To get married in DC, both partners must be at least 18 and unmarried, apply for a $45 marriage license at the DC Superior Court Marriage Bureau, hold the ceremony inside the District, and return the signed license to the clerk within 10 days. Neither of you has to live in D.C., there is no waiting period, and no blood test is required. D.C. also lets couples officiate their own marriage, so a third-party officiant is optional.
Who Can Marry in D.C.
Both people must be 18 or older. D.C. removed every exception for minors, so parental consent and judicial approval are not available for anyone younger.1D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-403 – Marriages Void From Date of Decree; Age of Consent Neither partner can already be married to someone else. Residency in the District is not required for either of you.2Government of the District of Columbia. Marriage License Issuance – Frequently Asked Questions
D.C. prohibits marriage between close relatives: parents and children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, aunts or uncles and nieces or nephews, and step-parents and step-children. First cousins are not on that list.3D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-401.01 – Marriages Void Ab Initio, In General A marriage entered into without the mental capacity to consent, or by force or fraud, can be declared void by a court.1D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-403 – Marriages Void From Date of Decree; Age of Consent
Applying for the Marriage License
Applications go to the DC Superior Court Marriage Bureau. During normal operations, the Bureau accepts applications both in person and remotely during business hours. The fee is $45, payable in cash, by credit card, or by check or money order made out to “Clerk, DC Superior Court.”4DC Courts. Marriage FAQs
Each of you needs valid government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, non-driver’s ID, or passport. If a third party is applying on your behalf, the office accepts photocopies of a valid ID or a notarized copy of a passport. The application also asks for Social Security numbers, current addresses, and dates of birth. If either of you was previously married, you must list the city, state, and country where that marriage ended and whether it ended by divorce or death. You also need the full name of the person who will officiate your ceremony at the time you file.2Government of the District of Columbia. Marriage License Issuance – Frequently Asked Questions
There is no waiting period. If your paperwork is complete, the license can be issued the same day.2Government of the District of Columbia. Marriage License Issuance – Frequently Asked Questions Once issued, the license does not expire, so you can schedule the ceremony whenever you want.4DC Courts. Marriage FAQs The license is only valid for a ceremony performed inside the District. A blood test or medical exam is not required; that requirement was repealed.5D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-417 – Premarital Blood Tests
If There’s a Federal Government Shutdown
The DC Superior Court is part of the federal court system, so a shutdown can halt license processing. In that situation, D.C. law authorizes the Mayor’s Office of the Secretary to issue marriage licenses instead.6D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-415.01 – Applicability of Authority of Mayor to Issue Marriage Licenses Applications go to the Office of the Secretary at 899 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 8700. Check os.dc.gov for current hours and instructions if the courts are closed.
Choosing Someone to Officiate (or Doing It Yourselves)
D.C. authorizes a broad list of officiants, as long as the person is at least 18: judges and retired judges of a court of record, the Clerk of the Court or designated deputy clerks, ministers, priests, rabbis, or other authorized religious leaders, registered civil celebrants and temporary officiants, D.C. Council members, and the Mayor.7D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-406 – Persons Authorized to Celebrate Marriages Religious leaders and other outside officiants must register with the Marriage Bureau before performing a ceremony. Registration is $35 for long-term officiants and $25 for temporary ones. Witnesses are not legally required, but you, your partner, and the officiant all have to be physically in the District when the marriage takes place.
D.C. is one of the few places that lets a couple marry with no officiant at all. The statute lists “the parties to the marriage” among those authorized to solemnize the ceremony.7D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-406 – Persons Authorized to Celebrate Marriages In practice, one partner signs the license as the officiant and the other signs as a party. If you plan to self-officiate, both of you must appear in person to apply; you cannot send a third party to file for you.2Government of the District of Columbia. Marriage License Issuance – Frequently Asked Questions Decide in advance which of you will be listed as the officiant, because you need that name on the application. The ceremony itself has no required words, readings, or rituals; the legal step is signing the license.
The Ceremony and the 10-Day Return
After the ceremony, the signed marriage license has to be returned to the clerk’s office within 10 days. That is the officiant’s job, or yours if you self-officiated. The license comes in multiple pages: page one is your personal copy, page two goes back to the clerk’s office, and page three stays with the officiant.8D.C. Law Library. DC Code 46-412 – Form of License; Return; Coupons Returns can be made in person or by mail. Missing the 10-day deadline can cost the officiant a $50 fine.9DC Courts. Marriage Matters This step gets skipped most often in self-officiated marriages, since no third party is minding the paperwork. Set a calendar reminder before the wedding.
Getting Certified Copies of Your Marriage Certificate
Certified copies are not mailed to you automatically. You have to request them, and you will need several: name changes on your Social Security card, driver’s license, passport, and bank accounts all require an original certified copy. Copies can be ordered in person or by mail at $10 each.9DC Courts. Marriage Matters Ordering three or four upfront saves repeat trips as different agencies keep the copies they receive.
Review your certificate as soon as it arrives. If a name is misspelled or a date is wrong, you can request an amendment through the DC Health Vital Records Division using their amendment application form, notarized, with supporting documents and payment.10DC Health. Amending a Record
Updating Your Name After the Wedding
If you are changing your last name, work through these updates in order. Each step tends to depend on the one before it.
Social Security Card First
Start with the Social Security Administration, because the DC DMV and other agencies want your Social Security record to already match your new name. Report the change to SSA by the 10th day of the month after your marriage. If you marry on March 15, notify SSA by April 10.11Social Security Administration. Communicate Changes to Personal Situation
Then Your Driver’s License or DC ID
Once SSA is updated, visit a DC DMV Service Center with your current DC license or ID and an original certified marriage certificate. The DMV does not accept photocopies or scans. If you do not already hold a REAL ID credential, you will also need original documents proving identity, Social Security number, and District residency.12Department of Motor Vehicles. Name Changes and Corrections
Then Your Passport
If your passport was issued less than a year ago and the name change also happened within that year, you can update it by mail with Form DS-5504 at no charge, unless you want expedited service for $60. Send your current passport, an original or certified marriage certificate, and a new passport photo.13U.S. Department of State. Change or Correct a Passport If your passport is older than a year, apply for a renewal at the standard renewal fee instead.