The Officiant Zone

Getting a marriage license in New Jersey 

1. If the bride lives in NJ, the couple applies in her town; if the bride doesn’t live in NJ but the groom does, it’s his town; if neither live in NJ, they apply in the town where the marriage is taking place.

2. Call the Registrar of Vital Statistics in the town and make an appointment. Hours are generally between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

3. Both the groom and bride must appear in person, (not necessarily at the same time) and each must be accompanied by the same witness.

4. The bride, groom and the witness bring two forms of identification. Both forms of ID must be government issued, and one must be a photo identification. If you don’t have a photo ID, call the registrar before you go and let them know. You must have the Officiants Name, Address and Title to apply for a Marriage licence. If you choose to book our services you will be provided with this information upon receipt of deposit.

Proper identification is:

Photo Driver’s License or Driver’s License without photo

Passport

Birth Certificate

Social Security Card

Visa for staying in the United States

5. If this is a second (or more) marriage for either, with the first marriage ending in the death of a spouse, bring the death certificate; if legal annulment, bring the annulment order; or if divorce, bring the first page of the divorce decree showing jurisdiction, docket number and date of filing. All previous spouses are listed on the application and on the license.

6. The license in New Jersey currently costs $28. There is a 72 hour waiting period required between application and issuance. In an emergency (illness, military leave, etc.), a Superior Court Judge (found in County Courthouses) can sign a waiver lifting the 72 hour waiting period. You apply for the License, seek out a Judge to grant the waiver, and then take that paper you receive from the Judge’s office to the town to have the License issued immediately.

7. When you get your license, carefully review every line for errors and have them corrected at once. Erroneous information will require a change order and delay your receipt of your "Proof of Marriage Documents". The information on the license is used for many purposes, and like Birth and Death certificates, once the "Seal" is placed on the document, you live with that information as a permanent part of your record, SO MAKE SURE IT IS ACCURATE. This information is also given later to Social Security, so it must match what they already have on file. Show any errors to the registrar and have them give you a corrected license immediately.

8. You now have a four part carbon-copied license to be wed. Keep it safe and DO NOT write on it or over it. On the day of the wedding the license is to be handed to the officiant performing the ceremony. Any payment due the officiant can be placed in the envelope with the license.

9. After the celebrant and any two adults you choose (18 years or older) sign the license (sometimes it is the Best Man & Maid of Honor ; it can also be any other 2 people you wish to include that day), you are supposed to receive the pink copy of the license.

10. Take the pink copy on your honeymoon, it is your only proof that you are married. The pink copy has no legal force. It can be saved as a piece of memorabilia while you await your real "proofs of marriage certificates."

11. The marriage license must be filed by the officiant in the town where the wedding takes place within 5 days of the ceremony. Make sure your officiant will take care of this. The officiant holds onto the blue copy and sends in the 2 white copies.

12. Now for your proof of marriage. For the bride to take on the groom’s last name (with or without her own last name) on her drivers license, bank, insurance, and Social Security (we’ll go into that in a moment), she needs the "Proof of Marriage" that is obtained from the registrar of town where the wedding took place, or much later, if you are not in a hurry, from the State government in Trenton. Each town has a separate and different fee for each original and requires a "Request for Marriage Certificates" be filled out.

13. Only the Bride and/or Groom may apply in person or by mail for their Certified Proof(s) of Marriage. You need to obtain the application form from the township where the wedding has taken place. Again, you call the Registrar of Vital Statistics. You cannot obtain the proof until after the marriage license is filed by the officiant who conducted your wedding. If you are local to the town, one of you can walk in with and show the pink copy and a photo identification just as you first did when going for your marriage license.