The Legal Requirements to Getting Married
Your marriage license is not a whole lot different from your driver’s license: written proof that you have passed all the requirements to tie the knot. The location where you obtain your license can vary; it’s typically City Hall, but can also be in the city clerk’s office, etc. Your best bet is to look in the Yellow Pages or do an Internet search for “marriage license.” It will take time to get the paperwork sorted out, and there might be a waiting period, so check the rules immediately. Also, marriage licenses expire in many states (some in a few weeks, some in six months). You can usually walk into your license location, but some places require an appointment.
The paper chase.
Before heading out, make sure you’ve covered all the basics. If one of you is a widow or divorced, you’ll probably need proper documents. Since there are different requirements for each state (and city’s within states), do not check the rules for your state and assume the regulations will suffice if you live in Kansas but plan to marry in Alaska. Simply go to the marriage license site of the state you’re being married in and check the requirements.
One of the reasons people love to get married in Las Vegas is that there’s no waiting period, no blood test requirement, and the license is valid immediately. Should you get married in Florida, however, the license expires in 60 days, and there is a three-day waiting period (residents can avoid the delay if they agree to enroll in an eight-hour marriage course).
Legal and tender.
The marriage license issue gets more complicated if you’re having a long-distance wedding. Each country has their own set of rules; research them ASAP. (If you find the rules too complicated, you can always have a ceremony abroad, then have a civil ceremony at home.) If you’re getting married in France, one of you must establish residency in the town where your service will take place for 40 days. Should you go south of the border to get hitched in Mexico, there’s no residency requirement, but your blood tests need to be completed in that country. Wherever you decide to tie the knot, contact the tourism board immediately, and allot double the time you’re told the process will take. You need to be prepared for any last-minute glitches and a lot of documents that get lost in the translation of love.