To get married at the courthouse in Pennsylvania, both of you apply together for a marriage license at any county’s Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans’ Court, wait three days after applying, then hold a short civil ceremony with an authorized officiant such as a magisterial district judge. License fees generally run $80 to $100, and the whole process usually takes a couple of weeks from application to “I do.”
Who Can Get Married in Pennsylvania
Both applicants must be at least 18. Pennsylvania makes no exceptions for minors, even with parental consent or a judge’s approval.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Domestic Relations The clerk will also refuse to issue a license if either person appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the appointment, or if either person has been declared of unsound mind without court authorization for the marriage.
First cousins cannot marry in Pennsylvania, and the prohibition covers all closer blood relatives, including parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandchildren.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Domestic Relations
There is no residency requirement. You don’t need to live in Pennsylvania, and you can apply in any county you like. A license issued in one Pennsylvania county authorizes a ceremony anywhere in the state.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Marriage License Required
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, so the clerk can verify identity and age.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Marriage License Required You also need your Social Security number; a W-2, pay stub, or IRS document showing the number works if you’ve lost your card.3Butler County, PA. Butler County Marriage Licenses
If either of you was married before, bring proof of how it ended. For a divorce, that means a certified copy of the final decree with a court seal and signature. Photocopies are not accepted, and a decree in another language needs a certified English translation.4Lancaster County, PA. Marriage Licenses For a deceased former spouse, requirements vary by county: some ask only for the date of death, others want the original death certificate.3Butler County, PA. Butler County Marriage Licenses Call the clerk’s office first so you don’t make two trips.
The application also asks for birthplace and parents’ names as they appear on your birth certificates. If your current legal name doesn’t match your ID because of a previous name change, bring the paperwork that shows the change. Mismatches can get an application rejected.
Applying at the Courthouse
Both applicants have to appear together before the Clerk of Orphans’ Court or Register of Wills. A few counties offer video appointments, but most still expect you in person at the courthouse. The clerk reviews your documents, collects the fee, and puts you both under oath to confirm your answers are truthful.5City of Philadelphia. Get a Marriage License
Fees vary by county but generally sit between $80 and $100. Allegheny County charges $90, which bundles the base application fee, a technology surcharge, and two statewide surcharges for domestic violence and children’s programs.6Allegheny County, PA. Marriage License Application7Montgomery County, PA. Marriage Licenses8Bucks County. Bucks County Register of Wills – Marriage Licenses and Certificates Philadelphia charges $90 for a standard license and $100 for a self-uniting license.5City of Philadelphia. Get a Marriage License Confirm the exact amount and accepted payment methods on your county’s website before you go.
The Three-Day Wait and 60-Day Window
Pennsylvania law puts a three-day waiting period between the day you apply and the day the license can be issued. You cannot hold the ceremony until those three days are up. The court can waive the wait in only two situations: emergency or extraordinary circumstances, or when one applicant is a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard or another reserve component called to active duty.9Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Waiting Period After Application
Once issued, the license is good for 60 days from the issue date printed on the license, not the application date. If you don’t marry inside that window, the license expires and you have to reapply and pay again.10Chester County, PA. Marriage Licenses
Booking the Ceremony
The ceremony is a separate appointment from the license application. For a true courthouse wedding, the usual officiants are a magisterial district judge or a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, though Pennsylvania law authorizes a much broader list, including active or senior federal judges and magistrates residing in Pennsylvania, mayors of any Pennsylvania city or borough, and clergy authorized by their religious organization.11Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Persons Qualified to Solemnize Marriages
Not every magisterial district judge performs weddings, so call the specific judge’s office before you count on them.12Bucks County, PA. Officiants Judges who do officiate usually set their own scheduling, availability, and fee. Some charge nothing; some charge a nominal amount. Ask when you book. The ceremony fee is separate from the license fee and is not set by the county.
What Happens at the Ceremony
Bring your active, valid marriage license the day of the wedding. Without it, the ceremony cannot proceed.
A civil ceremony in front of a judge is short. The judge reads a brief script, you exchange vows, and it’s done. Pennsylvania law does not require witnesses for a standard officiated ceremony, though many couples bring a few guests anyway. Afterward, the judge signs the original marriage certificate (which you keep) and the duplicate certificate (which goes back to the court).13Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Returns of Marriages
The Self-Uniting Option
Pennsylvania is one of the few states that offers a self-uniting marriage license, which lets a couple marry themselves without any officiant. The tradition traces back to Quaker practice and is still available to any couple who asks for it. You have to request the self-uniting license specifically at the application.
Instead of an officiant signing the certificate, both parties sign, and two witnesses must also sign to attest that the marriage took place.14Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Forms Where Parties Perform Ceremony Witnesses are required here even though they are not required for a standard officiated ceremony. The three-day wait and 60-day validity work the same way. In Philadelphia, the self-uniting license runs $100 versus $90 for a standard license.5City of Philadelphia. Get a Marriage License
After the Ceremony
Somebody has to return the signed duplicate certificate to the Clerk of Orphans’ Court that issued the license within 10 days of the ceremony.13Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 23 – Returns of Marriages If a judge performed the ceremony, the judge’s office handles it. In a self-uniting marriage, that job is yours. Washington County’s clerk puts it plainly: if the duplicate is not returned within 10 days, you are not legally married.15Washington County Courts, PA. Marriage Licenses
The certificate you leave the ceremony with is your original, but it isn’t the same as a certified copy. For most legal purposes, including a name change, you’ll need a certified copy with the county seal. Order those from the Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans’ Court in the county that issued the license.16Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Marriage Records Fees vary by county, typically $20 to $35. Get two or three copies; you’ll use them.
Changing Your Name
If you plan to change your last name, the certified marriage certificate is your key document. Start with the Social Security Administration by filing Form SS-5 with your certified certificate and photo ID at your local office; the SSA notifies the IRS automatically. Once the new card arrives, take the certified certificate to a PennDOT Driver License Center to update your Pennsylvania driver’s license or photo ID.17Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Change a Driver’s License or Photo ID Name or Address From there, update your bank, employer, insurance providers, and passport. Doing Social Security first makes each later update easier, because other agencies verify names against SSA records.