ended and the county and state where the divorce was finalized or the spouse died. If your divorce was finalized within the last six months, bring a certified copy of the decree — clerks sometimes ask for it on recent dissolutions.
If either applicant doesn’t speak English, an interpreter must come to the appointment. The interpreter has to be at least 16 and carry a valid ID.
The Application Process
DuPage County uses a two-step process, and both steps are required.
First, complete the marriage license application online through the County Clerk’s portal. Print or save the confirmation. This saves time at the counter because staff can verify your entries instead of typing them in.
Second, both partners appear together at the DuPage County Clerk’s office, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187.3DuPage County Circuit Clerk. Wedding Ceremony Registration Licenses are issued Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with no licenses issued after 4:00 p.m.4DuPage County, IL. Licenses and Permits Each of you signs the license under oath, confirming the information is accurate and that you’re entering the marriage voluntarily.
The fee is $35, payable by cash, check, money order, or credit card. Credit card payments carry a small convenience fee.3DuPage County Circuit Clerk. Wedding Ceremony Registration
The One-Day Wait and the 60-Day Window
Your license becomes effective the day after it’s issued. Not 24 hours later, but the next calendar day. Pick it up Monday and the earliest you can marry is Tuesday. The Clerk’s office cannot waive this; only a court can order the license effective immediately.1Justia Law. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5 – Part II – Marriage Build the extra day into your plans.
Once effective, the license is valid for 60 days. If no ceremony happens in that window, the license expires and you’d need to apply and pay again.1Justia Law. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5 – Part II – Marriage
The license is issued for use in DuPage County, but Illinois law says a marriage is not invalidated if it was “inadvertently solemnized” in a different Illinois county.1Justia Law. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5 – Part II – Marriage Couples who get their license in DuPage and hold the ceremony elsewhere in Illinois aren’t putting their marriage’s legal validity at risk.
If You Want a Courthouse Ceremony
DuPage offers civil ceremonies performed by a judge at the DuPage County Judicial Center, 505 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton — a different building from the Clerk’s office. The ceremony fee is $10, plus a $4 convenience fee collected by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.3DuPage County Circuit Clerk. Wedding Ceremony Registration
The order surprises people: you have to book the ceremony date first, before you apply for the license, because the Clerk’s office needs a confirmed ceremony date to issue it.4DuPage County, IL. Licenses and Permits The full sequence:
- Register for your ceremony date through the Circuit Clerk’s online Wedding Ceremony Registration.
- Complete the online marriage license application.
- Appear in person at the County Clerk’s office (421 N. County Farm Road) with your IDs and the $35 fee.
- Bring the issued license to your ceremony at the Judicial Center (505 N. County Farm Road).
On the day, go to Courtroom 2010 on the second floor. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m., and ceremonies are performed in order of arrival. Payments are final; a no-show is not refunded.3DuPage County Circuit Clerk. Wedding Ceremony Registration For questions, call 630-407-8232.
Who Can Officiate
If you’re not using a judge, Illinois allows the ceremony to be performed by any active judge of a court of record, a retired judge (unless removed by the Judicial Inquiry Board), a judge of the Court of Claims, any public official whose powers include performing marriages, a mayor or village president currently in office, or a minister, clergy member, or other officiant acting within the customs of their religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe, or Native Group, and in good standing with that organization.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/209 – Solemnization and Registration Officiants do not register with the county or the state.
One boundary worth noting: notaries public are not authorized to officiate marriages in Illinois.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/209 – Solemnization and Registration
After the Ceremony
Your officiant is responsible for completing the marriage certificate and returning it to the DuPage County Clerk within 10 days of the ceremony. If no single person officiated, both spouses share that duty.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/209 – Solemnization and Registration Confirm with your officiant that the paperwork gets filed; a missed deadline means your marriage may not show up in county records when you need it.
Once the certificate is filed, you can request certified copies from the County Clerk in person, by mail, or through the office’s online ordering system. Expect around $25 for the first certified copy and $15 for additional copies. Order several: one for the Social Security Administration, one for the DMV, and at least one for your own records.