How to Get a Marriage License in Jersey City: Step by Step

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

At a glance

Where

Jersey City Office of the City Clerk (marriage licenses), City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Booking

Call 201-547-5150, option 3. Arrange your ceremony before booking the license appointment; the Clerk's Office asks for three weeks' notice before the ceremony. Office hours for marriage licenses were not stated on the pages read.

Fee

$28 Cash only; credit and debit cards are not accepted. Marriage certificate copies are $25 each. Confirm with the clerk.

Payment

Cash only, paid at the appointment

Who attends

Both partners attend the application appointment, with one eyewitness. Only one partner needs to attend the pickup appointment.

Valid for

30 days

Same day?

No. The license is picked up at an appointment booked at least 72 hours after the application appointment.

Step by step

1. Apply. Apply in person, by appointment only. Bring the completed REG-77 state marriage license application (a copy is given at the appointment), and be ready to state the date and place of your ceremony.
2. Book or plan your visit. Call 201-547-5150, option 3. Arrange your ceremony before booking the license appointment; the Clerk's Office asks for three weeks' notice before the ceremony. Office hours for marriage licenses were not stated on the pages read.
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both partners attend the application appointment, with one eyewitness. Only one partner needs to attend the pickup appointment. Cash only, paid at the appointment
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in New Jersey. 30 days

What to bring

• Valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID
• Proof of Jersey City residency if applicable (for example a utility bill or bank statement)
• One eyewitness at the application appointment
• Completed REG-77 Marriage License Application

Good to know

• Residency rule: at least one partner lives in Jersey City, or both live out of state and will marry in Jersey City
• Judges and religious officials (ministers, rabbis, imams) may officiate; the ceremony must be in New Jersey; Clerk staff do not perform marriages
• The license has four copies; the officiant signs all of them. Copies 1 and 2 must be filed within five days of the ceremony in the city where it took place (Jersey City: City Hall lobby drop box, though the page also mentions booking a drop-off appointment)
• The marriage certificate is not sent automatically; request it by mail (REG-37 form, ID photocopy, stamped self-addressed envelope, check or money order to City of Jersey City) or in person by appointment
• Civil ceremony at city locations is $100 if one or both partners live in Jersey City, $150 if neither does, paid in advance at the Clerk's office

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 New Jersey, one ceremony can be both. See imams serving Jersey City and our New Jersey nikah guide for who may officiate and how the marriage is recorded.

A few common questions

Details come from the Jersey City Office of the City Clerk (marriage licenses) website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Jersey City Office of the City Clerk (marriage licenses): marriage license page. Contact: 201-547-5150, option 3; City general line 201-547-5000. This guide is general information, not legal advice.