How to Get a Marriage License in New York City: Step by Step

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

At a glance

Where

Office of the City Clerk, Marriage Bureau, Borough offices: Manhattan 141 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013; Brooklyn 210 Joralemon Street, 2nd Floor, Room 205, Brooklyn, NY 11201; Queens 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room G-100, Kew Gardens, NY 11424; Bronx 851 Grand Concourse, Room B131, Bronx, NY 10451; Staten Island 10 Richmond Terrace, 3rd Floor, Room 311, Staten Island, NY 10301

Booking

Appointment required; no walk-ins. Book an in-person appointment at a borough office or a virtual appointment through Project Cupid (nyc.gov/cupid). Borough offices are open Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-4 PM (Manhattan 8:30 AM-3:45 PM).

Fee

$35 Duplicate licence (lost/stolen/damaged) $25; corrections before the ceremony $25. A judicial waiver of the 24-hour wait has no fee.

Payment

Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), Visa or Mastercard debit cards, or money orders payable to the City Clerk

Who attends

Both people, in person at a borough office or together at a virtual Project Cupid appointment. Applicants under 18 need written parental consent and cannot apply online.

Valid for

Usually 60 days (180 days for active military). The ceremony can be held anywhere in New York State.

Same day?

If all required documents are provided, the licence is issued the same day (virtual applicants get a digital download in their Cupid account). The ceremony must be at least 24 hours after the licence is received; a judicial waiver can be requested from the County Clerk in the issuing borough.

Step by step

1. Apply. Both people complete the online marriage licence application (the sworn affidavit that there are no legal barriers) on the City Clerk's site and receive a confirmation number. The online application expires after 21 days, so the appointment must be completed within that time.
2. Book or plan your visit. Appointment required; no walk-ins. Book an in-person appointment at a borough office or a virtual appointment through Project Cupid (nyc.gov/cupid). Borough offices are open Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-4 PM (Manhattan 8:30 AM-3:45 PM).
3. Gather your ID and documents. See the list below. Bring originals.
4. Attend and pay. Both people, in person at a borough office or together at a virtual Project Cupid appointment. Applicants under 18 need written parental consent and cannot apply online. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), Visa or Mastercard debit cards, or money orders payable to the City Clerk
5. Give the license to your officiant. Your imam needs it at the ceremony, and must be authorized to solemnize marriages in New York. Usually 60 days (180 days for active military). The ceremony can be held anywhere in New York State.

What to bring

• Confirmation number from the online application
• Valid, unexpired photo ID: U.S. driver's licence or non-driver ID, NY learner's permit, IDNYC, U.S. military ID, valid foreign passport, U.S. naturalization certificate issued within the past 10 years, certain immigration/work authorization cards
• The application asks for a Social Security number; the pages read do not state what applies to people without one
• All prior marriages must be listed (former spouse's full name, date of death if applicable, divorce date and place filed); you may be asked for the final divorce decree
• Divorces, annulments and dissolutions must be finalized before applying
• Minimum age 18; under 18 needs written parental consent
• Residency requirement not stated on the pages read

Good to know

• Surname choice is made on the application and takes legal effect when the ceremony ends; changing it through the City Clerk afterwards requires remarrying
• Officiant, both spouses and witnesses sign the licence; the officiant must return it to the issuing borough office within 5 business days
• Certificate of Marriage Registration is mailed in about 20 days; if a month passes contact the issuing office or officeservices@cityclerk.nyc.gov
• If married at a City Clerk office, the certificate is issued the same day
• Rules on who may officiate and whether imams must register were not found on the pages read

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

A few common questions

Details come from the Office of the City Clerk, Marriage Bureau website, checked in October 2026. Fees, hours and booking rules change, so confirm before you go. Office of the City Clerk, Marriage Bureau: marriage license page. Contact: 311 or 212-639-9675; officeservices@cityclerk.nyc.gov (certificate follow-up). This guide is general information, not legal advice.