The Marriage License

Re: The Marriage License

• CTYankeeBride member

  

  September 2014

  Yay!!!! Cross that right off of the list of things to stress about!!

  
  

  In Connecticut, you have to get the license in the town where the ceremony will occur (at the town/city hall for most towns).  The license is good for 65 days.  Both parties have to appear in person at the town hall, present one form of government-issued photo ID, sign the form, and take an oath that the info you're providing is true. They don't have to appear together but both people must go in person within that 65 days.  

  
  

  The cost is 30$ for the license itself and 20$ for each certified copy you need (you need one for Social Security and that's usually about it- other places will make photocopies). The state doesn't require any witnesses but your licensed/ ordained officiant must sign the license and mail it in to the town hall where the ceremony occurred. 

  
  

  FI and I are both divorced and I was worried that we'd need all kinds of proof but the town clerk said that we just need a photo ID and to mark the box on the form that indicates the previous marriage was dissolved.  She said we're taking an oath that that's the truth and they can look it up if there are any questions. We go a week from today, keeping my fingers crossed.

  

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• goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 member

  

  September 2014

  Good luck @CTYankeeBride!  It feels so good to get it out of the way.  I slept pretty good last night, lol.

  
  

  In Canada, the officiant mails the document once we are married as well. We are given a "Certificate of Solemnization" to prove the ceremony took place, but it is NOT a marriage certificate (it is kind of useless actually) We have to wait 6-8 weeks to apply for the marriage certificate once the ceremony is performed.  Once we have the certificate, I can now begin the process of changing my last name.  A certificate of Solemnization is not a strong enough document to initiate name changes.

  
  

  It's all money grab, since you have to request a marriage certificate mailed to you and you have to pay for it and you have to specify the long form or the short form (I am requesting both because you never know if one or the other is good enough).  Total PITA.

  

  
  

  
  

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• CTYankeeBride member

  

  September 2014 edited October 2014

  We also have a 6-8 week turnaround for a certified copy of the license. The officiant has to turn in the license by the first week of them month after the marriage takes place (so the first week in December for us) and 6-8 weeks after that your official copy is available.  Without the official copy you can't have your name changed. 

  
  

  Name changing is a whole other racket here. Once I get the copy of our certificate, I have to go in person to a social security office.  They usually have a 2-3 hour wait on a good day and it's first-come, first-served. They'll give me a receipt that says I've changed my name.  I can then take that receipt to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get my name changed on my license. Then I'll have to show my new license to my employer so that my income taxes are correct.  My bank however requires me to wait for my new social security card to come (which will take at least a month).  Ugh.

  
  

  

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• April192002 member

  

  September 2014

  3 day waiting period here and has to be "used" within 30 days. Both bride and groom have to be present. Depending on the county the license is from depends on whether or not witnesses have to/get to sign the license. We ultimately are in charge of making sure it gets back to the courts but many officiants will handle that. I don't know how long it takes to get a certified copy back, or how much it costs because my first marriage/divorce was in a different state. I'm not in a huge rush to get my name changed on all of my stuff...I may have to wait until after Christmas to ask for another day or two off to get that done, and if it takes 4-8 weeks to get it back that puts it after Christmas anyway. SS card, license, car, car loan, car insurance, bank account, credit cards, work, son's school...ugh! I'm glad a lot of places are accessible online and if they need a copy I work in a printing department and have access to faxing, scanning, and copies.

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• chelamarie09 member

  

  October 2014

  We're getting married 1 November, but we filed for our license 4 September! One fewer thing to worry about is our philosophy.

  
  

  In South Carolina, the process is really easy. The certificate is good for marriage in any SC county, and it doesn't expire. Our county (Charleston) is a BIG destination for weddings so the fee was $70; instead of spending that exorbitant amount, we both took the day off and drove 30 miles north and paid only $41 in another county. No blood tests, just proof of age (because we're under 30) and social security cards. There is a one-day waiting period, but we had ours mailed; we went in on Thursday and it came to the mailbox Saturday!

  

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• 88beautymarked member

  

  October 2014

  I applied Wednesday and I'm picking it up Friday morning!

  My Planning Bio
  

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• April192002 member

  

  October 2014

  So apparently our state has changed the 30 day time limit to 90 days. I had 2 vacation days this week and we were supposed to go do that but someone decided to be lazy...and the kids were out of school and it was our weekend. We still have that day in November so we'll HAVE to do it then, along with pay the judge (which is about an hour away and only accepts cash).

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• goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 member

  

  October 2014

  So, you need to purchase the license AND pay the judge?  What do you pay the judge to do?

  

  
  

  
  

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• April192002 member

  

  October 2014

  @goldchocoboWe have to pay for the license and then the judge is performing the ceremony on the weekend. The license is for the paperwork, certifying it, filing and all that crap. I don't know how exactly it works if you do it at the courthouse. It's probably a smaller fee for the judge to do it in his courtroom during normal hours. We looked up the fees for the different counties - the one we live in is the least expensive, followed by the county we're getting married in (who's judge we're using).

  My first marriage was in a different state and ex took care of the money portion. FI got married in our county about 13 years ago so he doesn't remember how it was...and his first marriage happened during a random Vegas getaway - he can't even remember how they went about it!

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• goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 member

  

  October 2014

  Ohhh!  I get it.  I thought the officiant was a different person.

  
  

  Wild vegas getaway?  Your FI sounds like a fun guy!  LOL

  

  
  

  
  

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• April192002 member

  

  October 2014

  I wish he were fun! LOL He and I should take a Vegas vacation together - after we're married so there's no eloping (with each other or anyone else)!

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• smilyaries member

  

  October 2014

  In New York, the license is valid for 60 days. If the future bride or groom is active military, the license extends to 180 days.

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• April192002 member

  

  October 2014

  @smlyaries That's kind of cool about the military. I believe active military can get a waiver for being present and/or the waiting period is waived.

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• smilyaries member

  

  October 2014

  @April192002‌ In NY, both Bride and groom need to be present. My fiancé is in the military so our license is extended to 180 days.

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• April192002 member

  

  October 2014

  I reworked that post and took out, but forgot to add back, "where I live." Oops.

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