Romantic HandFastings & Weddings

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below is the link to the New York City clerks website and their information: http:www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/home/home.shtml

Introduction:  

• New York State Law requires any person who performs a Marriage Ceremony within the City of New York to register with our Manhattan office located at One Centre Street, New York, NY 10007.
• If you are planning to wed anywhere within the five boroughs of New York City, you should ask the person who is performing your Marriage Ceremony if they have registered.
• The registration requirement does not apply to Marriage Ceremonies performed anywhere else in the State of New York.

Q. How do I get married in New York City?
A. You have to first obtain a Marriage License and then have a Marriage Ceremony in the City Clerk's Office or a Marriage Ceremony outside the City Clerk's Office.

Q. How do I obtain a Marriage License?
A. Follow the steps to obtain a license on the Marriage License page.

Q. Is there a waiting period? Can we get married right away?
A. Yes, there is a waiting period. Once you obtain your Marriage License, you must wait a full 24 hours before your Marriage Ceremony can be performed unless you obtain a Judicial Waiver.

Q. How long is the Marriage License valid?
A. A Marriage License is valid for 60 days, beginning the day after it is issued. Members of the armed forces who can prove they are on active duty at the time of applying for the Marriage License can obtain a Marriage License valid for 180 days.

Q. How much does the Marriage License cost?
A. The fee for a Marriage License is $35 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk.

A. You will have several opportunities to check your Marriage License for errors.

• You can watch the clerk type your license on the customer monitor to see the Marriage License information entered in real time and tell the clerk if you see a mistake. We will ask you after you receive the Marriage License to review it for any errors or typos before you leave. If you find any, simply return to the clerk who processed your application and they will correct the mistake.
• We will correct the Marriage License free of charge within the 24-hour period after you obtain the Marriage License.
• After the 24-hour period has passed you can obtain a correction for a fee of $25 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk.
• The Amendment process allows for certain corrections after you receive your Certificate of Marriage Registration.

Q. What is an Amendment?
A. The City Clerk has the discretion to correct Marriage Records whenever it is claimed that a mistake was made in any of the statements on your Marriage License application. You can correct the error by filing an application for an Amendment.

Q. Can I use a Marriage License obtained at one of your offices outside of New York City in another part of New York State?
A. Yes. You may use a Marriage License issued in New York City in any part of New York State. Your marriage record will be maintained by the Office of the City Clerk.

Q. Can I use a Marriage License obtained in another part of New York State in the City of New York?
A. Yes. You may use a Marriage License issued by a Town Clerk or City Clerk outside of New York City anywhere within the City of New York. Your marriage record will be maintained by the Department of Health of the State of New York in Albany.

Q. Can I use a Marriage License obtained at one of your offices in another state?
A. No. A Marriage License issued in New York City may not be used outside of New York State. Please note that if you marry outside of New York State, your marriage record will be filed in that jurisdiction.

Q. Can I register my Marriage Record from another jurisdiction with your offices?
A. No. We do not register marriages performed in jurisdictions outside of New York City in our offices. We only maintain marriage records where the Marriage License was obtained in one of our offices. While some other countries require their residents to register any marriage performed elsewhere in their local registry, New York City does not.

Q. What type of Marriage Ceremony is necessary?
A. Learn more about the options for ceremonies from the Marriage Ceremony section of this site. Instead of a ceremony, New York State Law permits a marriage to be solemnized by a written contract. The contract must be signed by both parties and at least two witnesses and all signatures must be given within the State. The contract must state the place of residence of each party and of each witness and must state the date and place of marriage. The contract must be acknowledged by both the parties and witnesses before a judge of a court of record of the State of New York.

Q. Who can perform a Marriage Ceremony?
A. A Marriage Ceremony can be performed by any licensed Marriage Officiant.

Q. Which Marriage Records are kept on file in your offices?
A. We maintain Marriage Records from January 1, 1930, through today's date. For any Marriage Records dated prior to January 1, 1930, please visit the New York City Archives Web site. For Marriage Records issued by any Town Clerk or City Clerk outside of New York City but within the State of New York, please visit the New York State Department of Health Web site.

Q. How can I obtain copies of my Marriage Records?
A. You can obtain copies of your Marriage Records in person or by mail.

Q. Are Marriage Records public?
A. Only Marriage Records that are at least 50 years old from today's date or where both husband and wife are deceased are public.

Q. Who is entitled to get copies of Marriage Records?
A. Any person can request copies of Marriage Records that are more than 50 years old from today's date. Certain people can obtain copies of Marriage Records that are less than 50 years old.

Q. Can I obtain a letter that indicates that I am either single or unmarried?
A. No. However, we can provide you with a letter that indicates that there is no marriage record with your name on file in our office. This is known as a "no record" letter. You may obtain this my visiting the Record Room Division of the Manhattan office and filling out a search application. There is a fee of $5 by credit card or money order payable to the City Clerk. If you need an official documentation of your unmarried status to get married in another country, you must obtain a Certificate of Non-Impediment.

Q. Can I have both a religious and civil ceremony?
A. Yes. Many couples choose to have a civil Marriage Ceremony prior to a religious Marriage Ceremony. You may marry the same person more than once.

Q. What can I do if the person who performed my Marriage Ceremony fails to return my Marriage License or if the Marriage License is lost?
A. You must present the Office of the City Clerk a letter from the Marriage Officiant addressed to the City Clerk and written on the Marriage Officiant's official stationary stating that the ceremony did occur and the date of occurrence. You or your spouse will be asked to complete a Duplicate Marriage License Affidavit that you fill out in our office. You must then request a Duplicate Marriage License for a fee of $25 money order payable to the City Clerk. You must then have all of the parties who signed the original Marriage License fill out the Duplicate Marriage License. If the original signers are not available due to death or otherwise, you should contact the Office of the City Clerk. After all of the documents have been submitted properly and reviewed, we will issue your Certificate of Marriage Registration.