To get married in Utah, both partners apply together for a marriage license at any county clerk’s office, have an authorized officiant perform a ceremony with two adult witnesses within 32 days, and let the officiant return the signed license to the clerk within 30 days after the ceremony. There is no waiting period. In most counties you can apply and marry the same day.
Who Can Marry
Both applicants must be at least 18. A 16- or 17-year-old can marry only with in-person parental consent given to the county clerk and written authorization from a juvenile court judge or court commissioner in the county where either party lives.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 30-1-9 – Marriage by Minors — Consent of Parent or Guardian — Juvenile Court Authorization Anyone under 16 cannot marry.
Close-relative marriages are void from the start: parents and children, siblings, aunts or uncles with nieces or nephews, and first cousins. First cousins have a narrow exception. Both must be 65 or older, or both must be 55 or older with a district court finding that at least one cannot reproduce.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-402 – Incestuous Marriages Void
If you have a living spouse and haven’t been divorced, you can’t get a new license. A marriage entered into while a prior one is still active is void.3Utah Legislature. Utah Code 30-1-2 – Marriages Prohibited and Void
Applying for the License
You apply through the county clerk’s office in any Utah county. Many counties now offer online application portals that let you complete most of the form before your visit, but both applicants still have to verify their identity in person. Once issued, the license is valid immediately.4Utah Courts. Marriage
What to Bring
Each applicant needs valid photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID, or passport.4Utah Courts. Marriage The application itself asks for:
- Social Security numbers for both applicants, unless one hasn’t been assigned a number. These go into state records but not onto the license itself.
- Full names, including any maiden or bachelor names.
- Date and place of birth for each applicant.
- Each parent’s full name and birthplace, including each mother’s maiden name.
Each applicant also signs an affidavit swearing there’s no lawful reason preventing the marriage.5Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-303 – Application for Marriage License — Contents Have this information ready before you go. Any mismatch between your application and your ID can require extra paperwork.
Fees
The base license fee varies by county, running roughly $40 to $50. Counties with online applications typically add a $20 Marriage Commission fee, which can be waived if both applicants complete a premarital counseling or education course.6Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-206 – Completion of Counseling or Education Applying in person at the counter generally avoids that extra $20.
How Long the License Lasts
A Utah marriage license expires 32 days after it’s issued. Miss that window and you’ll have to reapply and pay again.4Utah Courts. Marriage The license is only good for a ceremony held in Utah, which means the officiant has to be physically in the state when the marriage takes place.7Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-302 – Marriage Licenses — Use Within State — Expiration
The Ceremony
Utah gives you a wide range of officiant choices. The following people can solemnize a marriage:
- Anyone 18 or older who is authorized by a religious denomination, including Native American spiritual advisors and military chaplains.
- Justices, judges, or commissioners of any court of record; judges of courts not of record; and federal judges or magistrates.
- The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, mayors, county executives, state legislators, and members of Utah’s congressional delegation.
- The county clerk or the clerk’s authorized designee.
Except for the county clerk’s designee, any of these officials can decline to perform a ceremony. There is no separate registration requirement. If someone fits one of the categories, they can officiate.8Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-305 – Who May Solemnize Marriages — Certificate
Witnesses
At least two witnesses aged 18 or older must be present to observe the declarations of intent and the pronouncement of marriage. Their names appear on the certificate. For digital licenses, they don’t need to physically sign.
Remote Ceremonies
Utah allows the ceremony itself to happen by video conference, which helps when one partner is deployed or otherwise can’t be in the state. The officiant still has to be physically in Utah. The couple and witnesses can join through video-conferencing software that lets everyone see and hear each other in real time.9Utah County Clerk. Marriage – Frequently Asked Questions Counties that support digital licensing send the license as a unique URL and QR code by email; the officiant enters ceremony details, types in the witnesses’ names, and signs digitally through an online portal, so no physical documents have to travel.
Returning the Signed License
Within 30 days after the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the county clerk that issued it, along with a certificate stating the date and place of the ceremony and the witnesses’ names. An officiant who fails to return the license on time commits an infraction, and one who knowingly enters a false statement faces perjury charges.8Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-305 – Who May Solemnize Marriages — Certificate Once the clerk records the license, the marriage is on file and you can request certified copies.
Changing Your Name
Marriage doesn’t automatically change your legal name. To update official records, start with the Social Security Administration. Complete Form SS-5 and bring it to a local SSA office with your certified marriage certificate and a valid photo ID. Only originals or certified copies are accepted.10Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card A new card usually arrives within 10 to 14 business days. If you go to SSA in person, wait at least 48 hours before visiting the Utah Driver License Division so the databases have time to sync. From there, work through your bank accounts, employer payroll records, passport, and voter registration. Each agency has its own process, but your marriage certificate and new Social Security card carry you through most of them.
Utah Doesn’t Have Traditional Common-Law Marriage
If you’re wondering whether living together long enough creates a marriage in Utah, it doesn’t, at least not on its own. Utah instead lets a court recognize a relationship as a marriage after the fact, which matters most when a long-term partner dies or the couple separates and one partner needs access to inheritance, insurance, or other spousal rights.
To get that recognition, the person filing must show that both partners were of legal age and capable of giving consent, were legally eligible to marry, lived together, treated each other as married and took on marital rights and duties, and held themselves out to others as spouses with a general reputation as a married couple. If granted, the marriage is valid back to the date those conditions were first met.11Utah Legislature. Utah Code 81-2-408 – Validity of Marriage Not Solemnized or Solemnized Before an Unauthorized Individual
The deadline is strict. The petition has to be filed while the relationship is still ongoing or within one year after it ends, whether by separation or the death of a partner. Either partner can file, and if a partner has died, next of kin may also file.12Utah State Courts. Judicial Recognition of a Relationship as a Marriage Once that year passes, the court can no longer recognize the relationship, no matter how strong the evidence.