NH Marriage License Application: Eligibility, Fees, and 3-Day Wait

To get married in New Hampshire, both people must complete an NH marriage license application together at any city or town clerk’s office in the state, present photo identification, pay a $50 fee, and sign the paperwork in front of the clerk. The license becomes valid three days after filing and expires 90 days later. No residency, blood test, or medical exam is required, and the license is good for a ceremony anywhere in New Hampshire regardless of which clerk’s office issued it.¹

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be at least 18. New Hampshire repealed its earlier provisions that let minors petition a court for permission to marry, and any marriage involving a person under 18 is void.¹

You cannot marry a close relative. The state prohibits marriages between parents and children, siblings, aunts or uncles and nieces or nephews, first cousins, and grandparents and grandchildren. You also cannot marry while still legally married to someone else.²

Neither person needs to be a U.S. citizen or a New Hampshire resident. Out-of-state and international couples can apply at any clerk’s office in the state.¹ If any supporting documents are in another language, bring a translation signed by the translator with that signature notarized.³

What to Bring

Each applicant needs identification showing a photograph, name, and date of birth. A driver’s license, a valid passport, or a certified copy of a long-form birth certificate all qualify.¹ Short-form birth certificates, sometimes labeled abstracts, are not accepted.⁴

If either of you was married before, bring proof that the prior marriage ended:

A certified copy of the final divorce decree.
A certified copy of the annulment record.
A certified copy of the former spouse’s death certificate if widowed.

The clerk will also ask both applicants for Social Security numbers and for the full names, including maiden names, and birthplaces of each person’s parents.³ Every name needs to match your official records exactly. Errors or false information on the application can lead to criminal prosecution.⁵

Filing in Person and Paying the Fee

Both people must appear together at the clerk’s office to file the marriage intentions and sign the application. The clerk verifies identity, reviews the documents, and witnesses the signatures. You can file at any city or town clerk’s office in New Hampshire regardless of where you live or where the ceremony will happen.¹ One person can start the paperwork early, but the clerk will not issue the license until both parties have signed.

The fee is $50, paid at filing. The state Department of Health and Human Services receives $43 of that amount, and the clerk’s office keeps $7.⁶ Call the clerk’s office ahead of time to confirm hours and accepted payment methods.

If One Applicant Is on Active Military Duty

If an active-duty service member cannot appear in person, the military’s legal representative prepares the marriage application worksheet. The service member signs it, and a commanding officer or legal representative attests that the information is correct. The service member also submits a signed statement authorizing the other person to sign the license on behalf of both parties. The completed packet is mailed to the clerk’s office in place of the service member’s personal appearance.¹

If One Applicant Has a Medical Condition

If either person cannot travel to the clerk’s office because of a documented medical condition, the clerk may arrange to meet the couple at another location within the same city or town.¹

The Three-Day Wait and 90-Day Window

The clerk issues the license the day you file, but it does not take effect for three days. The license shows both the date it becomes valid and the date it expires. No officiant should perform the ceremony before the valid date or after the expiration date.⁵

If the wait is a problem, you can petition a superior court justice or probate judge in the county where the marriage will take place to shorten the three-day period. The court must find good cause, and the waiver will not be granted if both parties and their parents are all non-residents of New Hampshire.⁷

Once valid, the license is good for 90 days from the filing date. If the ceremony does not happen in that window, the license expires and you have to start over with a new application and another $50 fee.⁷

After the Ceremony

Your application is not the end of the paperwork. After the wedding, the officiant completes the officiant section of the marriage license and returns it, by mail or in person, to the clerk’s office that issued it within six days of the ceremony.⁸ That filing is what officially records the marriage with the state. Follow up with your officiant to confirm it was returned on time, because a missed deadline can delay your ability to order certified copies.

Once the clerk records the marriage, you can request certified copies of the certificate. The fee is $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time, charged whether or not a record is located.⁹ For marriages from 1960 onward you can request copies in person or by mail at any city or town clerk’s office in the state. For older records, contact the clerk in the city or town where the marriage took place.¹⁰ Order two or three copies at once if you plan a name change or need to update accounts with a bank, employer, or federal agency.

1
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:42 – Marriage License and Registration
2
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 457:2 – Marriages Prohibited
3
City of Manchester NH Official Web Site. Marriage Licenses and Ceremonies
4
City of Concord. Marriage Licenses
5
Town of Holderness, New Hampshire. Marriage in New Hampshire
6
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 457:29 – Marriage License Fee
7
Town of Thornton. Marriage in New Hampshire Information
8
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 5-C:49 – Officiant Filing Requirements
9
New Hampshire Secretary of State. Request for Certificates
10
Nashua, NH. Vital Records