marriage license from where you live or where you get married?

DianaMick1215 · May 2013

I'm sure this probably varies by state (maybe?) but for those of you who got married in a different state than where you live, did you get the marriage licnese in the state you live or the state you will be getting married? And how far in advance do you get it? I've heard about a month?

lisabeats · May 2013

I'm pretty sure you have to get it in the state you're married, but the rest 100% depends on where you're getting married. I'm getting married in a church in my hometown, and the license needs to come from there (different state from where I live). The license may be valid for only a certain length of time, so you can't get it too early. Conversely, there may also be a waiting period for it to be used, so you can't get it last minute. Check out the laws in the municipality in which your ceremony is- it can vary within states as well. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. A lot of people find out things about their license last minute that they could have taken care of or planned for well in advance.

MoonlightSilver · May 2013

You should get the license in the location you're getting married. You should also talk to the town clerk while you're getting the license to ensure you're doing it right.

artbyallie · May 2013

You most likely need it for the county you're marrying in, not just the state. Like Moonlight said, call your county clerk's office (the courthouse) and ask.

Sharpschruter22 · May 2013

Yup, gotta get it from the county you are getting married in.

wittykitty14 · May 2013

In Response to Re: marriage license from where you live or where you get married?:
[QUOTE]I'm pretty sure you have to get it in the state you're married, but the rest 100% depends on where you're getting married. I'm getting married in a church in my hometown, and the license needs to come from there (different state from where I live). The license may be valid for only a certain length of time, so you can't get it too early. Conversely, there may also be a waiting period for it to be used, so you can't get it last minute. Check out the laws in the municipality in which your ceremony is- it can vary within states as well. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. A lot of people find out things about their license last minute that they could have taken care of or planned for well in advance.
Posted by lisabeats[/QUOTE]

The first is very, very important. Make sure you fully understand the rules so that it doesn't backfire on you. Some states are more strict than others. My state does not require a waiting period, but the license is only good for a certain amount of time. Other states require extra things like blood tests, so you need time to arrange that.

The second: Do your homework. If you haven't yet, google "getting a marriage license in X state". You'll find a lot of sites with good information that serves as a good starting point. Then you can follow up from there with the town office or whoever. As long as you're clear on the requirements you should be all set!

[Deleted User] · May 2013

Get it in the state and county you are getting married in. It has to be filed in their office. We lived in GA at the time of our wedding but got married in our home state of Ohio. A lot of states have all their wedding license info online as well

daria24 · May 2013

You will have to get it in the state where the marriage is taking place. In PA you can get it in any county, there is a 3 day waiting period, and the license must be used within 60 days. Many counties have their own website with the exact rules listed, check there or call the county clerk's office.

[Deleted User] · May 2013

I had a friend get married in Vegas, she had to get a license there since that is where the ceremony took place & the officiant was ordained.

I had another friend get married in the Carribean. Again she had to get her license there, and that was a huge headache. They had to do all sorts of paperwork in advance, wire money & they kep changing the fee amount on her. In the end it all worked out but it was pretty complicated & took a lot of time.

Peledreamsofrain · May 2013

The time period that licenses are valid for vary from state to state. In my state, the license is valid forever. I could have gotten married at the age of 80 with the same one.

In most states, however, there is a time limit. Wether it is valid for a month, a week, whatever. Do your research on the county and state websites.

marriage license from where you live or where you get married?

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