weddingA $50 license from the Town Clerk, a 48 hour wait, and 65 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $42,000 Connecticut wedding compares.
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The average Connecticut wedding costs about 840 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Connecticut official sources, see our Connecticut requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Town Clerk counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (no exceptions). You do not need to live in Connecticut. 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 Town Clerk and pay the license fee ($50).
Connecticut has a waiting period: 48 hours.
IllustrativeJudges and retired judges (Connecticut or federal, or judges of other states/jurisdictions authorized to join persons in marriage there), family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, justices of the peace appointed in Connecticut, and all ordained or licensed members of the clergy. Witnesses: None. The license is valid for 65 days.
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 Connecticut marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 65 days before, at least 48 hours before.
| Rule | Connecticut (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Town Clerk |
| License fee | $50 |
| Waiting period | 48 hours |
| License valid for | 65 days from the date of issuance |
| Minimum age | 18 (no exceptions) |
| Witnesses | None |
| Officiant | Judges and retired judges (Connecticut or federal, or judges of other states/jurisdictions authorized to join persons in marriage there), family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, justices of the peace appointed in Connecticut, and all ordained or licensed members of the clergy. Notaries public are NOT authorized to solemnize marriages in Connecticut. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Town Clerk
$50
48 hours
65 days from the date of issuance
18 (no exceptions)
None
Judges and retired judges (Connecticut or federal, or judges of other states/jurisdictions authorized to join persons in marriage there), family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, justices of the peace appointed in Connecticut, and all ordained or licensed members of the clergy. Notaries public are NOT authorized to solemnize marriages in Connecticut.
Not recognized
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In Bridgeport the clerk's office handles the paperwork but does not marry couples, so you bring the officiant. Here is how that works, checked against the official page, and how it compares with a full wedding.
Source: City of Bridgeport, Marriage License Process, 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 $42,000 Connecticut wedding.
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$50
is the license fee to marry in Connecticut. The average wedding there runs $42,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Connecticut venue.Connecticut runs $7,800 over 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut rules.
Apply no more than 65 days before, at least 48 hours before. The 48 hours wait runs from when the license is issued.
Connecticut license rules
IllustrativeBridgeport says a minimum 48 hour wait between application and issue applies from October 1, 2026. Apply on a Friday and the license is issued Monday.
City of Bridgeport, Marriage License Process
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 Connecticut 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 releaseConnecticut's peak season runs late May through late October. The two strongest weeks are early June for green-grass and rhododendron bloom, and mid-October for foliage. July and August book heavily at coastal venues but humidity inland is real. Winter weddings happen at major hotels and historic mansions but outdoor logistics shut down November through April.
Best month to get marriedWaterfront ceremonies are a big part of the wedding scene here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Connecticut venue.
IllustrativeAffluent towns like Greenwich and Westport with waterfront estates, country clubs, and easy NYC access.
IllustrativeMystic, Saybrook, and New Haven offer harbor views, lighthouses, and seafood-centered celebrations.
IllustrativeRolling farmland, covered bridges, and charming inns in Connecticut's scenic northwest corner.
Since October 1, 2026, Connecticut has a 48 hour wait between the application and the ceremony, a day longer than New York's 24 hour wait. The Connecticut license fee is $50 at the registrar of the town where you marry, the license is valid for 65 days from issue, and there is no blood test or residency requirement. Couples eloping from NYC should apply at least two days ahead, for example on a Friday for a Monday ceremony.
Connecticut foliage usually peaks from mid to late October, with the inland Litchfield Hills turning earlier than the coast. Overcast days photograph fall color well because direct sun blows out the reds. Peak October Saturdays are the first dates venues fill, so book early if you want them.
The average Connecticut wedding runs about $42,000, compared with a national average of $34,200. Coastal Fairfield County venues usually sit at the top of the range, inland farms and inns cost less, and a town hall ceremony with a small dinner can stay far below the average. The license itself is just $50.
No. Notaries public are not on Connecticut's list of authorized marriage officiants. State law (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-22) authorizes judges and retired judges, family support magistrates and referees, state referees, Connecticut-appointed justices of the peace, and ordained or licensed clergy, but not notaries. Couples who want a friend or family member to officiate should have that person become a Connecticut justice of the peace or get ordained through a religious organization instead. The license fee is $50, and since October 1, 2026 the ceremony must wait at least 48 hours after you apply.
IllustrativeConnecticut authorizes a wide range of officiants: judges and retired judges, family support magistrates and referees, state referees, Connecticut-appointed justices of the peace, and ordained or licensed clergy. Notaries public are not on that list and cannot legally officiate a Connecticut wedding. The license fee is $50, paid at the registrar of the town where the ceremony will take place. Public Act 26-141 added a waiting period from October 1, 2026: the ceremony can happen no sooner than 48 hours after the application, and the license is valid for 65 days from the date it is issued. Since 2023 the minimum marriage age in Connecticut is 18 for everyone, with no exceptions.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Connecticut.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $50 in Connecticut. The Bridgeport office does not perform ceremonies, so any officiant you book is a separate cost. The average Connecticut wedding runs about $42,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Connecticut #6 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Town Clerk. 4. Wait 48 hours. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Connecticut marriage license costs $50. You apply at the Town Clerk.
Yes: 48 hours. The license is valid for 65 days.
Not at the clerk's counter in Bridgeport. There is no courthouse or clerk ceremony. A Connecticut Justice of the Peace, judge or clergy member performs the marriage, and no witnesses are required. Other counties in Connecticut may differ, so call the office where you plan to marry.
No witnesses are required by Connecticut law. Judges and retired judges (Connecticut or federal, or judges of other states/jurisdictions authorized to join persons in marriage there), family support magistrates, family support referees, state referees, justices of the peace appointed in Connecticut, and all ordained or licensed members of the clergy.
