How to Get a North Carolina Marriage License

This page helps with a Marriage License need in North Carolina by explaining where to apply, what information to prepare, and how official marriage records are handled after the ceremony.

For a North Carolina marriage license, the main public office is the county Register of Deeds. Statewide marriage rules are explained by the North Carolina Judicial Branch.

Marriage licenses through the Register of Deeds

Couples getting married in North Carolina must obtain a marriage license before the wedding. If the ceremony will take place in North Carolina, the license may be issued by the Register of Deeds in any county in the state.

Use the North Carolina Judicial Branch marriage requirements page for statewide rules, then use Find Your Register of Deeds to locate a county office.

• Names
• Ages
• Marital status
• Intention to marry
• Social Security number, or a notarized statement that an applicant is ineligible to receive one

The Register of Deeds may also ask for proof of age, such as a government-issued ID or birth certificate, and may ask for proof of divorce if either applicant was previously married.

• Choose a county Register of Deeds office if the wedding will be in North Carolina.
• Check that office’s application process, because some counties allow an online application before the office visit.
• In general, both partners should visit the Register of Deeds office.
• Pay the required fee and complete the marriage license form.
• Obtain the license before the ceremony takes place.

Eligibility to marry in North Carolina

Both parties must intend to marry, must not be married to anyone else, and must be able to understand their actions. The parties cannot be more closely related than first cousins and cannot be double first cousins.

Both parties generally must be at least 18 years old. Minors ages 16 and 17 may marry only under specific conditions, including an age limit on the person they marry and required written consent or a qualifying district court order. Minors under 16 may not marry in North Carolina.

Timing, expiration, and ceremony rules

North Carolina has no required waiting period between issuance of the marriage license and the wedding. The license expires after 60 days if the wedding does not take place, and the applicants must apply again if the ceremony is not held within that period.

The ceremony must be conducted by a recognized officiant. Both parties must solemnly declare their intent to marry, and at least two witnesses must sign the marriage license after the ceremony.

A wedding may be performed by a magistrate or by a minister ordained in a religious denomination or authorized by a church. Marriages may also be performed in the recognized manner of a religious denomination that does not use officiants, or in the recognized manner of a federally or state-recognized Native American tribe.

Judges cannot perform marriages in North Carolina; contact the county magistrate’s office if you want to ask about magistrate availability.

Marriage certificates and certified copies

After the marriage, certified copies of the marriage certificate may be available from the Register of Deeds in the county where the marriage took place or from NC Vital Records. NC Vital Records has copies of marriage certificates from 1962 to the present.

For state-level certificate requests, review NC Vital Records marriage certificates. If timing matters, check the General Issuance Processing Dates before placing a state order.

County Register of Deeds offices may be faster for many marriage certificate requests. Birth, death, and marriage certificates may often be obtained from the county Register of Deeds on the same day.

Ordering options and fees for state marriage records

NC Vital Records offers online, phone, in-person by appointment, and mail ordering options for certificates. Marriage records requested through the state require the names of the applicants, date of marriage, place where the license was issued, and the requestor’s relationship to the people named on the record for a certified copy.

The following state fees and order details are listed for NC Vital Records certificate requests:

The $24 search fee is nonrefundable, even if no record is found.

Corrections, no-marriage statements, and apostilles

For marriage certificate changes or replacements, contact the county Register of Deeds where the marriage license was issued. NC Vital Records does not handle changes to marriage certificates.

A statement of no marriage may be needed for a person planning to marry outside the United States. NC Vital Records handles that request through the normal marriage certificate ordering process. If no marriage record is located, NC Vital Records issues a letter stating that no record was found.

If a foreign country requires an apostille for a no-record letter or another North Carolina document, the North Carolina Secretary of State handles apostille and authentication services. The Secretary of State does not authenticate out-of-state documents, and authentication requests must include the original document with original signatures, a cover letter, the correct fee, and a prepaid return envelope.

Marriage license and record contacts

Use the county Register of Deeds for license applications, county-issued marriage certificates, and marriage certificate corrections. Use NC Vital Records for state certificate orders and certificate status questions.

• NC Vital Records mailing address: 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1900
• NC Vital Records physical address: Cooper Memorial Health Building, 225 N. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
• NC Vital Records general inquiries: (919) 733-3000
• NC Vital Records regular certificate inquiries: (984) 236-7268
• NC Vital Records appointments: (919) 733-3000, Option 3
• North Carolina Secretary of State Authentication Office mailing address: Post Office Box 29622, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0622
• North Carolina Secretary of State Authentication Office physical address: 2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2903
• North Carolina Secretary of State: (919) 814-5400; [email protected]