BE PREPARED!
In most circumstances you may apply for a marriage license at any Michigan county clerk’s office where you plan to be married. These offices are generally located in the county court building.
Application Requirements
Applicants intending to marry must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk in the county in which one of the parties lives (or, if both parties are non-residents, in the county where the marriage is to be performed), and deliver it to the person who is to solemnize the marriage, before the marriage can be performed.
Both applicants are not required to appear in person at the time of applying. However, he or she will be required to complete all information about both applicants:
• A photocopy of the front and back of the other person's driver's license.
• Full names
• Addresses, dates, and places of birth
• Bride's name after marriage
Waiting Period
There is a mandatory 3 day waiting period from the application date to the date the license is issued.
Once the license is issued, it is valid for 30 days. There is no waiting period after the license is issued. You can marry immediately after receiving your license.
There are some exceptions to the 3-day mandatory waiting period. Service members on leave and about to deploy for active duty is one generally acceptable variance.
Age Requirement
You must be 18 years old or older to marry without parental consent. A birth certificate may be necessary to show proof of age.
If either partner is under 18, parental consent forms must be signed. You will need a certified copy of your birth certificate. If you are under 16 you can not marry without a court order.
Cost of License
The marriage license fee is $20.00 for in-state residents and $30.00 for out-of-state residents.
Residency Requirements
You do not have to be a previous or current resident of Michigan to obtain a marriage license that is valid statewide.
ID Requirements
Identification requirements vary in each county. A valid driver's license or certified copy of birth certificate may be requested.
License Expiration
Your license will expire 33 days from the date you apply. Please see waiting period, above this line.
Who can legally perform the ceremony?
Marriages may be solemnized by any of the following:
• Federal, probate, district, and municipal judges, and district court magistrates, in their court area
• Mayors, in their city
• Ministers of the gospel, anywhere in the state, "if the minister is ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of the denomination, and is a pastor of a church in this state, or continues to preach the gospel in this state."
• Non-resident ministers of the gospel, anywhere in the state, if the minister is authorized to solemnize marriages by his or her state's laws.
Certificate of Marriage
After the ceremony is performed, signed and dated by the officiant and the witnesses, the original must be mailed to the county clerk that issued it within 10 days. The clerk records the information in a registration book, and mails it on to the state registrar. The person who performs the marriage must also keep a record "in a book used expressly for that purpose." The duplicate license, when fully filled out and given to the couple, thus serves a "double purpose" and becomes the certificate.
In most circumstances you may apply for a marriage license at any Michigan county clerk’s office where you plan to be married. These offices are generally located in the county court building.
Application Requirements
Applicants intending to marry must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk in the county in which one of the parties lives (or, if both parties are non-residents, in the county where the marriage is to be performed), and deliver it to the person who is to solemnize the marriage, before the marriage can be performed.
Both applicants are not required to appear in person at the time of applying. However, he or she will be required to complete all information about both applicants:
• A photocopy of the front and back of the other person's driver's license.
• Full names
• Addresses, dates, and places of birth
• Bride's name after marriage
Waiting Period
There is a mandatory 3 day waiting period from the application date to the date the license is issued.
Once the license is issued, it is valid for 30 days. There is no waiting period after the license is issued. You can marry immediately after receiving your license.
There are some exceptions to the 3-day mandatory waiting period. Service members on leave and about to deploy for active duty is one generally acceptable variance.
Age Requirement
You must be 18 years old or older to marry without parental consent. A birth certificate may be necessary to show proof of age.
If either partner is under 18, parental consent forms must be signed. You will need a certified copy of your birth certificate. If you are under 16 you can not marry without a court order.
Cost of License
The marriage license fee is $20.00 for in-state residents and $30.00 for out-of-state residents.
Residency Requirements
You do not have to be a previous or current resident of Michigan to obtain a marriage license that is valid statewide.
ID Requirements
Identification requirements vary in each county. A valid driver's license or certified copy of birth certificate may be requested.
License Expiration
Your license will expire 33 days from the date you apply. Please see waiting period, above this line.
Who can legally perform the ceremony?
Marriages may be solemnized by any of the following:
• Federal, probate, district, and municipal judges, and district court magistrates, in their court area
• Mayors, in their city
• Ministers of the gospel, anywhere in the state, "if the minister is ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of the denomination, and is a pastor of a church in this state, or continues to preach the gospel in this state."
• Non-resident ministers of the gospel, anywhere in the state, if the minister is authorized to solemnize marriages by his or her state's laws.
Certificate of Marriage
After the ceremony is performed, signed and dated by the officiant and the witnesses, the original must be mailed to the county clerk that issued it within 10 days. The clerk records the information in a registration book, and mails it on to the state registrar. The person who performs the marriage must also keep a record "in a book used expressly for that purpose." The duplicate license, when fully filled out and given to the couple, thus serves a "double purpose" and becomes the certificate.