To get married in Fairfax County, you need three things: a marriage license from the Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, an authorized officiant, and a ceremony held somewhere in Virginia within 60 days of the license date. Virginia has no waiting period, so if you plan ahead you can pick up the license and hold the ceremony the same day.
Who Can Get Married
Both people must be at least 18. Virginia sets 18 as the absolute minimum age with no exceptions; the older rule that allowed emancipated 16- and 17-year-olds to marry was eliminated effective July 1, 2024, and any marriage where either party is under 18 is now voidable by court decree.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-48 – Minimum Age of Marriage2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-45.1 – Void and Voidable Marriages
Virginia also prohibits marriages between close relatives: a parent and child or any ancestor and descendant, siblings of whole or half blood or by adoption, and an uncle or aunt and a nephew or niece.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-38.1 – Certain Marriages Prohibited Both parties must have the mental capacity to consent, and any earlier marriage must have ended through divorce or the death of the former spouse.2Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-45.1 – Void and Voidable Marriages
Getting the Marriage License
Marriage licenses are issued by the Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office on the third floor of the Fairfax County Judicial Center, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030.4Fairfax County, Virginia. Marriage Information The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.5Fairfax County Circuit Court. Contact Us Both applicants must appear together in person.6Fairfax County Circuit Court. Marriage License Information
What to Bring
Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or military ID.4Fairfax County, Virginia. Marriage Information You’ll be asked to provide information under oath, including full legal names, dates and places of birth, current addresses, parents’ full names (including mother’s maiden name), and Social Security numbers.7Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-16 – Issuance of Marriage Licenses If either of you was previously married, bring documentation of how that marriage ended, such as the divorce decree date or the date of a former spouse’s death.
Fairfax County has an online pre-application system through the Circuit Court’s online services portal. It doesn’t replace the in-person visit, but it shortens your time at the counter.6Fairfax County Circuit Court. Marriage License Information
Fee, Waiting Period, and Validity
The license costs $30 total: a $10 clerk’s fee plus a $20 state tax.8Fairfax County Circuit Court. Public Service Filing Fees Cash is accepted, and Visa or MasterCard payments carry a 4% processing fee.6Fairfax County Circuit Court. Marriage License Information
There is no waiting period between issuance and the ceremony. The license is valid for 60 days from the date it’s issued; if the wedding doesn’t happen within that window, the license expires and you have to reapply and pay again.9Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-14.1 – Duration of License; Issuance of Additional Licenses
Choosing an Officiant
Virginia authorizes two kinds of officiants: religious ministers and civil celebrants.
Ministers of any denomination may perform marriages after presenting proof of their ordination and active standing to a circuit court clerk. That includes ordained ministers, those commissioned to pastoral ministry, and holders of a local minister’s license serving as a regularly appointed pastor.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-23 – Order Authorizing Ministers to Perform Ceremony There is no statutory limit on what a religious officiant may charge.
A long list of public officials can perform marriages without special authorization: any judge of a Virginia court of record or district court, any retired Virginia judge, active or retired federal judges who live in Virginia, current or former members of the General Assembly, current or former Governors, Lieutenant Governors, Attorneys General, and Virginia members of Congress, and current or former circuit court clerks who live in Virginia.11Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-25 – Persons Other Than Ministers Who May Perform Rites
Anyone else can petition a circuit court judge for authorization and post a $500 bond. Civil celebrants’ fees for the ceremony itself are capped at $75, though extra services and travel expenses can be added, and the celebrant must give you the total cost, including travel, at least three days before the ceremony.12Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-27 – Fee for Celebrating Marriage
One thing to know up front: the Fairfax Circuit Court does not offer courthouse weddings or “Justice of the Peace” ceremonies. Civil celebrants meet couples by appointment at a location of your choosing.13Fairfax County Circuit Court. Celebrant Information The court publishes a list of authorized civil celebrants, but you’re not required to hire from it. If you’re applying for a new celebrant authorization through the Fairfax Circuit Court, allow 10 to 14 business days for processing.
The Ceremony
Your Fairfax-issued license is good anywhere in Virginia. There’s no rule that the wedding has to take place inside county lines.14Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Chapter 2 – Marriage Generally Virginia does not require witnesses. The only people who legally have to be present are the two of you and the officiant.
Filing the License After the Wedding
After the ceremony, the officiant completes the bottom of both copies of the license, signs and dates them, and returns both copies to the clerk’s office that issued the license. This must happen within five days.15Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 32.1-267 – Marriage Records Only the officiant can return the license; you can’t drop it off yourself.
The statutory penalty on an officiant who misses the five-day deadline is a $25 fine.16Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 20-24 – Penalty for Failure to Certify Record of Marriage The bigger problem is practical: a delayed filing holds up the certified copies you need for name changes and insurance. Before the wedding, confirm your officiant knows the return deadline and which clerk’s office issued the license.
Getting Certified Copies
Once the marriage record is filed, you can order certified copies. Plan on ordering several at once, because name changes and insurance updates each want an original.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office issues certified copies of licenses that were originally issued there. Copies cost $2.50 each and can be requested in person or by mail.8Fairfax County Circuit Court. Public Service Filing Fees17Fairfax County Circuit Court. Marriage License Copy
Certificates can also be ordered through the Fairfax County Office of Vital Records or the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records in Richmond. The health department route costs $12 per certificate or search, and that fee applies even if no record is found.18Fairfax County Health Department. Vital Records For a Fairfax marriage, the Circuit Court is cheaper and usually faster.
Updating Your Name and Records
A marriage certificate does not change your name automatically anywhere. If you’re taking a new last name, update each agency separately, and do it in order: Social Security first, then the DMV, then everything else.
Social Security
Update your Social Security record first, because other agencies verify names against SSA data. File Form SS-5 (available at ssa.gov) at your local SSA office with your certified marriage certificate and proof of identity such as a driver’s license or passport. The change is free.19Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card All documents must be originals or certified copies. Wait at least 48 hours after the update before visiting other agencies.
Virginia Driver’s License
For your Virginia driver’s license, complete a Driver’s License and Identification Card Application (form DL 1P) and visit a DMV customer service center with your certified marriage certificate (original, not a copy) and your current license. You can start the application online before the visit.20Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Change Address, Name or Sex Designation Use your full legal name with no abbreviations or nicknames. A replacement license is issued once the change is processed.
U.S. Passport
If your name change happens within one year of your passport being issued, you can update the passport at no charge by mailing Form DS-5504 along with your current passport, a certified marriage certificate, and a new passport photo. Past the one-year mark, a different form and standard renewal fees apply. Expedited processing costs an additional $60.21U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
Health Insurance
Marriage triggers a 60-day special enrollment period. During that window, you can enroll in a new plan, add a spouse to your existing plan, or switch coverage.22HealthCare.gov. Getting Health Coverage Outside Open Enrollment Pick a plan by the last day of a month and coverage can start the first day of the next. Miss the 60-day window and you’ll wait for open enrollment.