To get a marriage license in Hartford, CT, both partners go together to the Town Clerk’s office at Hartford City Hall, 550 Main Street, Room 103, with valid photo ID and $50 in hand. There is no waiting period and no blood test, the license is issued the same day, and it stays valid for 65 days from the date you apply.1Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-24 – License. Period of Validity. Penalty for Solemnization Without License. Validity of Marriage Ceremony
Who Can Apply
Connecticut sets three eligibility rules: you must be at least 18, you cannot already be married, and you cannot be too closely related to your partner.2Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-20a – Eligibility to Marry The age floor is absolute. The old exception that allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental or court approval was eliminated in 2023.
Prohibited relationships include parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, siblings, aunt or uncle with niece or nephew, and stepparents with stepchildren. A marriage between people in those relationships is automatically void.3Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-21 – Marriage of Persons Related by Consanguinity or Affinity Prohibited
You don’t need to live in Hartford, or even in Connecticut. The rule is that you apply in the town where the ceremony will take place, so if the wedding is in Hartford, Hartford is where you apply.4Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married The ceremony itself must happen inside Connecticut.5City of Hartford. Obtain a Marriage License
What to Bring
Each partner needs a valid government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, passport, or military ID. A non-U.S. citizen can use a valid foreign passport.
You’ll also need to supply, for both partners:
- Full legal names and current addresses as they appear on your ID
- Birthplace (state or country)
- Both parents’ full names, including each mother’s maiden name, and their birthplaces
- Social Security numbers, which Connecticut requires on the application
- The name, address, and phone number of the person officiating
The Hartford Town Clerk posts a Marriage License Worksheet you can fill out at home, which cuts down the time at the counter. If either of you was married before, bring the date and place that marriage ended, and ideally a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate so the clerk can confirm you’re free to remarry without delay.
The fee is $50, due at the time of application.6Connecticut Department of Public Health. Marriage and Civil Union Certificates
Where and When to Go
The Bureau of Vital Records is on the first floor of Hartford City Hall at 550 Main Street, Room 103. Walk-in hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The office phone is (860) 757-9690.5City of Hartford. Obtain a Marriage License
Both of you must appear together. One partner cannot start the paperwork and have the other finish it later. Both of you have to sign and take an oath that the information is truthful and that you’re marrying voluntarily.
What Happens at the Counter
The clerk reviews your worksheet, checks your IDs, enters the information into the state vital records system, and prints the license. You both sign, you both take the oath, and you pay the $50. Read the printed license carefully before you walk out. Fixing a typo later is much more work than catching it in the moment.
Connecticut requires no blood test and no waiting period, so the license is active immediately. You could legally hold the ceremony the same afternoon.
How Long the License Is Good For
The license expires 65 days after the date you apply. If the ceremony doesn’t happen in that window, the license is void and you’ll have to reapply and pay the $50 again.1Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-24 – License. Period of Validity. Penalty for Solemnization Without License. Validity of Marriage Ceremony Count backward from your wedding date before you apply so you don’t go in too early.
Who Can Legally Perform the Ceremony
Connecticut law restricts who can officiate. The authorized list includes judges (current or retired, state, federal, or from another state where they have authority to marry people), family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, Connecticut-appointed justices of the peace, and ordained or licensed clergy from Connecticut or any other state. Ceremonies conducted according to the forms and customs of any religious denomination are also valid, including those witnessed by a Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís.7Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-22 – Who May Join Persons in Marriage. Penalty for Unauthorized Performance
A ceremony performed by anyone outside that list is void, meaning you are not legally married. If a friend ordained online plans to officiate, confirm with the Town Clerk’s office that their ordination qualifies them as licensed or ordained clergy under Connecticut’s reading of the statute before the wedding, not after.
After the Ceremony
Your officiant has to complete the license with the date, time, and place of the marriage and return it to the registrar of the town where the ceremony happened. The deadline is the first week of the month after the wedding, and an officiant who misses it faces a fine.8Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-34 – Return of License. Penalty for Failure Remind your officiant, and check back to make sure the license was actually returned.
Once the Town Clerk records the returned license, it becomes your official marriage certificate. Certified copies are $20 each from the Hartford Town Clerk.9City of Hartford. Obtain a Marriage Certificate Order two or three at once. You’ll burn through them quickly on name changes, insurance paperwork, and account updates.