What you need to legally marry in North Carolina: a $60 fee, no waiting period, 2 witnesses and a license that is valid 60 days. You apply at the Register of Deeds.
The eight things the Register of Deeds will ask about or check. County rules can add small extras, so confirm with your local office before you go.
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A marriage license in North Carolina costs $60. You pay it at the Register of Deeds when you apply. Extra certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you will want for a name change, a passport or insurance updates, often cost more.
That puts North Carolina inside the roughly $30 to $100 range most states charge. Accepted payment methods differ from office to office, so check before the visit.
Both partners need a valid government photo ID. If either of you was married before, bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate. North Carolina does not require proof of residency.
In most counties both of you go in person, and some offices ask you to fill in the form online or book an appointment first. Check which offices can issue your license before you drive anywhere.
Fill in the application and pay the $60 fee. Have both Social Security numbers ready (non-citizens can usually give a passport or visa number), plus your parents' full names and your places of birth.
North Carolina has no waiting period, so you can marry as soon as the license is in your hands. Most couples still apply a few days ahead.
The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen and the license has to be signed inside this window. An authorized officiant leads the ceremony, see who qualifies below.
After the ceremony the officiant and any required witnesses sign the license. It goes back to the Register of Deeds, often filed by the officiant, within the time North Carolina law allows. The county then records it and issues your marriage certificate.
A short walkthrough of the documents and the clerk visit. Fees and offices differ by state, so match the details to the North Carolina facts above.
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At 18 or older you can marry without anyone's permission.
Applicants who are 16 or 17 need consent from a parent or guardian or a district court order, though emancipated minors do not need parental consent. The other party can be no more than four years older, and no one under 16 can marry.
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. 51-2 and 51-2.1 (S.L. 2021-119, effective Aug 26, 2021)
Bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate to the first visit. Ask the Register of Deeds whether it needs a certified copy.
North Carolina has no residency requirement, so couples from other states can apply at the Register of Deeds with valid ID. The license only works for a ceremony inside North Carolina.
Same-sex marriage is legal in North Carolina, as in every state, since Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). The requirements are the same for every couple.
Foreign nationals can marry in North Carolina with a valid passport as photo ID. Marrying does not change immigration status by itself, and documents in another language may need certified translations.
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Ordained ministers, priests, and clergy authorized by their denomination, or a magistrate designated by the Administrative Office of the Courts (a district court judge stands in only if no magistrate is designated for that jurisdiction). Marriage in accordance with the customs of a recognized religious denomination or federally/state recognized Indian nation or tribe is also valid.
Officiant rules in every stateNorth Carolina requires two witnesses at the ceremony in addition to the officiant (N.C. Gen. Stat. 51-16), and the officiant must return the completed license to the Register of Deeds within 10 days or forfeit $200. Universal Life Church ordinations have been held insufficient to qualify as an ordained minister under North Carolina law (State v. Lynch, 301 N.C. 479, 1980); marriages solemnized by ULC ministers before July 3, 1981 were legislatively validated, but later ones remain at risk.
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Fees, waiting period, validity, ID, witnesses and residency for North Carolina.
A North Carolina marriage license costs $60. You pay it at the Register of Deeds. Certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you need for a name change, can cost extra. Payment methods differ by office, so call ahead to check whether it takes cash, card or check.
No. North Carolina has no waiting period, so you can apply for and use your marriage license on the same day. Many couples still apply a few days ahead to avoid last-minute stress.
A North Carolina marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen inside this window, or you reapply and pay the fee again.
Each partner needs a valid government photo ID, such as a US passport, a driver's license or state ID card, a US military ID, a permanent resident card or a foreign passport. Bring it to the Register of Deeds, and check the office's own list before you go.
Yes. North Carolina's rule: 2 witnesses. Witnesses usually need to be adults who can sign the license. Most couples ask the maid of honor and the best man.
No. North Carolina does not require residency. Out-of-state couples can apply at the Register of Deeds with the required ID, and the license works for a ceremony anywhere in North Carolina.
