What you need to legally marry in Virginia: a $30 fee, no waiting period, no witnesses and a license that is valid 60 days. You apply at the Circuit Court Clerk.
The eight things the Circuit Court Clerk 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 Virginia costs $30. You pay it at the Circuit Court Clerk 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 Virginia 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. Virginia 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 $30 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.
Virginia 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 Circuit Court Clerk, often filed by the officiant, within the time Virginia 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 Virginia facts above.
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At 18 or older you can marry without anyone's permission.
No one under 18 can marry in Virginia, even with parental consent or court approval. The ban took effect July 1, 2024, and also ended the old emancipation exception.
Bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate to the first visit. Ask the Circuit Court Clerk whether it needs a certified copy.
Virginia has no residency requirement, so couples from other states can apply at the Circuit Court Clerk with valid ID. The license only works for a ceremony inside Virginia.
Same-sex marriage is legal in Virginia, as in every state, since Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). The requirements are the same for every couple.
Foreign nationals can marry in Virginia 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, rabbis, and other clergy. Judges and justices of any court, retired judges. A circuit court judge can grant a one-time civil marriage ceremony authorization letting a person of the couple's choosing officiate a specific wedding (Va. Code 20-25); this is a per-ceremony order, not a standing appointment, and circuit court clerks process the paperwork but do not authorize or perform ceremonies themselves.
Officiant rules in every stateVirginia banned marriage under 18 with no exceptions via HB 994, effective July 1, 2024, becoming the first state in the South to fully ban child marriage. No witnesses, blood test, or waiting period are required, and the license can be issued from any county regardless of where the ceremony takes place. Virginia previously recognized a limited common-law grandfather clause that ended via HB 1028, effective January 1, 2022; Virginia still recognizes a common law marriage validly formed in another state through comity. Recognition of online/Universal Life Church-style ordinations is contested in Virginia: several circuit courts, including Fairfax, Augusta, and Staunton, have refused to recognize them, and a federal lawsuit challenging this (Universal Life Church Monastery Storehouse v. Landes, W.D. Va.) was dismissed on standing grounds in February 2026 and is headed to appeal, so do not assume online ordinations are reliably valid here.
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Fees, waiting period, validity, ID, witnesses and residency for Virginia.
A Virginia marriage license costs $30. You pay it at the Circuit Court Clerk. 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. Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Circuit Court Clerk, and check the office's own list before you go.
No. Virginia does not legally require witnesses for the ceremony, though many couples have them anyway.
No. Virginia does not require residency. Out-of-state couples can apply at the Circuit Court Clerk with the required ID, and the license works for a ceremony anywhere in Virginia.
