How to Get a Marriage License in Chicago: Step by Step

If you want your nikah to be a legal marriage in Illinois as well, you need a marriage license first. Here is how it works in Chicago, from applying to collecting the license, in plain steps.

At a glance

Where

Cook County Clerk, Vital Records, Downtown Chicago Vital Records: 118 N. Clark St., Room 120, Chicago, IL 60602 (the Clerk has four Vital Records locations; the others were not read)

Booking

The page links to a Make an Appointment page but does not say appointments are required. Licences are issued while you wait. Downtown office hours Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.

Fee

$60

Who attends

Both applicants together. For 16-17 year olds, both parents or legal guardians must also appear in person and give sworn consent with valid ID.

Valid for

Effective 1 day after issuance and valid for 60 days. Valid only for ceremonies in Chicago and suburban Cook County. A ceremony after expiry is not valid.

Same day?

Issued while you wait, but effective 1 day after issuance (the ceremony cannot be on the day of issue).

Step by step

1. Apply. Appear together at a Clerk Vital Records location, fill out and sign the application and pay. Alternatively, start the application on the Clerk's online marriage application, then finish, sign and pay in person and tell the clerk you applied online.
2. Book or plan your visit. The page links to a Make an Appointment page but does not say appointments are required. Licences are issued while you wait. Downtown office hours Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both applicants together. For 16-17 year olds, both parents or legal guardians must also appear in person and give sworn consent with valid ID.
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in Illinois. Effective 1 day after issuance and valid for 60 days. Valid only for ceremonies in Chicago and suburban Cook County. A ceremony after expiry is not valid.

What to bring

• Valid identification with proof of age
• Both must be 18+, or 16-17 with parental consent (then a certified birth certificate plus a second ID showing date of birth)
• Not blood relatives (first cousins over 50 may marry); not already legally married
• Divorced: give the date the divorce was finalized; if within the last 6 months, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree
• No residency or SSN requirement stated on the page

Good to know

• Illinois does not require wedding officiants to register with any government office
• No officiant: a Cook County judge can marry you at the Marriage and Civil Union Court, lower level, 119 W. Randolph St.; suburban courthouses also perform ceremonies (some by appointment only)
• The officiant completes the bottom of the licence and mails or delivers it to the Clerk; it must be returned within 10 days after the ceremony
• Marriage certificate copy $15; additional copies of the same record $4 each at the time of request; commemorative certificate $65

Your nikah and the license

The license is what makes your marriage legal. Your nikah is the religious ceremony. If your imam is authorized to solemnize marriages in Illinois, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving Chicago and our Illinois nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the Cook County Clerk, Vital Records website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Cook County Clerk, Vital Records: marriage license page. Contact: (312) 603-7790 (Downtown Vital Records). This guide is general information, not legal advice.