Fees, waiting periods, required documents, appointment rules, and office hours — researched for every county so you know exactly what to bring and what to expect.
State law sets the floor — but your county clerk's office sets the actual fees, appointment requirements, waiting period details, and what documents they'll accept on the day. These details differ dramatically even between neighboring counties.
Marriage license fees range from under $30 in some Ohio counties to over $115 in certain Florida counties — for the exact same document.
Some states and counties issue the license immediately. Others impose a mandatory 3–5 day waiting period. Some waive it — if you know how to ask.
Post-pandemic, many county clerk offices moved to appointment-only. Others reverted to walk-in. Getting this wrong wastes your entire trip.
Most counties accept a driver's license or passport. Some require a birth certificate too. Some accept foreign passports; others don't without extra steps.
A marriage license isn't valid forever. Expiration windows range from 30 days (some Texas counties) to one year. Miss the window and you reapply.
Florida, Tennessee, and several other states discount the license fee by $25–$60 for couples who complete a state-approved premarital education course.
These counties field thousands of marriage license questions every month. Here's the complete picture — not just a link to the county clerk's page.
Fort Worth's county. 72-hour waiting period applies — but a judge can waive it. Walk-in accepted at the downtown Fort Worth courthouse.
Fee: $82 → Read full guide
Charlotte's county. North Carolina has no waiting period — you can marry the same day. Register of Deeds accepts walk-ins weekday mornings.
Fee: $60 → Read full guide
Las Vegas is here. Clark County's Marriage Bureau is open 8 AM–midnight, 365 days a year — including holidays. No appointment, no waiting period.
Fee: $102 → Read full guide
Chicago's western neighbor. Illinois has a 1-day waiting period. DuPage requires an appointment for license applications — walk-in is not accepted.
Fee: $30 → Read full guide
Indianapolis. Indiana licenses are valid for 60 days from issue — plan your ceremony window carefully. Both parties must appear in person.
Fee: $18 → Read full guide
Houston. Texas's 72-hour waiting period can be waived by a judge in an emergency. Harris County also accepts the online pre-application to shorten your office visit.
Fee: $82 → Read full guide
Answer 4 quick questions — divorced recently? both parties available? planning a courthouse ceremony? — and get a personalized, printable checklist of exactly what to bring to your county clerk's office.
Build My Checklist →What the checklist covers:
Which states have mandatory waiting periods, which have none, and exactly how to get a waiver if your ceremony is this week.
A state-by-state guide to which counties have no waiting period and what you need to do to walk out with a license same-day.
Many counties require your divorce decree. Some states impose a waiting period after divorce before you can remarry. Here's the full picture.
Most states allow non-residents to obtain a marriage license. Here's what changes, what stays the same, and which states are the exceptions.
From filing the license application to walking out legally married — what to expect, how to schedule, and what to wear.
Social Security, driver's license, passport, bank accounts — the correct sequence and the exact documents each agency requires.
Select your state to see the marriage license rules that apply statewide, then drill into your specific county.
In most states, yes — both applicants must appear together at the county clerk's office to apply for a marriage license. This is the rule in Texas, North Carolina, Nevada, Indiana, Illinois, and most other states.
There are limited exceptions. Texas allows one party to submit an "absent applicant affidavit" if their absence is unavoidable (active military deployment, for example). Florida introduced an online pre-application, but both parties still typically finalize in person. If one applicant genuinely cannot appear, call the county clerk's office directly — some counties have accommodation procedures not published on their websites.
This varies significantly by state. Common validity windows include:
If your license expires before the ceremony, you must reapply and pay the fee again. The safe rule: don't apply more than 60 days before your ceremony unless you know your state's window. Use our expiration calculator to find the exact deadline for your county.
Yes, in most states. Residency is generally not required to obtain a marriage license — you just need to apply in person in that state. This is why destination weddings work: a couple from Ohio can get married in Nevada and apply for the Clark County marriage license even though they live elsewhere.
A few caveats: the license is typically only valid for ceremonies performed in the state where it was issued (not universally, but commonly). And some states have specific non-resident rules — Virginia, for example, requires the ceremony to take place in Virginia if the license was issued there. Always verify with the county clerk before traveling.
A waiting period is a mandatory gap between the day you're issued a marriage license and the earliest date you can legally marry. Several states have them:
To waive a waiting period in Texas, you or your attorney can petition a local judge. This is more commonly granted than people realize — contact the county court administration office for the correct form and process.
Most states do not impose a post-divorce waiting period before you can remarry. However, some do — and the rules vary by state and sometimes by county.
What most counties universally require is your divorce decree (a certified copy) if your divorce was finalized within the past 30–90 days, or sometimes any recent divorce. Some clerks want to verify the exact date your divorce became final to ensure the waiting period (where applicable) has elapsed. Read our full guide: Recently Divorced — What to Bring.