To get married in Tucson, AZ, both partners apply in person for a marriage license at the Pima County Clerk of the Superior Court, pay $98, then have an authorized officiant perform a ceremony with two adult witnesses within 12 months. The officiant returns the signed license to the clerk within 30 days, and the marriage is legally recorded.
No blood test. No waiting period. No residency requirement. You do not need to live in Arizona, and once issued, your Pima County license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in the state.1Pima County. Marriage License
Who Can Legally Marry in Arizona
The legal marriage age is 18. A 16- or 17-year-old may marry only if the future spouse is no more than three years older, and only with parental or guardian consent or a court emancipation order. Anyone under 16 cannot marry in Arizona at all.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-102 – Consent Required for Marriage of Minors
Marriages between close relatives are prohibited, including parents and children at any generational distance, full or half siblings, aunts and nephews, and uncles and nieces. First cousins are generally barred, but may marry if both are 65 or older, or if a Superior Court judge approves after one cousin proves an inability to reproduce.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-101 – Void and Prohibited Marriages
Same-sex couples can legally marry in Arizona following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
One thing Arizona does not recognize: common-law marriage. Living together, however long, does not create a legal marriage here. A valid common-law marriage formed in a state that does recognize them will be honored.
Applying for Your Marriage License
Both of you must appear in person. There is no online application, and you cannot send a stand-in. Bring two forms of identification, at least one with a photo (driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID work). You will also provide your Social Security number separately from the main application, which the clerk keeps confidential. If you are foreign-born and do not have one, write “none” on the application.4Pima County. Marriage License
You do not need to bring a divorce decree or any documentation of previous marriages.1Pima County. Marriage License
You can apply at any of three locations in Pima County:
- Pima County Superior Court in Tucson (the main office)
- Green Valley Justice Court
- Ajo Justice Court
All three are open Monday through Friday. Green Valley and the main court accept applications from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the Ajo office opens at 8:30 a.m.1Pima County. Marriage License4Pima County. Marriage License Call ahead to confirm hours.
The fee is $98, payable by check, money order, or cashier’s check made out to the Clerk of Superior Court.1Pima County. Marriage License Confirm with the specific location before assuming credit cards or cash are accepted.
Once issued, the license is valid for 12 months. If the ceremony does not happen inside that window, the license expires and you will need to reapply.
The Ceremony
Arizona law requires an authorized officiant. That list is broader than most couples assume, and includes:
- Licensed or ordained clergy, including ministers, elders, and anyone authorized under the rules of their religious organization
- Judges of courts of record
- Municipal court judges
- Justices of the peace
- Federal judges, including U.S. Supreme Court justices, federal appellate and district court judges, bankruptcy and tax court judges, and U.S. magistrate judges
- Judges of the Arizona Court of Military Appeals
Your officiant does not need to be an Arizona resident or register with any state or county office. An ordained friend from out of state can perform your wedding as long as they fall into one of the categories above.
You need at least two witnesses who are 18 or older. Arizona does not dictate the format of the ceremony, whether religious, secular, brief, or elaborate. The only legal requirement is that both of you declare your consent to the marriage in front of the officiant and witnesses.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-125 – Marriage Ceremony; Official; Witnesses; Marriage License; Covenant Marriages
After the ceremony, both spouses, both witnesses, and the officiant must all sign the marriage license. This is the step that gets forgotten at otherwise well-planned weddings. Designate someone to shepherd the signing before the celebration takes over.
Two things Arizona does not allow: self-solemnization and proxy marriage. Both parties must be physically present at the ceremony.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-125 – Marriage Ceremony; Official; Witnesses; Marriage License; Covenant Marriages
Filing the License and Ordering Certified Copies
Your officiant is legally responsible for returning the signed marriage license to the Pima County Clerk of the Superior Court within 30 days of the ceremony.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-123 – Recording Licenses; Endorsement of Solemnization; Recording Return; Lost Licenses That duty is theirs on paper, but the fallout is yours. Follow up a week or two after the wedding to confirm the license was mailed in. The marriage is still legally valid if the paperwork is filed late, but delays create trouble when you need proof of marriage for insurance, name changes, or tax filings.
Once the license is recorded, you can order certified copies of your marriage certificate at $35 each.8Arizona Judicial Branch. Superior Court Filing Fees Get two or three, since agencies handling name changes and legal updates typically require original certified copies. Request them in person at the Clerk of the Superior Court’s office, and provide both spouses’ full names and the marriage date so the clerk can locate your record.
Covenant Marriage as an Alternative
Arizona is one of a handful of states that offers a covenant marriage: a legally binding agreement to seek counseling before filing for divorce and to divorce only on specific fault-based grounds. Most couples choose a standard marriage, but the option is available.
To enter a covenant marriage, you must complete premarital counseling with a member of the clergy or a licensed marriage counselor. The counseling must cover the seriousness of the commitment, that it is intended to last for life, the obligation to seek counseling during marital difficulties, and the limited grounds for ending the marriage. Your counselor signs a notarized statement confirming the counseling occurred.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-901 – Covenant Marriage; Declaration of Intent; Filing Requirements
Both of you must also sign a written declaration on the license application stating that you understand a covenant marriage is for life and commit to counseling before pursuing divorce. That declaration, the counselor’s attestation, and your signatures witnessed by the court clerk are submitted with the application.
The practical difference appears if the marriage ends. In a standard Arizona divorce, neither spouse needs to prove fault. A court will only dissolve a covenant marriage on specific grounds: adultery, a felony conviction with imprisonment, abandonment for at least one year, physical or sexual abuse, habitual substance abuse, or the couple living apart for at least two years without reconciliation. Both spouses can also agree to dissolve the marriage.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-903 – Dissolution of a Covenant Marriage; Grounds The license fee is the same $98 whether you choose a standard or covenant marriage.8Arizona Judicial Branch. Superior Court Filing Fees
After the Wedding: Name Changes and Taxes
Getting married does not automatically change anyone’s legal name. If you or your spouse plan to take a new name, update each agency separately, starting with Social Security since most other agencies verify names through that system.
Social Security
File Form SS-5, the application for a Social Security card, signed with your new name. You will need your certified marriage certificate as proof of the name change, plus identity documents such as a U.S. driver’s license or passport. Documents must be originals or certified copies; photocopies are not accepted. Submit in person or by mail to any Social Security office; mailed documents will be returned to you.11Social Security Administration. Form SS-5 – Application for a Social Security Card
Arizona Driver’s License
Arizona law requires you to update your name with the Motor Vehicle Division within 10 days of the change taking effect. Wait at least two business days after updating Social Security, then visit any MVD or authorized third-party office with your marriage certificate. The certificate must be an original or certified copy.12Arizona Department of Transportation. Change Your Name with MVD
U.S. Passport
If your passport was issued and your name legally changed within the past year, you can update it at no cost beyond an optional $60 expedited processing fee. If more than a year has passed since either event, you will pay the standard renewal fee and submit a renewal application by mail or in person.13U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
Tax Filing Status
Your marital status on December 31 determines your filing status for the entire tax year. Even if you marry on New Year’s Eve, the IRS treats you as married for all of that year. You will then file as either married filing jointly or married filing separately, and the IRS recommends calculating your taxes both ways to see which saves more.14Internal Revenue Service. Essential Tax Tips for Marriage Status Changes