When Should You Apply for a Marriage License? (How Far in Advance)

People often get confused about marriage licenses and certificates. While they may sound like the same documents, each one serves a different purpose and each one is necessary for your marriage — in different ways.

The marriage license is the document that grants permission, by the state, for you and your partner to wed. The marriage certificate serves as proof that your marriage ceremony occurred in accordance with the state laws where the license was issued.

But, when do you need to get your marriage license so your wedding can move forward as planned? Here’s what you need to know about timing your marriage license application.

How Do You Apply for a Marriage License?

In most U.S. states, you must go to the county clerk’s office in your county, together, to apply for a marriage license.

While this is inconvenient for many, especially those managing multiple work schedules, living in different cities, or who have jobs that do not accommodate time out of the office during the county clerk’s hours, it is necessary that both parties are present when applying for the license and that you provide appropriate documentation and information.

Luckily, solutions exist today to apply for a marriage license online, regardless of the state or country in which you reside.

How Long Before the Wedding Do You Need to Apply for a Marriage License?

Marriage licenses are documents issued by the state. They grant you permission to get married. Each state has its own requirements for issuing a marriage license, how long the licenses are valid, requirements for a marriage license, and waiting periods between the issuance of a marriage license and the wedding ceremony.

Because of these differences between state jurisdictions, it is impossible to create a one-size-fits-all guide for applying for a marriage license. Especially when it comes to the timing of said application.

For instance, the state of New York requires a 24-hour waiting period between the issuance of the marriage license and when the marriage can take place. The state of Nevada, on the other hand, has no such restriction. You can apply for your marriage license one minute and get married the next.

The other thing to consider is the difference in validity for marriage licenses. For instance, marriage licenses are valid for 60 days in the states of Indiana and New York. However, they are valid for one year from the date of issuance in the state of Nevada.

While you want to make sure you have plenty of time prior to the wedding, you don’t want to run out of time by applying for your marriage license too soon. Two weeks before your intended wedding date is usually a good rule of thumb to consider when applying for a marriage license. That is, unless you have special concerns to work around such as international weddings, in which case you may desire to begin the application process a month before the anticipated wedding date.