How to Apply for a Marriage License in NJ
Thank you mrs.spunky1508 for compiling this to answer all our Marriage License Questions!
One least favorable tasks on your wedding to-do list is to apply for a marriage license. The rules and procedures for applying vary from state-to-state and county-to-county, so it is best to check your local office in case these have been modified. This is intended to be a guide for brides getting married in the state of New Jersey.
The first task to complete is to locate and fill out the Marriage Application found online or at your local Registrar. You can always pick up the form and fill it out at the Registrar, but it is recommended that you have the application printed and completed when you go to the office. The most important part is NOT TO SIGN until you get in front of the representative and are instructed to do so.
The cost of a marriage application is $28. It can be paid in cash or money order. No personal checks or credit/debit cards will be accepted. It has been suggested that you bring as close to exact change as possible to avoid any delays.
When applying for your marriage license, the bride, the groom and a witness over the age of 18 must be present for the signing of the application. The witness can be related to the bride or the groom. They will need to be someone known to the bride and groom whom can affirm their identities and that they are of sound mind entering this agreement together.
Remember to bring proof of identification. A passport, birth certificate, drivers’ license, or other form of government issued ID (ex. Military ID) are acceptable. The bride and groom should also bring their social security cards as a precaution, in case it is needed. You will also need to know the bride and grooms mothers' maiden names and where both sets of parents were born.
If you are a New Jersey resident, your marriage license should be obtained from the town the bride and/or groom resides in. To figure out which town this is, it would be the one that is on your drivers’ license. If you have recently moved and neglected to change your legal address, you have to apply in the town where your legal address is and change your license as well. For couples planning to get married in New Jersey that are not residents, you should complete your application at the Registrar of the town your marriage is taking place in.
A marriage license can be applied for up to six months before the marriage is to take place. However, the license cannot be picked up for at least 72 hours before the time the marriage. When the license is picked up, it is validated for the appropriate time frame. A marriage license is valid for thirty days. This means if you apply for a marriage license on MaySo, if you apply today - July 31st - you can pick it up on August 5th(b/c you can't pick it up on a weekend). It is then valid until September 4th (31 days in August!).
If you apply today, and you're getting married September 15th, you just can't pick it up until August 16th.
After the wedding, you must go to the clerk in the town where the MARRIAGE TOOK PLACE, NOT where you applied. Your officiate will submit the marriage license to that town for you.
You may receive 2 different types of certificates - one for the SSA with a raised seal, another for use with your job, health insurance, credit card companies and banks, etc.
http://www.state.nj.us/health/vital/marriage_apply.shtml
One least favorable tasks on your wedding to-do list is to apply for a marriage license. The rules and procedures for applying vary from state-to-state and county-to-county, so it is best to check your local office in case these have been modified. This is intended to be a guide for brides getting married in the state of New Jersey.
The first task to complete is to locate and fill out the Marriage Application found online or at your local Registrar. You can always pick up the form and fill it out at the Registrar, but it is recommended that you have the application printed and completed when you go to the office. The most important part is NOT TO SIGN until you get in front of the representative and are instructed to do so.
The cost of a marriage application is $28. It can be paid in cash or money order. No personal checks or credit/debit cards will be accepted. It has been suggested that you bring as close to exact change as possible to avoid any delays.
When applying for your marriage license, the bride, the groom and a witness over the age of 18 must be present for the signing of the application. The witness can be related to the bride or the groom. They will need to be someone known to the bride and groom whom can affirm their identities and that they are of sound mind entering this agreement together.
Remember to bring proof of identification. A passport, birth certificate, drivers’ license, or other form of government issued ID (ex. Military ID) are acceptable. The bride and groom should also bring their social security cards as a precaution, in case it is needed. You will also need to know the bride and grooms mothers' maiden names and where both sets of parents were born.
If you are a New Jersey resident, your marriage license should be obtained from the town the bride and/or groom resides in. To figure out which town this is, it would be the one that is on your drivers’ license. If you have recently moved and neglected to change your legal address, you have to apply in the town where your legal address is and change your license as well. For couples planning to get married in New Jersey that are not residents, you should complete your application at the Registrar of the town your marriage is taking place in.
A marriage license can be applied for up to six months before the marriage is to take place. However, the license cannot be picked up for at least 72 hours before the time the marriage. When the license is picked up, it is validated for the appropriate time frame. A marriage license is valid for thirty days. This means if you apply for a marriage license on MaySo, if you apply today - July 31st - you can pick it up on August 5th(b/c you can't pick it up on a weekend). It is then valid until September 4th (31 days in August!).
If you apply today, and you're getting married September 15th, you just can't pick it up until August 16th.
After the wedding, you must go to the clerk in the town where the MARRIAGE TOOK PLACE, NOT where you applied. Your officiate will submit the marriage license to that town for you.
You may receive 2 different types of certificates - one for the SSA with a raised seal, another for use with your job, health insurance, credit card companies and banks, etc.
http://www.state.nj.us/health/vital/marriage_apply.shtml
