How To Get Married At The Courthouse

How to get married in Arizona with a courthouse wedding and Maricopa County marriage license

I get phone calls regularly from couples who find me online and need to know how to get married in Arizona and how to get their Maricopa County marriage license. I'll give you the cliff notes here, so you have a better idea what's required.

How to obtain a marriage license in Arizona

To obtain aMaricopa County marriage license and/orArizona marriage license, you must be at least 18 years old, have two forms of identification, and go with your fiance to the courthouse. The marriage license is around $80 and gives you permission to get married in Arizona.

If you intend to change your last name after getting married, be sure to pay the extra fee (I think it's around $35), so your marriage certificate is mailed back out to you after your marriage license has been recorded. Your marriage certificate will be required for name change, bank accounts, trust documents and lots of other legal stuff, so it's a good idea to pay the extra fee. That way you won't have to call to get copies of court records down the road, when you might be in a hurry.

No blood test is required in Arizona and if you happen to be previously married, you don't need to bring a copy of a divorce decree either.

I would never sign a marriage license issued to a minor, but minors age 16 and 17 can get married with their parent's consent.

They will hand you the marriage license while at the courthouse. The license is valid for one year from the date it's issued, so if you get your license on March 1st, 2017, it's valid until March 1st, 2018.

Once your license has been signed by a judge, minister or officiant, it must be given to the county recorder within 30 days, or won't be recorded. I always send signed marriage licenses to the recorder within 24 hours of being signed.

I offer discountcourthouse weddings here. For a list of locations to obtain your Maricopa County marriage license, click here.

YOU CANNOT GET MARRIED AND HAVE YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE SIGNED WHILE AT THE COURTHOUSE UNTIL 5PM, MONDAY-FRIDAY. THE LINE STARTS FORMING AT 4PM AND DOORS CLOSE AT 5PM.

It's also important to note that marriage licenses are good for one year from the date of issue. If you get your license and then wait for more than a year to tie the knot, your license will have expired and you'll need to get a new one.

Arizona marriage license requirements are simpler than you think!

So, let's recap…

You'll need to go to the courthouse with your fiance and I highly recommend scheduling an appointment ahead of time, which you can do online. You'll need 2 forms of identification. No blood test required.
You'll need to pay around $120 for your marriage license and certified copy of your marriage certificate.
Then contact me to get it signed and filed!

Want to know why having me sign your license is so much more convenient than the courthouse wedding process? Click here.

If dealing with one way streets and downtown parking, bringing two witnesses with you, and waiting in line for who knows how long sounds inconvenient to you….. fill out my contact form and I can help you take care of it without any of the hassle.