weddingA $60 to $100 license from the Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk, a 3 day wait, and 60 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $36,000 Pennsylvania wedding compares.
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The average Pennsylvania wedding costs about 600 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Pennsylvania official sources, see our Pennsylvania requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Register of Wills or Orphans' Court 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 Pennsylvania. 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 Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk and pay the license fee ($60 to $100).
Pennsylvania has a waiting period: 3 days.
IllustrativeOrdained ministers, priests, rabbis, and authorized clergy. Witnesses: None. The license is valid for 60 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 Pennsylvania marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 60 days before, at least 3 days before.
| Rule | Pennsylvania (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk |
| License fee | $60 to $100, varies by county (Philadelphia and Allegheny County $90 for a standard license, $100 for a self-uniting license in Philadelphia; lower in counties like Butler and Centre at $60) |
| Waiting period | 3 days |
| License valid for | 60 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (no exceptions) |
| Witnesses | None |
| Officiant | Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and authorized clergy. Judges of any court, mayors, and justices of the peace. Pennsylvania also allows self-uniting marriages, where no officiant is required. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk
$60 to $100, varies by county (Philadelphia and Allegheny County $90 for a standard license, $100 for a self-uniting license in Philadelphia; lower in counties like Butler and Centre at $60)
3 days
60 days
18 (no exceptions)
None
Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and authorized clergy. Judges of any court, mayors, and justices of the peace. Pennsylvania also allows self-uniting marriages, where no officiant is required.
Not recognized
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Civil ceremonies in Pennsylvania run county by county, so the fee, the officiant and booking all depend on where you marry.
We could not confirm one county's current ceremony rules for Pennsylvania from an official page, so we list the questions instead of guessing.
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 $36,000 Pennsylvania wedding.
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$60 to $100
is the license fee to marry in Pennsylvania. The average wedding there runs $36,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Pennsylvania venue.Pennsylvania runs $1,800 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania rules.
Apply no more than 60 days before, at least 3 days before. The 3 days wait runs from when the license is issued.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 releasePennsylvania weddings peak from May through October, with strong September and October demand for fall foliage. The Poconos add a winter window at ski resorts. Summer humidity is heavy in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh from late June through August. Book fall Saturdays in the Brandywine Valley and the Poconos early.
Best month to get married
Lakefront and waterside ceremonies are a common pick here.
Illustrative image, not a specific Pennsylvania venue.
IllustrativeAmerica's birthplace offers historic landmarks, world-class museums, and an incredible restaurant scene.
IllustrativeThe Steel City's three rivers, bridges, and revitalized neighborhoods create a uniquely scenic urban setting.
IllustrativeMountain resorts, lakeside lodges, and forested retreats in the scenic northeastern mountains.
IllustrativeAmish Country farms, Longwood Gardens, and rolling Chester County horse country.
Pennsylvania lets couples marry without an officiant using a self-uniting license. The tradition comes from Quaker practice and is open to any couple. The couple signs the license themselves and two witnesses sign. The license fee varies by county, from $60 to $100, and the 3 day waiting period still applies.
Pennsylvania requires 3 days between the application and the issuing of the license, and the license is then valid for 60 days. A judge can waive the wait in an emergency. Couples flying in should apply on an earlier trip or ask the register of wills about timing.
Nemacolin in the Laurel Highlands near Farmington is a resort that hosts weddings, with several venues, lodging and guest activities on site, so it works as a multi-day destination weekend. Ask the resort for current packages and booking lead times.
Any couple can. Ask for a self-uniting license at the register of wills or orphans' court clerk. The fee and the 3 day wait match a standard license. At the ceremony you exchange vows, sign the license yourselves, and two witnesses sign. No officiant is needed, and the signed license goes back to the issuing office.
IllustrativePennsylvania allows self-uniting marriages, a practice rooted in Quaker tradition: the couple signs their own license and two witnesses sign, with no officiant. License fees run $60 to $100 by county, and there is a 3 day wait between application and issuing. The license is valid for 60 days. The register of wills or orphans' court clerk issues licenses. Pennsylvania does not recognize common-law marriages formed after January 1, 2005, though older ones may still be valid.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Pennsylvania.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $60 to $100 in Pennsylvania. A courthouse or civil ceremony adds a small fee that varies by county. The average Pennsylvania wedding runs about $36,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Pennsylvania #13 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk. 4. Wait 3 days. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Pennsylvania marriage license costs $60 to $100, varies by county (Philadelphia and Allegheny County $90 for a standard license, $100 for a self-uniting license in Philadelphia; lower in counties like Butler and Centre at $60). You apply at the Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk.
Yes: 3 days. The license is valid for 60 days.
Civil ceremonies in Pennsylvania are arranged county by county. Call the Register of Wills or Orphans' Court Clerk where you will marry and ask who performs ceremonies, the fee, whether you need an appointment and how many guests can come.
No witnesses are required by Pennsylvania law. Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and authorized clergy.
