Getting married at the NYC Marriage Bureau costs $60 total, splits into a $35 license and a $25 ceremony, and takes at least two visits because New York requires a 24-hour wait between the two. Both partners have to appear together each time. There are no proxy marriages, no walk-ins, and no same-day weddings without a judge’s waiver. If you have your documents ready and book early, the process is quick.
Step One: Apply for Your Marriage License
The application starts at nyc.gov/cupid, the City Clerk’s Project Cupid portal. You fill it out online, then schedule either an in-person appointment or a virtual appointment to finish the process with a clerk. Both partners must be present at the same appointment. There is no exception.1Office of the City Clerk. Marriage License
In-person appointments are held at the Manhattan office at 141 Worth Street and at branch offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. All offices run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., by confirmed appointment only.2Office of the City Clerk. Office Locations and Hours If you go virtual, the clerk reviews you and your documents on video and the finished license appears as a digital download in your Cupid account.
Both partners must be at least 18. New York eliminated all exceptions for minors in 2021.3New York State Senate. New York Senate Bill 2021-S3086 Bring valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID. The Clerk accepts:
- IDNYC
- U.S. driver’s license or non-driver ID card with photo (including territories)
- U.S. learner permit with photo
- Active U.S. military ID
- U.S. or foreign passport
- Certificate of Naturalization (valid for 10 years after issuance)
- Permanent Resident Card
- Employment Authorization Card
Expired ID is not accepted under any circumstance.4Office of the City Clerk. Proper Identification
If either of you has been married before, you’ll need the exact date each prior marriage ended and the city or county where the divorce or annulment was granted. Inaccuracies can block issuance. If a prior spouse died, bring a certified death certificate. Any document not in English must come with a certified translation: a translated copy plus a signed, notarized statement from the translator confirming accuracy. Have that notarization done before your appointment.5NYC Business. Language Translation, Interpretation, and Apostille Information
The application is also where you lock in any name change. You can take either spouse’s current surname, any former surname of either spouse, a blended surname built from parts of each, or a hyphenated or space-separated combination. You can also change your middle name to your current surname, any former surname, or your spouse’s surname.6Office of the City Clerk. Name Change Whatever you choose gets printed on the license and becomes the legal basis for updating your Social Security card, passport, and other records, so check every spelling before the clerk finalizes the application.
The $35 license fee is payable by credit card or money order and is non-refundable.7Office of the City Clerk. Fees Once issued, the license is valid for 60 days beginning the day after issuance and can be used anywhere in New York State. Active-duty military members who prove their status at the time of application get an extended 180-day validity.8Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Frequently Asked Questions
The 24-Hour Waiting Period
New York law prohibits any marriage ceremony from taking place within 24 hours of the license being issued.9New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 13-B – Time Within Which Marriage May Be Solemnized You cannot get your license and marry the same day.
If you truly need to skip the wait, you can request a judicial waiver from the County Clerk in the borough where the license was issued. The waiver is free. Grounds are imminent danger of death, emergency circumstances serving the public interest, or situations where the delay would cause irreparable injury or great hardship to one or both partners.9New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 13-B – Time Within Which Marriage May Be Solemnized Wanting to move quickly does not qualify; the standard is high. If it’s granted, the waiver goes to your officiant, who attaches it to the marriage license when returning documents to the City Clerk.10NYC311. Marriage License
Step Two: Book and Attend the Ceremony
Ceremony appointments are separate from license appointments and are also booked through Project Cupid. Virtual ceremonies are no longer offered. Every City Clerk wedding is now in person.11NYC Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Ceremony Any of the five borough offices will do, but availability varies and popular Manhattan slots fill weeks out. Book early if you have a date in mind.
On the day of, both partners must arrive together and on time with the same identification used for the license. If you are late or missing documents, the office will not perform the ceremony. Bring at least one witness who is 18 or older and carries valid photo ID.11NYC Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Ceremony Check the City Clerk website before the appointment for any current guest limits, since the office has periodically restricted the number of attendees.
The ceremony is brief. A City Clerk or designated deputy officiates under Domestic Relations Law Section 11.12New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 11 – By Whom a Marriage Must Be Solemnized After vows, both partners and the witness sign the marriage record. The ceremony fee is $25, credit card or money order.11NYC Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Ceremony
If You’d Rather Use Your Own Officiant
You don’t have to marry at the Clerk’s office. New York authorizes clergy members, current and former judges, and certain government officials to officiate.12New York State Senate. New York Domestic Relations Law 11 – By Whom a Marriage Must Be Solemnized The catch: anyone officiating a wedding in New York City must be properly registered or licensed. Marriages performed by unregistered officiants can be considered invalid.
For friends or family, the City Clerk offers a One-Day Marriage Officiant License. Any person 18 or older can apply. They don’t need to live in New York or hold any credential. It costs $25 and can only be applied for after the couple has obtained the marriage license, since the application requires the officiant’s information plus the partners’ names and dates of birth as they appear on that license.13Office of the City Clerk. One-Day Marriage Officiant License
Applications can be submitted in person by appointment or by mail with a notarized application, the $25 money order, and a photocopy of valid ID. The one-day license is good only for the named couple and expires when the ceremony is completed or the marriage license expires, whichever is first. After the wedding, the officiant has to return the completed, signed marriage license with the one-day license attached to the City Clerk within five days.13Office of the City Clerk. One-Day Marriage Officiant License Missing that five-day deadline delays processing of your marriage record, so make sure your officiant knows before the wedding.
Getting Your Marriage Certificate
If you marry at the City Clerk’s office, you receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration at the end of the ceremony.11NYC Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Ceremony If you married elsewhere with a private officiant, the certificate is issued after the office processes the signed license the officiant returns.8Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll probably want extra certified copies to change your name on your Social Security card, driver’s license, bank accounts, and insurance. The short-form certificate for domestic use is $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy. Order in person at any borough office by Project Cupid appointment, or by mail with a completed application, valid ID, and a money order payable to “The City Clerk of New York.” Mail orders don’t accept personal checks.14Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Records
If you need the marriage recognized abroad, the short-form won’t do. You need the extended certificate, which includes each spouse’s parents’ names, at $35 for the first copy and $30 for each additional copy.14Office of the City Clerk. Marriage Records Tell the office you need it for foreign use so it’s signed in the format required for authentication, and start the process well before any immigration or relocation deadline; the mail route for authentication and apostille afterward can take up to 12 weeks.