To get married in Oregon, both people must be at least 18, apply together at any county clerk’s office with valid photo ID, pay a fee of roughly $50 to $60, wait three days, and then hold a ceremony with an authorized officiant and two witnesses within 60 days. Neither person has to live in Oregon, but the ceremony itself must take place in the state. Those are the core Oregon marriage license requirements; the details below cover each step and the choices you make along the way.
Who Can Marry
Both parties must be at least 18. Oregon eliminated the former exception that let 17-year-olds marry with parental consent, so there is no longer any route to a license before your 18th birthday.
There is no residency requirement. Out-of-state and international couples can apply at any county clerk’s office and marry anywhere within Oregon. The license only works inside the state, though. You cannot use an Oregon license for a ceremony held elsewhere.
Two categories of marriage are automatically void under Oregon law: marriages where either party still has a living spouse, and marriages between first cousins or closer relatives, whether by blood or adoption. The one narrow carve-out is first cousins related solely by adoption. A void marriage is treated as though it never existed, and either party can seek a court declaration of annulment at any time.
Applying for the License
Both parties must appear together at a county clerk’s office with valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. The application asks for each person’s full legal name, date of birth, and county of residence. If either of you was previously married, you will need the date and location that the prior marriage ended. Some counties let you start the application online to save time at the counter, but both people still have to sign in person.
Fees vary by county, generally $50 to $60, and are non-refundable whether or not you actually go through with the wedding. Linn County charges $50 and takes cash only.1Linn County, OR. Marriage License Requirements Multnomah County charges $60 and accepts cards.2Multnomah County. Marriage Licenses Marion County also charges $60, with a $2.50 card surcharge.3Marion County Clerk’s Office. Marriage Licenses Call ahead to confirm payment methods before you show up.
Choosing Your Name on the Application
Your post-marriage name is chosen on the license application itself, before the ceremony. Oregon limits the options to three:
- Keep your current name unchanged.
- Take your spouse’s surname while keeping your middle name.
- Combine or hyphenate any of the surnames or names within either party’s surnames. Under this option you may also drop your middle name.
Anything outside those choices requires a separate court-ordered name change.2Multnomah County. Marriage Licenses
The Three-Day Wait and the 60-Day Window
Oregon imposes a three-day waiting period between the day the license is issued and the day it becomes valid. Pick up your license on Monday and the earliest you can marry is Thursday.1Linn County, OR. Marriage License Requirements
The wait can be waived, but the process and cost depend on the county. Multnomah County adds $5 if you intend to marry within three days of getting the license.2Multnomah County. Marriage Licenses Jackson County charges $28 for a waiver.4Jackson County, Oregon. Marriage License Application Marion County waives the period at no charge.3Marion County Clerk’s Office. Marriage Licenses In some counties a judge must approve the waiver for cause; others handle it administratively.
Once the license is valid, it stays good for 60 days. Miss that window and the license expires. You will have to reapply and pay a new fee, and no extensions are available.5Washington County, OR. Marriage Licenses
The Ceremony
Oregon law authorizes several categories of people to solemnize a marriage:
- Judges, justices of the peace, and similar judicial officers.
- County clerks or their deputies.
- Clergy authorized by a religious congregation or organization to perform marriages.
- Secular celebrants authorized by a qualifying secular organization.
The statute also allows a religious congregation or secular organization itself to solemnize a marriage, not just an individual member.6Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 106 – Marriage; Domestic Partnership – Section: 106.120
Ministers ordained online sit in a gray area. Oregon’s statute does not explicitly mention online ordination, but it contains a protective provision: a marriage performed before someone “professing to be” an authorized clergyperson or judicial officer is not void for lack of authority, as long as the couple believed the ceremony was lawful. Marriages officiated by someone with an online ordination are unlikely to be invalidated in practice, but if you want unambiguous authority, choose an officiant whose credentials are not in question.
At least two witnesses must be present. The parties must declare, in the presence of both the officiant and the witnesses, that they take each other as spouses. No particular script or ritual is required beyond that mutual declaration of consent.7Oregon Public Law. Oregon Revised Statute 106.150 – Form of Solemnization; Witnesses Oregon does not allow self-solemnization, so a couple cannot legally marry without a third-party officiant.
After the Ceremony
The officiant must complete and sign the marriage license, then deliver it to the county clerk who issued it within five calendar days of the ceremony.8Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 106 – Marriage; Domestic Partnership – Section: 106.170 That step puts the marriage on the public record. A late return does not invalidate the marriage, but it can make proving the marriage difficult when you need documentation.
Once the marriage is recorded, you can order certified copies of the marriage certificate from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics. The fee is $25 by mail or drop box, or $28 in person, which includes a $3 identity authentication charge.9Oregon Health Authority. Vital Records Fees Order several copies at once. You will need them for name changes at Social Security, the DMV, and elsewhere, and for benefits enrollment.
Marriages Performed Outside Oregon
If you were already married elsewhere, or are considering it, Oregon recognizes marriages legally performed in other states and countries as long as the marriage was valid where it occurred. Marriages that would violate Oregon’s prohibited-marriage rules, such as bigamy or marriages between close relatives, are not recognized regardless of where they were performed.10Oregon Public Law. Oregon Revised Statute 106.020 – Prohibited and Void Marriages Same-sex marriages from any jurisdiction are fully recognized.
Oregon does not allow common-law marriages to be formed within the state, but it does recognize common-law marriages validly established in a state that permits them. That recognition covers inheritance, spousal benefits, and divorce proceedings.