Marriage License Requirements

Each state has its own requirements that must be fulfilled before getting a marriage license; here is a summary of the most common requirements. As always, double check your particular state's laws, as the requirements change constantly.

A Blood Test

Some states make couples intending to get married get a blood test as one of their marriage license requirements. This is becoming a less common requirement, but it still exists in many states. Here is a list of states requiring blood tests:

District of Columbia, Mississippi, Montana, New York (only for sickle cell in African and Hispanic American applicants)

A Waiting Period after Applying to Get Married

Some states require a waiting period after applying for a marriage license but before receiving the license, to ensure that couples have time to really think things out and be certain that they're making the right decision. Here is a list of common waiting periods, and the states that have them.

1 day : South Carolina

3 days : Alaska, District of Columbia, Florida (unless couple attends a marriage preparation class), Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington

5 days : Minnesota, Wisconsin

A Waiting Period after Receiving a Marriage License

In addition to the above waiting period, some states include as one of their marriage license requirements a waiting period between the time you receive your marriage license and the time you can actually, legally, get married. Most states allow you to get married immediately, but here are the ones that don't and how long you have to wait.

1 day : Delaware, Illinois, New York

2 days : Maryland,

3 days : Iowa, Louisiana, Texas

How Long Until Your Marriage License Expires

Once you've received your marriage license, it is only valid for a certain amount of time. Here's how long you have before your license expires and you have to reapply.

30 days : Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin

60 days : Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia

90 days : Alaska, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island

6 months : Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana

1 year : Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada

Other : Connecticut (65 days), Michigan (33 days), South Dakota (20 days)

No expiration : District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Wyoming