To get a marriage license in NYC, both partners apply together through the Office of the City Clerk, pay a $35 non-refundable fee, and wait 24 hours before the license becomes valid for a ceremony. The license then expires 60 days after it was issued, so lock in your ceremony date before you apply. The application starts online at nyc.gov/cupid (the City Clerk Online portal, known as Project Cupid), followed by an appointment at any of the five borough offices or by video.
Who Can Apply
New York’s Domestic Relations Law sets three baseline requirements. Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. Both must be legally single at the time of application, meaning any prior marriage ended by divorce, annulment, or the death of the former spouse. And the two of you cannot be closely related within the degrees of kinship that New York law treats as void marriages.
If either of you was married before, the application will ask for the former spouse’s full name, the date the divorce or annulment was finalized, and the city, state, and country where it was filed. Every prior marriage must be listed. Bring the final divorce decree to the appointment if you have it, because the clerk may ask to see it.1The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Marriage License The application is signed under oath; false information can get the license denied or make the resulting marriage voidable.
What to Bring
Each partner needs one current, government-issued photo ID. The City Clerk’s Office accepts:
- IDNYC
- Driver’s license or non-driver ID card with a photograph, issued by any U.S. state or territory
- Learner’s permit with a photograph, issued by any U.S. state or territory
- Active U.S. military ID card
- Passport from any country
- U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (valid for 10 years from the date of issue)
- U.S. Permanent Resident Card
- U.S. Employment Authorization Card
Birth certificates are not accepted. If you don’t have any of the documents on the list, contact the City Clerk’s Legal Bureau at 141 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013 before your appointment to discuss alternatives.2The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Proper Identification
Any supporting document that isn’t in English needs a certified translation, meaning a signed statement from the translator affirming the translation is accurate and complete. Bring the original alongside it.
How to Apply
Start at nyc.gov/cupid. You’ll enter each partner’s name, address, date of birth, birthplace, Social Security number, and marital history, plus the full names and birthplaces of both sets of parents. Enter this information carefully. It carries over directly onto your marriage certificate.3NYC311. Marriage License
After submitting the form, you’ll get a confirmation number and schedule an appointment. You can choose an in-person visit at any of the five borough offices or a virtual appointment through Project Cupid, which remains available for marriage licenses.1The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Marriage License Walk-ins are not accepted anywhere, so don’t show up without a scheduled time.
Both partners must appear together at the appointment, whether on screen or in person. The clerk reviews the information you entered, confirms the details, and has both of you sign the application under oath. Once the clerk approves everything and processes the $35 payment, the license is issued.4The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Fees Pay by credit card or by money order payable to the City Clerk; personal checks aren’t accepted. For virtual appointments, the license is delivered digitally for you to print.
The 24-Hour Wait and the 60-Day Window
New York law builds in a 24-hour waiting period between issuance and ceremony. If you need to marry sooner, you can ask the New York State Supreme Court for a judicial waiver, though these are not routinely granted.5New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law DOM 13-B – Time Within Which Marriage May Be Solemnized
The license expires 60 days from the date it was issued. The ceremony has to happen and the officiant has to file the completed license within that window. Miss the window and the license is dead; you start over with a new application and another $35 fee.6New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 13 – Marriage Licenses
Active-duty members of the U.S. uniformed services get an extended window of 180 days under New York’s Veterans’ Services Law. Proof of active-duty status has to be provided to the clerk when the license is issued.7New York State Senate. New York Veterans Services Law 10 – Time Within Which Marriage May Be Solemnized; Member of the Uniformed Services
Who Can Marry You, and Who Has to Watch
New York’s Domestic Relations Law authorizes a specific list of people to perform a marriage. The main categories:
- Clergy or ministers of any religion, and leaders of Ethical Culture societies affiliated with the American Ethical Union
- Federal and state judges, including justices of the state unified court system, federal district court judges, and retired judges certified under the judiciary law
- The New York City Clerk and up to four designated deputy clerks
- Current or former governors and mayors
- Members of the New York State Legislature (who cannot charge a fee)
- Ship captains operating vessels registered in New York
Friends and family members are not on that list unless they otherwise qualify.8New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law DOM 11 – By Whom Marriages Must Be Solemnized Whoever you choose must also register with the Office of the City Clerk before performing a ceremony in the city.9NYC311. Marriage Officiant Registration Confirm your officiant is registered before the date.
At least one witness besides the officiant must be present. The witness needs a valid ID and signs the license alongside both spouses and the officiant at the end of the ceremony.10New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law DOM 12 – Marriage, How Solemnized The statute sets no minimum age for witnesses, but they should be old enough to understand what they’re signing.
After the Ceremony
Everyone signs the license, and the officiant then has five business days to return it to the borough office where it was originally issued.3NYC311. Marriage License Filing is the officiant’s legal responsibility, not yours, but follow up to confirm it happened. If the license never gets returned, your marriage may not be recorded.
If you marry at the City Clerk’s office, you receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration the same day. If the ceremony takes place anywhere else, the certificate arrives by mail roughly 20 days after the Clerk’s office processes the returned license.11The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Marriage Ceremony
Marrying at the City Clerk’s Office
Many couples skip the venue search and have the ceremony performed by the City Clerk or a deputy clerk at the office itself. These are short civil ceremonies booked through Project Cupid, at the same borough office where you picked up your license. The ceremony still can’t happen until the 24-hour waiting period is up.11The Office of the City Clerk – New York City. Marriage Ceremony
Bring at least one witness with valid ID. Total guest count is capped at four people, photographer included. You walk out with your Certificate of Marriage Registration in hand, and the whole sequence from license to certificate can wrap up in a single week if you plan around the 24-hour wait.