How to Obtain a North Carolina Marriage License

In the state of North Carolina you must obtain a marriage license prior to your wedding in order to be recognized as legally married. The marriage license is valid for 60 days and there is no waiting period, so you can get married as soon as you have your license in hand. A marriage license from any county in the state will work anywhere within North Carolina, so you can obtain your license in whichever county is convenient for you, regardless of what county the wedding will take place in. You will also need to select two witnesses to sign your marriage license after the ceremony. These witnesses can be anyone over the age of 18. Each county has its own process, but generally both parties are required to visit the Register of Deeds Office and provide identification. Once there you will be required to pay a $60 fee (many counties only accept cash!) and fill out a form.

After the ceremony we make sure that the license is properly filled out and return it to its county of origin for you. We’re also happy to answer any question you might have about the marriage license or other technical marriage questions— We have built up a wealth of knowledge as we’ve helped couples from a large variety of situations!

Below are links to the Registers of some of our most-frequently served counties: