weddingA $50 to $120 license from the Clerk of the Peace, a 24 hour wait, and 30 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $39,000 Delaware wedding compares.
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The average Delaware wedding costs about 780 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Delaware official sources, see our Delaware requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Clerk of the Peace 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 Delaware. 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 Peace and pay the license fee ($50 to $120).
Delaware has a waiting period: 24 hours.
IllustrativeOrdained ministers, priests, rabbis, and clergy of any religious denomination who are registered with the county Clerk of the Peace. Witnesses: 2 witnesses (18 or older). The license is valid for 30 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 Delaware marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 30 days before, at least 24 hours before.
| Rule | Delaware (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Clerk of the Peace |
| License fee | $50 to $120, varies by county and residency |
| Waiting period | 24 hours |
| License valid for | 30 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (no exceptions) |
| Witnesses | 2 witnesses (18 or older) |
| Officiant | Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and clergy of any religious denomination who are registered with the county Clerk of the Peace. Current or former state or federal judges. Current or former Clerks of the Peace, within their own county. Mayors of any Delaware city or town, within their municipality. Other individuals may be approved by a Clerk of the Peace for good cause. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Clerk of the Peace
$50 to $120, varies by county and residency
24 hours
30 days
18 (no exceptions)
2 witnesses (18 or older)
Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and clergy of any religious denomination who are registered with the county Clerk of the Peace. Current or former state or federal judges. Current or former Clerks of the Peace, within their own county. Mayors of any Delaware city or town, within their municipality. Other individuals may be approved by a Clerk of the Peace for good cause.
Not recognized
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What one Delaware county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: New Castle County, License and Ceremony FAQs, 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 $39,000 Delaware wedding.
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$50 to $120
is the license fee to marry in Delaware. The average wedding there runs $39,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Delaware venue.Delaware runs $4,800 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 Delaware 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 Delaware rules.
Apply no more than 30 days before, at least 24 hours before. The 24 hours wait runs from when the license is issued.
Delaware license rules
IllustrativeClerk offices close on holidays and some only take appointments. Dodge County, Wisconsin, for one, tells couples to apply two to three weeks before the wedding.
Dodge County, Wisconsin, County Clerk
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 Delaware 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 releaseDelaware's wedding peak runs from late April through October, with May and September the dominant Saturdays. Coastal venues add a strong June through August window. Brandywine Valley properties book most heavily for early May tulip bloom and mid-October foliage. Winter weddings move into hotel ballrooms and historic indoor venues.
Best month to get marriedWaterfront ceremonies are a big part of the wedding scene here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Delaware venue.
IllustrativeHistoric du Pont estates, botanical gardens, and elegant ballrooms in the cultural heart of Delaware.
IllustrativeRehoboth, Dewey, and Bethany Beach offer laid-back coastal venues with boardwalk charm.
IllustrativeThe capital area features farmland venues, historic sites, and budget-friendly options.
Delaware has a 24 hour waiting period after the license is issued. The license is valid for 30 days, no residency or blood test is required, and you apply at the Clerk of the Peace office. Couples who apply on Monday can marry on Tuesday.
Each county Clerk of the Peace sets its own fee, and non-residents pay more. Expect roughly $50 to $120 depending on the county and whether either of you lives in Delaware. Check with the office in the county where you will marry, and plan the ceremony inside the 30 day validity window.
Yes. Delaware has no residency requirement, no waiting beyond the 24 hour gap after license issuance, and the license is recognized in every state. Many couples from Philadelphia and Baltimore choose Delaware specifically for the simplicity, the affordable license fee, and the Brandywine Valley aesthetic. Bring valid ID and any divorce decree if applicable.
Yes. Delaware law explicitly includes mayors of any city or town as authorized marriage officiants alongside ordained clergy and judges. A current or acting mayor can sign the marriage license and conduct the ceremony. The 24-hour waiting period still applies, meaning the license must be obtained the day before the ceremony at the Clerk of the Peace. Fees vary by county and there is no residency requirement.
IllustrativeDelaware's marriage law has several notable features. The 24-hour waiting period is short relative to neighboring states, and both applicants must appear at the Clerk of the Peace office in the county where the ceremony will be held. Delaware banned marriage under 18 with no exceptions in 2018 (H.B. 337), making it, alongside New Jersey the same year, the first US state to do so. Two witnesses, each at least 18, must be present at the ceremony and sign the marriage certificate. Authorized officiants include clergy registered with the county Clerk of the Peace, current or former state or federal judges, current or former Clerks of the Peace within their county, and mayors of any Delaware city or town within their municipality. License fees are set independently by each county: New Castle and Sussex Counties charge $50 resident/$100 non-resident, while Kent County charges $70 resident/$120 non-resident (cash only in Kent and Sussex). The license is valid for 30 days, and no blood test or residency is required. Delaware's legal framework draws many cross-border couples from Philadelphia and southern New Jersey.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Delaware.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $50 to $120 in Delaware. A courthouse or civil ceremony adds a small fee that varies by county. The average Delaware wedding runs about $39,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Delaware #8 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Clerk of the Peace. 4. Wait 24 hours. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Delaware marriage license costs $50 to $120, varies by county and residency. You apply at the Clerk of the Peace.
Yes: 24 hours. The license is valid for 30 days.
Yes. In New Castle County (Wilmington), the Clerk of the Peace Marriage Bureau performs in-office ceremonies at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building. By appointment only, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Both of you and both witnesses (18 or older) need government photo ID. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
Yes: 2 witnesses (18 or older). Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and clergy of any religious denomination who are registered with the county Clerk of the Peace.
