weddingA $50 to $70 license from the County Clerk, no waiting period, and 32 days to use it. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $18,000 Utah wedding compares.
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The average Utah wedding costs about 360 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from Utah official sources, see our Utah requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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WEDDING ALBUM
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From the County Clerk counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (16 with parental consent and court approval). You do not need to live in Utah. 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 County Clerk and pay the license fee ($50 to $70).
There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day the license is issued.
IllustrativeAnyone 18 or older authorized by a religious denomination to solemnize marriages, and Native American spiritual advisors. Witnesses: 2 witnesses, each 18 or older. The license is valid for 32 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 Utah marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Apply no more than 32 days before.
| Rule | Utah (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | County Clerk |
| License fee | $50 to $70, varies by county (Utah County lists a $50 base fee plus a $20 State Marriage Commission fee for online applicants who do not qualify for the Marriage Education Discount; Salt Lake County lists $50) |
| Waiting period | None |
| License valid for | 32 days |
| Minimum age | 18 (16 with parental consent and court approval) |
| Witnesses | 2 witnesses, each 18 or older |
| Officiant | Anyone 18 or older authorized by a religious denomination to solemnize marriages, and Native American spiritual advisors. Also the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer and state auditor. Also mayors of a municipality and county executives. Also justices, judges and commissioners of a court of record, judges of a Utah court not of record, and judges or magistrates of the United States. Also the county clerk or the clerk's authorized designee, members of the Utah Legislature, members of Utah's congressional delegation, retired Utah judges or magistrates under Supreme Court rules, and military chaplains. |
| Common-law marriage | Recognized |
County Clerk
$50 to $70, varies by county (Utah County lists a $50 base fee plus a $20 State Marriage Commission fee for online applicants who do not qualify for the Marriage Education Discount; Salt Lake County lists $50)
None
32 days
18 (16 with parental consent and court approval)
2 witnesses, each 18 or older
Anyone 18 or older authorized by a religious denomination to solemnize marriages, and Native American spiritual advisors. Also the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, state treasurer and state auditor. Also mayors of a municipality and county executives. Also justices, judges and commissioners of a court of record, judges of a Utah court not of record, and judges or magistrates of the United States. Also the county clerk or the clerk's authorized designee, members of the Utah Legislature, members of Utah's congressional delegation, retired Utah judges or magistrates under Supreme Court rules, and military chaplains.
Recognized
First dance
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What one Utah county charges, how booking works and how far ahead to plan, checked against the official page.
Source: Salt Lake County Clerk, Schedule a Marriage Appointment, 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 $18,000 Utah wedding.
Watch on YouTube
$50 to $70
is the license fee to marry in Utah. The average wedding there runs $18,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific Utah venue.Utah comes in $16,200 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 Utah 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 Utah rules.
Apply no more than 32 days before. There is no waiting period, so you can marry the day it is issued.
Utah 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 Utah 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 releaseUtah's outdoor wedding window depends on the region. Southern Utah and the national park corridor are best from March through May and again in October and November. Park City and the Wasatch resorts run summer weddings from June through September and winter ski weekends from December through March. Summer heat in the south pushes ceremonies to early morning or evening.
Best month to get marriedDesert light and red rock backdrops draw a lot of couples.
Illustrative image, not a specific Utah venue.
IllustrativeMountain-framed capital with urban venues, ski resorts, and easy access to canyons and peaks.
IllustrativeZion, Bryce Canyon, and Moab offer otherworldly red-rock landscapes for adventurous celebrations.
IllustrativeA luxury ski town with resort venues, mountain lodges, and Main Street boutique charm.
Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon and the other national parks require a special use permit for ceremonies, and each park sets its own sites, group limits, fees and lead times. Drones are not allowed in national parks. Apply early, since popular spring and fall dates fill up.
Utah license fees run $50 to $70 by county. Utah County lists a $50 base fee plus a $20 State Marriage Commission fee for online applicants who do not qualify for the premarital education discount. There is no waiting period, the license is valid for 32 days, and two witnesses aged 18 or older are required.
Park City has two seasons. Summer weddings run from late June through mid-September, and winter weddings run from December through March at the Park City and Deer Valley resorts. Book peak Saturdays in both windows early. Spring and late fall are off-season.
Utah recognizes a marriage that was never solemnized only after a court or administrative order. Either party petitions, and the court looks at capacity to marry, mutual consent, cohabitation and whether the couple held themselves out as married. Couples who want a plain wedding use the standard license instead.
IllustrativeUtah has no waiting period, license fees of $50 to $70 by county, and a license valid for 32 days. Two witnesses aged 18 or older are required. Utah recognizes an unsolemnized marriage only through a court or administrative order after a petition, which looks at capacity, consent, cohabitation and holding out as married. Native American spiritual advisors are among the authorized officiants.
Courthouse or full reception, guests scan one QR code and add photos and videos from the phone browser. No app and no account, and nothing gets lost in group chats.
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
THE ALBUM
June 21, 2026
647 photos · 95 guests
Every document, fee and county rule in one place.
Where the $18,000 average goes, line by line.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in Utah.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $50 to $70 in Utah. A courthouse ceremony adds $50 in Salt Lake County. The average Utah wedding runs about $18,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks Utah #49 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the County Clerk. 4. No waiting period. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A Utah marriage license costs $50 to $70, varies by county (Utah County lists a $50 base fee plus a $20 State Marriage Commission fee for online applicants who do not qualify for the Marriage Education Discount; Salt Lake County lists $50). You apply at the County Clerk.
No. You can marry the day you get the license. The license is valid for 32 days.
Yes. In Salt Lake County, the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office performs civil ceremonies during business hours for $50. Book online and submit the application first. One appointment covers the license and the ceremony. Bring two witnesses 18 or older. Rules differ by county, so call the office where you plan to marry.
Yes: 2 witnesses, each 18 or older. Anyone 18 or older authorized by a religious denomination to solemnize marriages, and Native American spiritual advisors.
