Getting Married in New York City:

The Office of the City Clerk - NYC Marriage Bureau is open for in-person appointments only. No walk-in visits are permitted. They state: “Do not visit any office of the City Clerk unless you have scheduled an appointment and have a received a confirmation email. You can schedule an in-person appointment for a Marriage Ceremony, Marriage License, and other select services through Project NYC Cupid. The option to schedule a virtual appointment for a Marriage License only also remains available through Project Cupid.”

 

Marriage License: Couples can now apply for a Marriage License in person or online at www.nyc.gov/cupid. In-person Marriage Licenses are issued by appointment only, and couples must arrive on time. Late arrivals may not be admitted.

 

A New York State Marriage License is valid for 60 days (except for active military personnel, for whom the validity runs for 180 days). A Marriage License issued in New York can be used anywhere within New York State but may not be used outside New York State.

 

The fee for a Marriage License is $35 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk.

 

Application Process: To schedule an in-person Marriage License appointment or begin the virtual Marriage License process go to www.nyc.gov/cupid. Listed below are the general steps and rules of the application process.

• Before your appointment, please begin the application process to receive a Marriage License online via City Clerk Online

• You and your prospective spouse must complete the application process by appearing at the Office of the City Clerk for a scheduled appointment in-person or virtually, together and at the same time.

• Proxy marriage is not permitted in New York, so no other party may apply on behalf of either spouse.

• Your Marriage License will be processed.

• You should carefully read your Marriage License to make sure there are no mistakes.

• You will take the Marriage License with you when you leave our office or receive it by digital download in your Cupid account after a virtual appointment.

• You must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed unless you obtain a Judicial Waiver. Note: Please contact NYS Supreme Court for information regarding availability of judicial waiver.

 

Required Information: Listed below is the information you will need to fill out the Marriage License Application:

• The application is an affidavit where you and your prospective spouse must list your name; current address; city, state, ZIP code and country; country of birth; date of birth; name and country of birth of your parents; Social Security number; and marital history.

• When you sign the affidavit, you are making a sworn statement that there are no legal impediments to the marriage.

• If you were married before, you must list all prior marriages. You must include your previous spouse's full name; the date the divorce decree was granted; and the city, state, and country where the divorce was issued.

• All divorces, annulments, and dissolutions must be finalized before you apply for a new Marriage License.

• You may be asked to produce the final divorce decree.

• If your spouse is deceased, you must provide such spouse's full name and date of death.

 

Proper Identification: You and your prospective spouse must have one form of proper identification in order to apply for a Marriage License. State law also requires documentation of proof of age. Since all forms of proper identification are also acceptable proof of age, holders of proper identification will not need additional documentation.

 

Officiants in New York City: According to Section 11 of the Domestic Relations Law, an Officiant must be an authorized, officially ordained member of the clergy or a public official in the State of New York such as a mayor, city clerk, deputy city clerk, appointed marriage officer, justice, or judge. In New York City, an Officiant must be registered with the City of New York. Ship captains cannot perform marriage ceremonies in New York State. “A clergyman or minister of any religion, or by the senior leader, or any of the other leaders, of The Society for Ethical Culture in the city of New York, having its principal office in the borough of Manhattan, or by the leader of The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, having its principal office in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, or of the Westchester Ethical Society, having its principal office in Westchester county, or of the Ethical Culture Society of Long Island, having its principal office in Nassau county, or of the Riverdale-Yonkers Ethical Society having its principal office in Bronx county, or by the leader of any other Ethical Culture Society affiliated with the American Ethical Union. The term "clergyman" or "minister" when used in this article, shall include those defined in section two of the religious corporations law. The word "magistrate," when so used, includes any person referred to in the second or third subdivision. View the New York Statutes on the official state site.

 

Same-Sex Marriages: New York's Marriage Equality Act was signed into law by Governor Cuomo on June 24, 2011, allowing same-sex couples to marry legally in New York for the first time. New York City has always prided itself on its openness and diversity, and we look forward to welcoming all couples who want to get married amid our bright lights and legendary sights, including many landmarks of gay history. Whether you are a native New Yorker or someone who has dreamed of having your wedding in New York City, that opportunity is now yours. The City is committed to accommodating all eligible couples who would like to marry, whether they are of the same or opposite sex. The New York City Clerk started issuing Marriage Licenses and performing civil marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples on July 24, 2011. It's important to keep in mind that getting married in New York City is a multi-step process. Couples must complete an application and receive a Marriage License at the City Clerk's office before they can legally wed. Details here: https://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/content/marriage-bureau/same-sex-couples-faq

​

NYC Clerk Online Registration: Using City Clerk Online, you can fill out applications and submit them online directly to the Office of the City Clerk. Upon filling out and submitting an application, you will receive a Confirmation Number and instructions detailing proper identification, required documents, etc. that you must provide to complete your application. 

 

Marriage Ceremony Outside of the City Clerk's Office:

• You may arrange a civil or religious Marriage Ceremony outside of the City Clerk’s offices in any location you wish within the State of New York.

• Your private Ceremony must be conducted by a Marriage Officiant who is eligible to perform Marriage Ceremonies under New York State Law.

• If your private Marriage Ceremony will be performed in the City of New York, the Marriage Officiant must be registered with the Office of the City Clerk before the wedding.

• You can verify whether the Marriage Officiant is registered with the Office of the City Clerk in person, by calling 311, or by inquiring by mail to:

 

Office of the City Clerk

Marriage Officiant Registration Clerk

141 Worth Street

New York, NY 10013

 

• At the conclusion of the Marriage Ceremony, the Marriage Officiant, the couple, and the witnesses are required to sign the Marriage License.

• The Marriage Officiant must return the Marriage License to the office where the Marriage License was obtained within five business days.

 

Certificate of Marriage Registration: 

• A Certificate of Marriage Registration is the official documentation of your wedding that lists the date, time, location, Marriage Officiant's name and title, and any changes in surname.

• If you get married in the City Clerk's office, you will receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration at the conclusion of the ceremony.

• If you have a Marriage Ceremony outside of the City Clerk's office, you will receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration in the mail within approximately 20 days from the date when they receive and process the Marriage License from your Marriage Officiant. If you have not received your Certificate of Marriage Registration within a month of your Marriage Ceremony, you should contact the Office of the City Clerk where you obtained your Marriage License. 

 

For Second Marriages: Certificate of Divorce or Death Certificate

If it's not your first marriage, you will also need to bring your certificate of divorce or the death certificate, respectively, as proof that you are able to legally remarry. It's quite common for previously married individuals to forget to bring official documentation of their separation to their appointment.

 

Where do you get copies of records outside of NYC?

For copies of marriage licenses issued anywhere in New York State except the five (5) boroughs of New York City, a certified copy of the marriage record may be obtained from the office of the town or city clerk who issued the license, or from the New York State Department of Health. The fee is $10 if you obtain a certified copy from the town or city clerk who issued the license. If applying to the New York State Department of Health, the fee is $30.

 

For a certified copy, write to:

New York State Department of Health

Bureau of Vital Records Certification Unit

P.O. Box 2602

Albany, New York 12220-2602

 

For copies of Marriage Certificates issued anywhere in New York State except the five (5) boroughs of New York City can be ordered online: https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/marriage.htm

 

For Affidavit for Correction of Marriage Record issued anywhere in New York State except the five (5) boroughs of New York City: https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/marriage.htm#mcorrections

 

For marriage licenses issued in New York City, do not apply to the New York State Department of Health. You must apply to the Office of the City Clerk of New York. For an application, current fees and ordering information contact the City Clerk of New York at (212) NEW-YORK or visit their website at New York City Marriage Bureau.

 

Click here to see a Sample Marriage License

​

​

How to Obtain Your Extended and/or Apostilled Marriage Certificate

If you’re reading this, you’re likely an international couple deciding to get married in the states and want to make sure your marriage paperwork is legally binding in your country. Depending on where you are geographically, you might hear that you need either an extended marriage certificate or an ‘apostilled’ marriage certificate to get everything in order. These two terms are used interchangeably in New York City, but they are very different so read on for clarity.

​

What is an extended marriage certificate?

Basically, the extended certificate includes more information; from your parents’ names and countries of birth to your officiant’s name and title. It’s typically used in foreign jurisdictions for adoption, passport, and dual citizenship applications among other kinds of adulting.

 

What does apostille mean?

Apostille is a French word meaning certification. Essentially, it’s the completion of city, state, and federal seals on the certificate ensuring that it will be recognized as valid in your country. Under the Hague Convention, signatory countries have agreed to recognize public documents issued by other signatory countries if those public documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an Apostille. All that means is that you’ll need “Seals of Approval” from our government to affirm that your marriage is LEGIT.

​

How do you get this extended/apostilled marriage certificate IN PERSON?

You can either go in person or request it by mail. If it’s time sensitive, we strongly recommend going in person within five days of your ceremony. It’ll take all of one day, some walking around, and lots of waiting.

 

See below for the steps, which are specific to the Manhattan Marriage Bureau:

 

1. If you decide to submit your marriage license to the City Clerk yourself, let us know. You’ll need to make an appointment through Project Cupid and choose ‘Records Room (in-person)’ either the same day of your wedding or within 5 business days. Once you arrive, the City Clerk will automatically print the standard aka “short form” marriage certificate. You’ll need to request at least one copy of the “EXTENDED FORM” but you can get multiple and pay the necessary fees ($35 for first copy/$30 for additional copies). send you off to complete steps two and three.

2. Bring your “extended form” marriage certificate (which has the first signature and seal to the County Clerk’s Office) to 60 Centre Street, Room 141-B to authenticate the City Clerk’s hand signature. The fee is $3 payable by money order, credit, or debit card.

3. Bring the “extended form” marriage certificate with the authentication to the New York Department of State for the authentication of the County Clerk’s signature and the attachment of an “Apostille”. The Department of State is located at 123 William Street, 2nd Floor and the fee is $10, payable by check or money order ONLY.

​

How do you get this extended/apostilled marriage certificate VIA MAIL?

If there are no time constraints and you’ve decided that you’ll complete this process well after your NYC adventure, you’ll need to do the above process via mail. This will take an estimated 3 months. It’s called SNAIL MAIL for a reason, folks!

 

1. Mail your original “short form” marriage certificate in a pre-paid self-addressed envelope along with this form request and payment to:

ATTN: Record Room

City Clerk of New York

141 Worth Street

New York, NY 10013

 

Make sure to follow the instructions on the second page of the request form. You’ll need to request at least one copy of the “EXTENDED FORM” but you can get multiple and pay the necessary fees ($35 for first copy/$30 for additional copies).

​

TIP: Include tracking for peace of mind.

​

2. Once you receive the “extended form” marriage certificate, you’re going to have to send it with a $3 money order payable to the following NY County Clerk address:

New York County Clerk

60 Centre Street, Room 161

New York, NY 10007

 

They will then take 2-5 weeks to mail it back to you. TIP: Include tracking for peace of mind.

​

3. Once you receive the certified authorization of your marriage certificate, you will need to complete the Apostille Request form and attach the marriage certificate that the NY County Clerk returned to you. Include a pre-paid self-addressed envelope along with payment of $10 per document via credit card, check, or money order. You only need one document, but if you want extras for some reason, knock yourself out!

​

4. Mail the completed Apostille Request form, certified marriage certificate, a pre-paid self-addressed envelope, and payment to the following address:

 

New York Department of State

Division of Licensing Services

Apostille and Authentication Unit

P.O. Box 22001

Albany, NY 12201-2001

​

You’ll likely receive your extended aka apostilled marriage certificate within another 4-6 weeks.

​

Before you get married in the states, find out from your employer, insurance company, and/or governing authorities to figure out what you legally need to make your NYC wedding too legit to quit.

 

Hope you found this apostille aka extended marriage certificate process informative and helpful:

https://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/content/certificate-of-non-impediment or Click here for More Detailed Information