Marriage FAQS
Below you will find important facts to obtaining marriage license and your appointments with New York City Clerk.
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Getting Your Marriage License
(updated 12/06/2022)
Due to COVID-19, all NYC City Clerk offices are closed for walk-in services.
All couples must make an appointment with NYC City Clerk, online via Project Cupid website. Once you set your appointment date, you and future spouse will have a virtual or face to face date with a NYC City Clerk.
If virtual, you are your future spouse MUST be in the state of New York during that appointment.
After your marriage license appointment is completed with the NYC City Clerk, they will issued a marriage license the same day.
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Normally all you need is a valid government-issued photo ID (foreign or domestic) and be of legal age to apply for a marriage license. You can visit NYC City Clerk for alternate forms of ID or other requirements to obtain a marriage license.
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Although appointment slots for NYC City Clerk are fluid on the site, appointments are released on a limited weekly basis occurring Thursday at 9am for virtual (extremely limited) or in person on Mondays at 9am. You can follow the NYC City Clerk on Twitter for date announcements.
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Keep in mind your ceremony date must be within 60 days of the appointment or NYC City Clerk will cancel your appointment.
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If you have an urgent matter, message them on Project Cupid website there is a link in purple, on the upper right hand corner of the page "report an issue." The city clerk should respond to you for a possible exception.
Some couples have bypassed this whole process and just went in person to other cities, municipalities and/or townships that are open to obtain a marriage license.
Claribel the Officiant has the authority to marry anyone with a marriage license from New York City or issued from anywhere else in the state.
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You can book me at any time during your marriage license process. While I am not in control of the website, or NYC City Clerk, I do my best to help couples through the finish line.
Should you apply for a permit or not?
Any public space in New York City, is mostly available to the general public; however, there are some considerations if you are thinking on using these public spaces for your wedding ceremony. We all have the right to use any public space on a first come, first serve basis.
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Any gathering over 25 people requires a permit. I highly suggest to apply for a special events permit at the NYC Parks Department . If you would like your wedding ceremony location, e.g. Wagner Cove, Cop Cot, Washington Square Park, etc., to be "guaranteed" and be "yours" for the duration of your marriage ceremony, in addition to be guaranteed a certain date/time, then yes apply for a permit.
Many people forego the permitting process because elopements are small, informal, fun and take less time. Believe or not people in the city are very nice and accommodating to couples getting married and move over to let you have your moment. And like good New Yorkers that we are, we mind our business, haha!
Keep in mind you're not the only eloping couple thinking the same. So you may even see other couples "waiting their turn" to get married in the same space, specifically in the warmer months and fall. If you are wanting to elope in New York City's iconic places like Central Park, or the steps of the New York City Public Library, the smaller the headcount the better.
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If you have no problem waiting your turn, go with the flow person, you are open to a "plan b" location, and have less than 25 people, you don't need a permit. Most of my elopements are in public spaces and are done with no permit.
If you're planning ahead, have a larger party, want a more formal vibe, guaranteed space, and with at least 30 days of anticipation, you will need a special events permit.
Here is the link where to apply. Or I can do it for you, depending on the package you select for a nominal fee.
Eloping to NYC, but live in another country?
Are you a tourist? If so, the Marriage FAQS applies to you too! Read through the "getting your marriage license" section above and it explain your first steps.
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In addition, all tourists that live in another country are highly encouraged to obtain an apostille from the Department of State of New York while you are in NYC. The good news is that we are located in New York City. The city clerk and the Department of State are both just a few blocks away from each other. No worries, I'll help you get all your appointments along the way.
Anyone that is wanting to get married in New York City that is a tourist residing in another country, plan on staying at least 5 to 7 days in NYC. Here is a eloping itinerary that I recommend:
- Day 1: your arrive in NYC
- Day 2: attend your marriage license appointment (a business day)
- Day 3: let 24 hour grace period pass (enjoy the sites)
- Day 4: get married (Ceremony and Officiant signs off, celebrate)
- Day 5: this is a 3 part day (business day). Go in person to the record room with a morning appointment at the city clerk to process your signed marriage license. You will receive a foreign use marriage certificate. Part one done.
Next, you will then get that foreign use marriage certificate "wet-signed" by the city clerk. Part 2 done. Finally, the you will attend a mid-day appointment at the Department of State to receive your apostille on the wet-signed foreign use marriage certificate. You should be done with all of this by 2 pm. The good thing is you're getting married in the capitol of the world, and all these important departments are 1 block away from each other.
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In addition, all tourists that live in another country are highly encouraged to obtain an apostille from the Department of State of New York while you are in NYC. The good news is that we are located in New York City. The city clerk and the Department of State are both just a few blocks away from each other. No worries, I'll help you get all your appointments along the way.
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My recommendation is this, while getting an apostille is not always needed, you are in the USA already go ahead and take advantage and get the apostille done. You leave with all the paperwork you would ever need regarding the validity of your marriage.
To clarify, this one marriage is legal and valid anywhere in the world. In the future you may need to "prove" to your home country that your marriage is legal for estate planning, adoption, immigration, etc. The apostille provides the legal validity of your marriage to international courts.
These appointments may be tricky, but no worries, I will guide you along the way.