weddingAn $83 to $98 license from the Clerk of the Superior Court, no waiting period, and 12 months to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $27,000 Arizona wedding compares.
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The average Arizona wedding costs about 325 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Arizona official sources, see our Arizona requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Clerk of the Superior Court counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (16 with parental consent). You do not need to live in Arizona. No blood test.
Bring valid photo ID. If either of you was married before, have the date the last marriage ended. Your county may ask for more, so check its list before you go.
IllustrativeApply together at the Clerk of the Superior Court and pay the license fee ($83 to $98).
There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day the license is issued.
IllustrativeLicensed or ordained clergy/ministers; judges of courts of record (including Superior Court judges), municipal court judges, and justices of the peace; and certain federal judicial officers (U.S. Witnesses: 2 witnesses (18 or older). The license is valid for 12 months.
The signed license goes back to the issuing office to be recorded. Order certified copies for name changes, insurance and benefits.
Need the document list and county fees? See Arizona marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 12 months before.
| Rule | Arizona (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Clerk of the Superior Court |
| License fee | $83 to $98, varies by county |
| Waiting period | None |
| License valid for | 12 months |
| Minimum age | 18 (16 with parental consent) |
| Witnesses | 2 witnesses (18 or older) |
| Officiant | Licensed or ordained clergy/ministers; judges of courts of record (including Superior Court judges), municipal court judges, and justices of the peace; and certain federal judicial officers (U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. court of appeals and district court judges, bankruptcy and tax court judges, U.S. magistrate judges) and judges of the Arizona court of military appeals. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Clerk of the Superior Court
$83 to $98, varies by county
None
12 months
18 (16 with parental consent)
2 witnesses (18 or older)
Licensed or ordained clergy/ministers; judges of courts of record (including Superior Court judges), municipal court judges, and justices of the peace; and certain federal judicial officers (U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. court of appeals and district court judges, bankruptcy and tax court judges, U.S. magistrate judges) and judges of the Arizona court of military appeals.
Not recognized
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What one Arizona county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: Maricopa County Justice Courts, Get Married, checked October 2026. Other counties set their own rules and fees.
Courthouse column from the county source above. Wedding cost from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study; venue and officiant lead times from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist. See courthouse wedding costs explained.
A short news report on couples choosing courthouse ceremonies as wedding costs rise. Worth two minutes before you weigh a civil ceremony against a $27,000 Arizona wedding.
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$83 to $98
is the license fee to marry in Arizona. The average wedding there runs $27,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Arizona venue.Arizona comes in $7,200 under the US average. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
State averages are the same figures as our wedding cost calculator. US average $34,200, per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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The license is the easy part. It only fits a short window before the day, while venues and photographers book many months out. Here is the national advice next to the Arizona license window.
Average engagement for couples who married in 2024
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Of couples began planning about 12 months ahead
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Bars show the advice range from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist (updated May 2026), dots the single figure from WeddingWire, vendor booking timeline (2018). These are planning advice, not survey data, and Zola gives two figures for some vendors (venue 11 months in its timeline, 12 to 18 in its FAQ). The license bar comes from Arizona rules.
Apply no more than 12 months before. There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day it is issued.
Arizona license rules
IllustrativeThe courts publish no booking window. Call ahead and arrive well before 4:30 p.m., because doors lock at 5 p.m. Valentine's Day, Halloween and New Year's Eve are busy.
Maricopa County Justice Courts, Get Married
IllustrativeZola puts the venue 12 to 18 months out, photographers and caterers 9 to 12, and save the dates 6 to 8. The license comes last, inside the Arizona window above. Zola's 2026 report also found a few couples now book a venue before they are even engaged (7%, up from 6%).
Zola First Look Report 2026
Illustrative photos: courthouse steps, regional settings and the guest shots couples collect afterwards.
of couples in The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study married in October, the most popular month in the US. Your own state's peak can sit elsewhere, so check the strip.
The Knot Worldwide, 2025 Real Weddings Study releaseArizona's outdoor wedding window is October through April. November through March is the peak, with crystal blue skies and dry temperatures in the 60s and 70s. May and September are transitional. June through August in Phoenix and Tucson is essentially indoor-only for ceremonies because afternoon highs cross 105 degrees and outdoor guest tolerance evaporates by mid-afternoon.
Best month to get marriedDesert light and red rock backdrops draw a lot of couples.
Illustrative image, not a specific Arizona venue.
IllustrativeUpscale resorts, desert botanical gardens, and modern event spaces in the Valley of the Sun.
IllustrativeFamous red-rock formations create one of the most photographed wedding backdrops in the entire country.
IllustrativeSaguaro-studded desert venues, historic haciendas, and mission-style architecture at lower price points.
Arizona issues marriage licenses valid for a full 12 months from the date of issue, one of the longest windows of any state. Couples can apply months in advance without worrying about expiration, take a casual approach to the in-state appointment, and lock in the legal paperwork before venue logistics solidify. The fee runs $83 to $98, varying by county, and there is no waiting period.
Mid-October through mid-November is the most coveted Sedona window. Temperatures sit in the 70s during the day and drop into the 50s at night, the red rocks photograph at their saturated best, and monsoon rain risk is essentially gone. Late March through April is the spring equivalent with wildflowers in the desert understory.
On public land it depends on who manages the site. Parks, preserves and national park units each set their own special event permit rules, guest limits and setbacks from trails, so contact the land manager for your exact spot. Resorts with saguaros on their grounds handle this internally. Damaging a saguaro is illegal in Arizona, so brief guests and vendors before setup.
Not easily. Arizona does not offer a Secretary of State deputy-commissioner option like some other states. Officiants must be licensed or ordained clergy, a judge of a court of record (including Superior Court judges), a municipal court judge, a justice of the peace, or certain federal judicial officers. Couples who want a friend or family member to officiate should have that person get ordained through a religious organization well before the wedding, since Arizona has no state-run temporary civil-officiant appointment.
IllustrativeArizona's license is one of the most flexible in the country. It stays valid for 12 months, giving couples who apply early maximum flexibility for destination planning or date changes. Arizona authorizes licensed clergy, judges of courts of record (including Superior Court judges), municipal court judges, justices of the peace, and certain federal judicial officers to perform ceremonies. The license fee is $83 under state law, though several populous counties including Maricopa, Pima, and Coconino charge $98 total with added local fees. Arizona permits 16 and 17 year olds to marry only with the consent of a custodial parent or guardian, or an emancipation order, and only when the prospective spouse is no more than three years older; anyone younger than 16 cannot marry under Arizona law. There is no waiting period, but 2 witnesses (18 or older) must be present at the ceremony and sign the returned license, even though none are required to apply for the license itself.
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Every document, fee and county rule in one place.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Arizona.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $83 to $98 in Arizona. A courthouse ceremony adds $100 to $120, set by each judge, cash only in Maricopa County (Phoenix). The average Arizona wedding runs about $27,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Arizona #28 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Clerk of the Superior Court. 4. No waiting period. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Arizona marriage license costs $83 to $98, varies by county. You apply at the Clerk of the Superior Court.
No. You can marry the day you get the license. The license is valid for 12 months.
Yes. In Maricopa County (Phoenix), Justice of the Peace judges perform civil weddings at their justice courts, at each judge's discretion for $100 to $120, set by each judge, cash only. Walk-ins are welcome and some courts take phone bookings. Most weddings happen after 5 p.m. Bring two witnesses age 18 or older, the cash fee and your license. The ceremony takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
Yes: 2 witnesses (18 or older). Licensed or ordained clergy/ministers; judges of courts of record (including Superior Court judges), municipal court judges, and justices of the peace; and certain federal judicial officers (U.S.
