Marriage Application Process (Notice of Intention to Marry)

For marriage application, please refer to the following process information.

Forms Completion Process

• All application forms must be completed in the presence of City Clerk Staff. Any forms completed outside the presence of City Clerk Staff will not be accepted or processed. If special conditions exist such as hospitalization, incarceration, or medical conditions. If special circumstances exist, one of the parties must appear in the Office of the City Clerk to make inquiry and make the necessary arrangements
  • Both parties must appear in the Office of the City Clerk to complete all application forms-
•  Both parties must present valid identification which may be a photo identification issued by a State or Federal Agency such as Driver’s License or a Passport. Expired identification documents will not be accepted. Parties must also present a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Licenses Issuance Process

Licenses cannot be issued until 3 calendar days after the application has been completed. Intervening weekends and holidays are counted. For example, for applications completed on Friday, license cannot be issued until the following Monday. This requirement can only be waived by a petition presented and approved by a Judge upon a petition for a marriage waiver. Please contact the District Court in your area to obtain information concerning a petition for a marriage waiver and to request a hearing. Please obtain a certified copy of the petition from the Court upon approval to be submitted in support of the marriage license application.

Marriage Licenses Validity Date

Marriage licenses remain effective for sixty (60) days from the date of issue and are valid only for marriages conducted within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Application Fees

A fee of $25 is due and payable at the time the application is completed.

Application Process Time & Accommodation

Due to its length, the application process takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. As a result, applications must be requested no later than one half hour before the office closes for business at 4:30 p.m. Applications requested up to 4 p.m. will be processed as timely as possible. Due to the affidavit requirements of the application, any application not completed by close of business will make it necessary for both parties to return and complete the application on another day. Please allow sufficient time to complete the application if you intend to arrive later in the day. Your patience is appreciated.

[updated: 02-18-21]