What you need to get married by civil ceremony in the United States: requirements and documentation
If you plan to get married in the U.S., you need to be prepared with the paperwork. Here are the requirements and documents necessary for civil marriages.
Getting married is one of the biggest decisions a person can make, which is why it entails a ton of paperwork. There are requirements to comply with and documents to prepare when you wish to go through a civil marriage.
What you need to get civilly married in the U.S.: requirements and documentation
Requirements for marriage vary depending on the state in which you want to marry. In general terms, they are as follows:
- Age of consent: In most states, it’s 18
- Family ties: Depending on the state, people who are related by blood cannot get married
- Mental state: Both people must understand and be aware of what marriage involves
- Marital status: A currently married person cannot marry again
Documents needed to get married
If you meet the above requirements, the next step is to obtain a marriage license, which grants authorization to marry. Guidelines on how, where and when to apply for the license can vary widely from state to state. That is why we recommend that you consult with the local government office responsible for issuing them.
Generally speaking, here are some of the requirements or documents you may have to submit to apply for the marriage license:
- Government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport
- Birth certificates
- Social Security number
- Divorce ruling if you were previously married and are divorced
- Death certificate if you were previously married and are a widow or widower
- Parental consent in the case of minors
In most states, licenses are only valid for a certain amount of time (ranging from days to months), so we recommend that you make sure you don’t get it too long before your wedding date. Also, some offices impose a waiting period of a few days, so it is also not advisable to wait until the last minute to obtain a license. Marriage license fees often range from $30 to $100.
Once you obtain the license, the officiating official (who must be recognized by the state) and witnesses can sign it on the day the wedding is scheduled. Then, the one who officiated the marriage is usually responsible for sending the license back to the appropriate office. The office will then mail a marriage certificate to the newly married couple.