Applying for a Marriage License

How to Apply for a Marriage License

Couples who will be getting married in Massachusetts may file for a Marriage License with any City or Town Clerk in the Commonwealth.

In Belmont, we ask all couples wishing to apply for a Marriage License to make an appointment with the Town Clerk's office.  Appointments are available on this schedule:

• Monday: 10 am, 2 pm, 5 pm
• Tuesday through Thursday: 10 am, 2 pm
• Friday: 10 am

Appointment times may change or be unavailable due to Holidays, Town Meetings or Elections.

Couples may now book an appointment online. Couples may also contact the Town Clerk's office to schedule an appointment at 617-993-2603. A Confirmation will be sent in either case by email.

When filing the intention paperwork, we ask that you have this information, which is helpful but not required:

• Date of the wedding
• Address where the wedding will be held (also name of religious institute, if any)
• Name and mailing address of the Officiant
• Contact information for the Officiant

Typically, both parties must be present to file the intention paperwork. However, there are two exceptions.

1. If a person is in the military, intentions may be filed by either party alone, providing one is a Massachusetts resident.
2. If a person is incarcerated in a county house of correction or a state correctional facility, intentions may be filed by either party alone.

A marriage license, once obtained, is valid for 60 days from the date intentions are filed and may be used in any Massachusetts city or town. It is not valid outside the state of Massachusetts.

Waiting Period

There is a mandatory three-day waiting period. Sundays and holidays are included in the three days.

For example, if you apply on Monday, your license will be available on Thursday; if you apply on Tuesday, your license will be available on Friday; and if you apply on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, your license will be available on Monday.

An encrypted email with a copy of the Marriage License will be sent to the couple for review. If there is an issue with any of the information, simply respond to the email and corrections can be made. One party must then pick up the license at the Town Clerk's office prior to the wedding and give it to the officiant.

Obtaining a Waiver for the Waiting Period

For couples looking to get married immediately, you can obtain a court waiver after filing intentions. According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 207 Section 30, a couple may do so by applying to the judge of a probate or district court to have the license issued without delay, after filing intentions with the Town Clerk.

To obtain a waiver, you should:

1. File your intentions with any city or town clerk and inform them of your intent to obtain a waiver.
2. Go to probate or district court and file an application for a waiver. It must be filed by both parties. The court schedules the hearing at their complete discretion and the couple should plan for a possible wait of several hours.
3. After a hearing, if the court has issued a waiver, return to the Town Clerk's office with the waiver and receive the license.

If the court has not issued a waiver after the hearing, the couple must wait the three days and return to the Town Clerk's office to obtain their license.

Under extraordinary or emergency circumstances, such as if the death of either party is imminent or a female is nearing the end of her pregnancy, an authorized request by a minister or member of the clergy or an attending physician shall suffice, and the clerk can issue the license without delay.

License Fee

The filing fee in Belmont is $50, which includes the intention filing fee ($30) and one Certified Copy of the Marriage Certificate ($20). The Town Clerk's office staff will ask for a mailing address to send the certificate when the couple files their intentions.

This fee is payable at the time the intention is filed. Cash or checks payable to the Town of Belmont are acceptable forms of payment.

Age Requirement

Massachusetts residents may marry if both of the applicants are 18 years of age or older. A birth certificate may be required to show proof of age. However, if either party is under 18, a court order from a probate or district court where the minor resides must be obtained before the marriage intentions can be filed.

Divorced or Annulled Applicants

The intention paperwork will require you to state if this is your first, second, etc. marriage. If a previous marriage was annulled, you will not include that marriage and may be required to show a copy of the annulment paperwork.

If you are divorced, you are not required to present a divorce certificate. However, it is extremely important that an individual who has been divorced is certain that it is absolute (90 days after the divorce NISI). If you are uncertain as to the absolute date of your divorce, you should contact the court where it was granted.

Clergy & Justice of the Peace

The member of the clergy or justice of the peace must complete and sign the original license, in section 20 only, and return it to the clerk of the city or town where the license was issued. When filing an intention to marry, we will ask for the name and contact phone of the person who will perform the marriage.

Every community in Massachusetts has Justices of the Peace (JPs) who are commissioned by the Governor. The list of Belmont JPs can be made available upon request.

If an out-of-state member of the clergy is to perform the marriage, the member of the clergy must obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth prior to the ceremony. This certificate, which is issued by the Public Records Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, is to be attached to the original license and returned to the Town Clerk's office. The Certificate of Authorization may be obtained at:

Division of Public Records
Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1719
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-727-2836
Secretary of the Commonwealth Out-of-State Clergy Website Page

One-Day Solemnizer

A person who is not a recognized member of the clergy in Massachusetts or a Justice of the Peace, such as a relative or family friend, may obtain special permission from the Governor to perform a marriage. The original certificate must be submitted with the signed marriage license after the ceremony.

Apply online or by mail for a One-Day Solemnization Certificate. View information and instructions.

• The Solemnizer must complete Section 20 only.
• Print legibly with permanent black ink only, make no stray marks. Cross-outs will be rejected.
• The month must be written out, such as September 30, not 9/30 or Sep 30.
• If the wedding does not take place at a temple, church, synagogue or recognized place of worship, the Solemnizer must write the street address instead of naming the location. For example, in lieu of Belmont Town Hall, it should read 455 Concord Avenue, Belmont
• In the "Title" field, the solemnizer must enter "One Day Solemnizer"
• The address field to the right of the Solemnizer's signature field is the full home address of the Solemnizer, including City/Town, State and Zip-code.

License forms that are incomplete or filled out incorrectly will be returned to the Solemnizer and may be subject to a correction fee.

Special Requirements for Immigrants

If either of the parties has arrived as an immigrant from a foreign country at least five days before filing the intention application, the application may be filed at any time before the marriage, and the certificate shall be issued at any time after the filing.

If either party is an immigrant who is also filing to be a naturalized U.S. citizen, it is extremely important that the information provided on the intention paperwork matches the citizenship paperwork filed with the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. If you have an immigration attorney, it is recommended that you confer with them before filing your Marriage Intention forms.

Obtaining Certified Copies of the Marriage Certificate

As mentioned above, a Certified Copy of the Marriage Certificate is included for any couple filing their intentions. This process takes approximately ten days from the day the license is received from the Solemnizer (Justice of the Peace, Priest, Rabbi, etc.).

After the marriage is performed, and the Solemnizer has returned the signed marriage license to the Office of the Town Clerk, the marriage is recorded by the State of Massachusetts. Any time after the marriage is recorded, a certified copy of the marriage certificate can be issued. 

Either party may call the Town Clerk's Office at 617-993-2603 to check on the availability of the marriage certificate. Each certified copy is $20 and usable for all legal purposes.

Changing Your Name

In addition to being a marriage application form, the marriage intention form also serves as a legal name change document. The document has a field for the name you would like to use after marriage. Both parties may change their name to whatever they wish at this time. By answering this question, you avoid the probate court fees for initiating a name change. 

The intention filing does not automatically change your name on other documents. To facilitate those name changes for Social Security and motor vehicles, you must appear in person with a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

Locations for in-person name changes:

• Social Security Administration
  10 Fawcett Street, 1st FL
  Cambridge, MA 02138
• Registry of Motor Vehicles
  550 Arsenal Street
  Watertown, MA 02472

If you have a passport, you may correct your name by visiting the passport website.

You should also make the necessary changes to your work, insurance, health care provider, banks, retirement, etc.