Niagara Falls Marriage License: Requirements, Fees, and Waiting Period

To get a Niagara Falls marriage license, apply through the City Clerk’s office at 745 Main Street, pay a $40 fee, and wait the mandatory 24 hours New York requires between license issuance and the ceremony. The office processes applications by appointment only, so you submit your paperwork first, then come in together to finish the license in person. No blood test is required, and New York has no residency rule, so out-of-state and international couples apply on the same terms as locals.¹²

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be at least 18. New York removed every exception for minors in 2021, so parental consent and judicial approval no longer override the age floor, and any marriage involving someone under 18 is void.³

Each applicant has to be legally single. If you were married before, the clerk can require a certified copy of your divorce decree or a death certificate for a former spouse before issuing the license.⁴

There is no residency requirement. You can apply at the Niagara Falls office whether you live down the street or you flew in for the weekend.²

Documents You Need

Bring proof of identity and age. A driver’s license, passport, government-issued photo ID, original or certified birth certificate, baptismal record, or immigration or naturalization record all qualify. If a document is in a language other than English, bring a certified translation with it.⁴

If either of you was married before, bring certified copies of each divorce decree, or a death certificate where a former spouse has died.⁴

The application itself asks for your full legal name, residence, Social Security number, age, occupation, birthplace, and your parents’ full names (including maiden names) and countries of birth. If you don’t have a Social Security number, call the clerk’s office before you submit anything to confirm what they will accept instead.⁴

How to Apply at the Niagara Falls City Clerk

The clerk’s office does not take walk-ins. The process has two stages: you send in your application and document copies, the office reviews them, and then both of you come in together for an appointment to finish the license.¹

For the first stage, you have two options:

Print the Marriage License Application Worksheet from the clerk’s website, copy your supporting documents, and drop everything in the box inside the front door at City Hall, 745 Main Street, during normal business hours.
Mail the completed worksheet and document copies to: City Clerk’s Office, Marriage License Application Processing, 745 Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301.

Once the clerk reviews what you sent, both of you will be contacted to schedule the in-person appointment. You both have to show up together. Proxy marriage is not permitted in New York, so no one can stand in for you. Appointments are scheduled in the order applications come in, so sending yours early gives you more room on timing.¹

The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and closed on holidays. The phone number is (716) 286-4300.⁵

Fees and Payment

The license costs $40, collected at your in-person appointment rather than when you submit the paperwork. The clerk accepts cash, money orders made out to “City Clerk,” and U.S. credit or debit cards. American Express is not accepted, and card transactions carry a $1.95 processing fee.¹

The 24-Hour Wait and the 60-Day Window

New York requires a full 24 hours between the moment the clerk issues your license and the ceremony. A ceremony held inside that window isn’t legally valid, so plan to pick up the license at least a day in advance.⁶

If your schedule won’t allow that, you can ask a Supreme Court justice or the county judge of the county where either of you lives for an order waiving the wait. The order is discretionary, so contact the Niagara County Supreme Court directly to find out what’s possible.²

The license is valid for 60 days from issuance. If the ceremony doesn’t happen in that window, the license is void and you have to reapply and pay again. The ceremony can take place anywhere in New York State; a license issued in Niagara Falls works for a wedding in Manhattan, the Finger Lakes, or anywhere else inside state borders.⁶⁷

Officiants and Witnesses

New York law limits who can legally perform the ceremony. The common options are ordained clergy of any religion, judges serving in New York (including certified retired judges), and government officials such as the governor, mayors, county executives, village mayors, and state legislators (legislators can’t charge a fee).⁸

If you want a friend or family member to officiate, New York has a one-day marriage officiant license. The person has to be at least 18, doesn’t have to live in New York, applies at the same clerk’s office that issued your marriage license, and pays $25. The authorization covers your ceremony only and is good anywhere in the state.⁹

At least one witness has to be present during the ceremony and sign the license afterward. Witnesses should bring photo ID. The ceremony itself has no required script; the only legal requirement is that both parties declare, in front of the officiant and witness, that they take each other as spouses.¹⁰ If you’re eloping without guests, ask the clerk’s office whether a staff member can witness for you.

Changing Your Name

Marriage doesn’t change your name automatically, and neither spouse is required to take the other’s. If you do want to change your surname or middle name, the application is the easiest route, because the resulting marriage certificate becomes your legal proof of the change.⁴

For a surname, your choices are your spouse’s current surname, any former surname of either spouse, a combined surname blending all or part of each spouse’s premarriage or former surname, or a hyphenated surname joining the two. For a middle name, you can pick your own current surname, any of your former surnames, or your spouse’s surname.⁴

After the Ceremony

After the vows, the officiant, both spouses, and the witness sign the license. The officiant then has to return the signed license to the issuing clerk’s office within five days. Confirm with your officiant that they know the deadline and where to send it, especially a one-day officiant who may not have done this before.⁶

Once the license is filed, your marriage is part of the official record. Certified copies of the marriage certificate are available from the clerk that issued the license or from the New York State Department of Health. Through the state, copies cost $30 by mail or $45 online, plus a vendor processing fee, and only the spouses or someone with a documented legal purpose can order them.¹¹ Order at least two. You’ll need them to update your Social Security card, driver’s license, passport, and bank accounts, and replacements take time to arrive.

1
City of Niagara Falls, NY. Marriage License
2
New York State Department of Health. Information on Getting Married in New York State
3
New York State Senate. New York Code DOM 15-A – Marriages of Minors Under Eighteen Years of Age
4
New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Code 15 – Duty of Town and City Clerks
5
City of Niagara Falls, NY. City Clerk
6
New York State Senate. New York Code DOM 13-B – Time Within Which Marriage May Be Solemnized
7
New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 13 – Marriage Licenses
8
New York State Senate. New York Code DOM 11 – By Whom a Marriage Must Be Solemnized
9
New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Code 11-D – One-Day Marriage Officiant License
10
New York State Senate. New York Code DOM 12 – Marriage, How Solemnized
11
New York State Department of Health. Marriage Certificates