To get a New Haven marriage license, both applicants go together to the city’s Office of Vital Statistics on the first floor of City Hall at 165 Church Street, Suite 154, present government-issued photo ID, and pay $50. There is no waiting period, so you can receive the license the same day you apply. Connecticut gives you 65 days from the application date to hold the ceremony, which is why most couples apply a few weeks before the wedding rather than months out.1New Haven Health. Issuance of Vital Records and Lifespan Services
Who Can Apply
Both people must be at least 18.2Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-20a – Eligibility to Marry Neither of you can already be married or in a legally recognized relationship carrying the same rights as marriage, unless the new marriage is between those same two people.
Connecticut voids marriages between close relatives, including a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, stepparent, or stepchild.3Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 815e – Marriage As of October 1, 2025, first cousins are also barred from knowingly marrying each other.
What to Bring
Each applicant needs a current, government-issued photo ID showing date of birth, signature, and expiration date. A state driver’s license or ID from the DMV, a valid passport, or a current military ID all work.1New Haven Health. Issuance of Vital Records and Lifespan Services If you are planning to walk in as a New Haven resident, that person’s ID has to show a New Haven address.
You will also be asked for both applicants’ Social Security numbers and some family details: each parent’s full legal name before their first marriage, and each parent’s birthplace. Pull that information together before you go so you are not making phone calls from the lobby. Connecticut does not require a blood test or medical exam.
How to Apply
New Haven runs an online application that the city asks all couples to complete before coming in. What happens next depends on where you live.1New Haven Health. Issuance of Vital Records and Lifespan Services
- If at least one of you lives in New Haven, you can walk in for same-day service. Submitting the online application first still cuts your time at the counter.
- If neither of you lives in New Haven, submit the application online and wait for the office to reach out and schedule an appointment. Do not bring a paper application in.
Both of you have to appear at the office together, because the registrar has to watch you sign. Leave the signature lines blank until you are in front of the clerk. If you cannot get to a computer or phone to file the application in advance, call the office at 203-946-7931.
Fee
The license costs $50 total: a $15 base fee plus a $35 state surcharge.4Justia. Connecticut Code 7-73 – Fees for Marriage License, Burial or Removal, Transit and Burial Permit. Marriage License Surcharge The office accepts cash, money orders, and credit cards; card payments may carry a small processing fee.
How Long the License Is Good For
The license is valid for 65 days from the application date, and it covers a ceremony anywhere in Connecticut, not just inside New Haven.5Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-24 – License. Period of Validity. Penalty for Solemnization Without License. Validity of Marriage Ceremony If the 65 days run out before your ceremony, the license is void and you have to reapply and pay another $50.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Connecticut limits who can legally officiate, and a wedding performed by someone outside these categories is void:6Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-22 – Who May Join Persons in Marriage
- Current and retired judges, state or federal, including judges from other states who can perform marriages in their own jurisdictions.
- Family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, and Connecticut-appointed justices of the peace.
- Ordained or licensed clergy from Connecticut or any other state.
- Ceremonies performed according to the customs of any religious denomination, including those witnessed by a Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís.
The registrar or other official who issued the license cannot also officiate the wedding done under it. Witnesses at the ceremony are not required.
After the Ceremony
Your officiant signs the license during the ceremony and returns it to the Office of Vital Statistics for permanent filing. That filing is what turns the license into an official marriage record. If the officiant delays, the record sits in limbo and certified copies become a problem later, so follow up within a few days to confirm the paperwork went in.
Once the signed license is on file, you can order certified copies of the marriage certificate from the same office for $20 each.1New Haven Health. Issuance of Vital Records and Lifespan Services Order two or three at once. Banks, insurers, the Social Security Administration, and the DMV all ask to see a certified copy for name changes, and they do not always send them back quickly.
If You Are Changing Your Name
Marriage does not automatically change your legal name. If you plan to take a new surname, work in order.
Start with the Social Security Administration about 30 days after the wedding, so the marriage record has time to process. You will need a certified marriage certificate and the application from ssa.gov.
Once Social Security updates your record, update your Connecticut driver’s license or state ID. This has to be done in person at a DMV hub office or by appointment at a DMV express location. Bring your current license, a certified copy of your marriage certificate (photocopies and religious certificates are not accepted), and a completed Change of Name Request form (Form E-78). The DMV name-change fee is $30, and express locations may add a convenience fee of up to $8.7CT.gov. Update a Drivers License, Learners Permit, or Non-Driver ID Your old card is surrendered at the counter and you leave with a temporary paper card until the new one arrives.
If a vehicle registration needs the same update, bring the registration and a completed Registration Affidavit (Form B-301) to the same appointment. The title ownership does not change; only the registration is updated.