A Seattle marriage license costs $169 and is issued by the King County Recorder’s Office at 201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 204, in Pioneer Square.1King County. Marriage Licensing Both applicants must be at least 18, and state law imposes a three-day waiting period between issuance and the ceremony. Plan to apply at least four days before your wedding date.
Who Qualifies
Washington treats marriage as a civil contract between two people who are each 18 or older and otherwise legally capable.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.04.010 – Marriage Contract Any marriage involving someone under 18 is void. Washington removed all minor-marriage exceptions in 2024, so parental consent is not a route for a 17-year-old.
Both applicants must be currently unmarried. A prior marriage must have ended by divorce or death of a spouse before a new license can issue. State law also prohibits marriages between close relatives, including siblings and anyone more closely related than second cousins, whether by whole or half blood.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.04.020 – Prohibited Marriages
What to Bring
Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The application asks for your current full legal names (not any name you plan to take after the wedding), residential addresses, birthplaces, parent names, birth surnames, and at least one daytime phone number.1King County. Marriage Licensing
The form includes a Social Security number field, but a number is not required. If you do not have one, you can sign a declaration to that effect and the application will still be processed.4King County Community Service Center. Marriage Licenses Offered by King County Community Service Center in Downtown Seattle This comes up most often for international applicants marrying a U.S. citizen.
The $169 fee can be paid in cash, by check or money order, or by debit or credit card for in-person transactions. By-mail applicants must send a check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to King County Recorder, along with a physical return address; the office does not deliver to P.O. boxes.
Three Ways to Apply
The Recorder’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All three application methods end with at least one applicant visiting the office or using a notary.
Online
Start on King County’s online portal. After you submit, the system generates a transaction number; keep it. One applicant then goes to the Recorder’s Office to finalize and pay the $169 fee. The three-day waiting period begins when you finalize in person, not when you submit the online form.1King County. Marriage Licensing
In Person
You can walk in and complete everything in one visit. To shorten the counter time, download the Marriage License Application from the King County website and fill it out beforehand, but do not sign it. Both applicants sign at the office.1King County. Marriage Licensing
By Mail
Download and print the application without signing it. Both applicants sign in front of a notary public, who then signs and applies their seal.5King County. Marriage License Application Mail the notarized application with payment to the Recorder’s Office, which will process it and return the license to the physical address you supplied.
The Three-Day Wait and 60-Day Window
State law requires a three-day wait after the license is issued before it can be used in a ceremony.6Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.04.180 – License Time Limitations as to Issuance and Use Notification The waiting period cannot be waived, even by court order.1King County. Marriage Licensing Count backward from your wedding date and apply at least four days ahead.
Once the three days pass, the license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance.6Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.04.180 – License Time Limitations as to Issuance and Use Notification If the ceremony does not happen in that window, the license expires and you start over with a new application and another $169 fee. A King County license is good anywhere in Washington, so a Seattle-issued license works for a wedding in San Juan County or any other part of the state.
The Ceremony and the Officiant’s Filing Duty
Every Washington marriage must be solemnized by an authorized officiant and witnessed by at least two people.7Washington State Legislature. Washington Revised Code Chapter 26.04 – RCW 26.04.070 No specific script is required; the parties simply declare before the officiant and witnesses that they take each other as spouses.
Authorized officiants include active or retired state judges and justices at every level, superior court commissioners, and judges of district and municipal courts, as well as any regularly licensed or ordained minister, priest, imam, rabbi, or similar official of a religious organization. Ministers do not have to be licensed by the state or live in Washington; their authority comes from their religious organization.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Revised Code Chapter 26.04 – RCW 26.04.050 You cannot officiate your own ceremony, and proxy marriages are not allowed.
This is the step couples most often forget: after the ceremony, the officiant must complete the signed marriage certificate and deliver it to the county auditor that issued the license within 30 days.9Washington State Legislature. RCW 26.04.090 – Certificate of Marriage A copy also goes to the state registrar of vital statistics. Until the certificate is filed, your marriage may not show up in county records. Confirm beforehand that your officiant knows this and will handle it promptly.
Certified Copies After the Wedding
Once the certificate is filed, certified copies cost $3 each from King County.1King County. Marriage Licensing Order several. You will need certified copies to change your name with the Social Security Administration, update your passport, add a spouse to insurance or employer benefits, and update bank accounts. Photocopies are not accepted for any of these purposes.