To get married in Chicago, you and your partner apply together in person for a marriage license at a Cook County Clerk’s office, wait one calendar day, hold a ceremony with someone Illinois authorizes to perform it, and return the signed license to the Clerk within 10 days. The license costs $60 and is valid for 60 days once it takes effect. Illinois does not require a blood test, a medical exam, residency, or witnesses at the ceremony.
Who Can Legally Marry
Both people must be at least 18. A 16- or 17-year-old can marry with the consent of both parents or a legal guardian; if one parent cannot be located after genuine effort, the other can consent alone by sworn affidavit, and a judge can approve the marriage if neither parent is available. No one under 16 can marry in Illinois.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/203 – License to Marry
Illinois prohibits marriages between close relatives:
- Ancestors and descendants, such as a parent and child or grandparent and grandchild
- Siblings of full or half blood, including siblings by adoption
- Aunts or uncles and nieces or nephews, regardless of half or whole blood
- First cousins, unless both are 50 or older, or one party provides a physician’s certificate of permanent sterility
Anyone still legally married, in a civil union, or in a substantially similar legal relationship elsewhere has to formally dissolve that relationship before applying for a new license.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/212 – Prohibited Marriages Same-sex couples have the same marriage rights as opposite-sex couples, and all state marriage laws apply equally.3Illinois.gov. Governor Pat Quinn Signs Marriage Equality Into Law
Applying for the License
Both people have to appear together in person at a Cook County Clerk’s office location.4Cook County Government. Marriage Licenses You can start the application online, but that only pre-fills your information; it doesn’t replace the in-person visit.5Cook County Clerk. Marriage and Civil Union Licenses and Certificates
Bring valid government-issued ID that shows your age. A driver’s license, state ID, or passport all work. The application asks each person for a Social Security number, occupation, and parents’ names and addresses.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/202 – Application for Marriage License If either of you has been married before, you’ll give the date and place the prior marriage ended. If a divorce was finalized within the last six months, bring a certified copy of the decree.4Cook County Government. Marriage Licenses
The fee is $60.5Cook County Clerk. Marriage and Civil Union Licenses and Certificates Confirm accepted payment methods with your specific Clerk location before showing up. Non-U.S. citizens follow the same process; a valid passport satisfies the ID requirement.
The One-Day Wait and the 60-Day Window
Your license does not take effect the day it’s issued. It becomes valid the following calendar day. Pick up the license Thursday, and the earliest you can hold the ceremony is Friday. A judge can waive this wait for sufficient cause, but most couples plan around it.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/207 – Effective Date of License
Once effective, the license is good for 60 days. Miss that window and you have to apply and pay again. The license is issued for Cook County, so your ceremony should take place within the county. Illinois law does include a safety net: if you accidentally hold the ceremony in a different Illinois county, the marriage isn’t automatically invalid.7Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/207 – Effective Date of License
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Illinois recognizes a wide range of officiants:
- Any active judge of a court of record, a retired judge who wasn’t removed by the Judicial Inquiry Board, or a judge of the Court of Claims
- The Cook County Clerk, who is authorized because Cook County has more than two million residents
- Any sitting mayor or president of a city, village, or incorporated town
- Clergy or leaders acting under the rules of their religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe, or Native Group, in good standing with that organization
Religious officiants don’t have to register with the county or state before performing marriages. The couple is responsible for confirming that the officiant is qualified.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/209 – Solemnization and Registration
Illinois does not require witnesses at the ceremony.9Kane County Clerk. Marriage License Instructions Many couples still invite witnesses to sign for sentimental reasons. You can also solemnize the marriage yourselves: the statute allows both parties to sign the marriage certificate form together when no individual officiant is present.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 750 ILCS 5/209 – Solemnization and Registration
Filing the License Within 10 Days
This is the step people forget. After the ceremony, the officiant, or both spouses if no officiant was used, must complete and sign the marriage certificate form on the license and return it to the Cook County Clerk within 10 days.10Cook County Government. Marriage Certificates The Clerk records the returned license, which officially registers the marriage. Until that filing happens, your marriage isn’t on the books.
Don’t assume the officiant will handle this on autopilot. Confirm beforehand that they know the deadline and where to send the license. If your officiant is a friend who got ordained online or a religious leader unfamiliar with Cook County procedures, walk them through it. A ceremony without a filed license is the most common way people end up in legal limbo about their marital status.
Getting Certified Copies of the Certificate
Once the Clerk processes the returned license, your marriage is registered and you can order certified copies of the marriage certificate. You’ll need them for name changes, insurance updates, adding a spouse to financial accounts, and other legal purposes. Certified copies can be requested from the Cook County Clerk in person, by mail, or online.10Cook County Government. Marriage Certificates Check the Clerk’s website for current fees and processing times. Ordering several copies at once is cheaper per copy and saves a second trip when a bank or agency asks for an original.
Common Law Marriage Is Not an Option
Illinois does not recognize common law marriage and hasn’t since 1905. No matter how long you live together, share finances, or present yourselves as married, you are not legally married in Illinois without a license and ceremony. If you established a valid common law marriage in a state that does recognize them, Illinois will honor it, but you cannot create one inside the state’s borders.