How To Obtain Marriage Certificate

You have found the love of your life and now you need to know how to obtain a marriage certificate. Each state has its own set of application rules but some requirements are universal among all states. Hopefully you had a romantic proposal but now it’s time to head to the chapel and get married.

1. Both parties must be of legal age. If you are not 18-years-old then you can get consent from a parent or a judge. You must show proof of age by government issued photo identification such as driver’s license or passport. This is the number one requirement in how to obtain a marriage certificate.
2. Show proof of termination of any previous marriages. If you divorced or widowed or had an annulment issued, you must show these papers before you can apply for certificate. This law is simply set to prevent bigamy.
3. Proof of immunity or vaccination for certain diseases. Not all states but a few require that you be up to date on your immunization shots. Obtaining a marriage certificate might mean a trip to a doctor if you don’t have any records of these shots.
4. Blood test. Not all states require a blood test. They check to make sure you don’t have measles and with the rise of HIV the many states now offer a HIV test but it’s not mandatory at this time.
5. Get marriage license.  Once you have all your ducks in a row in the above requirements one or both parties may need to appear at a county clerk’s office, registrar’s office or courthouse to apply for marriage license. To obtain a marriage certificate you’ll need to bring check or cash to pay for the application.
6. Waiting period after obtaining license. You want to get married like yesterday but it’s not going to happen once you’ve got license in hand. There is a one to six day waiting period before you can actually get married.
7. License good for up to thirty days. Depending on the state the license may be good for up to thirty days. That’s it, that’s how easy it is to obtain a marriage certificate.