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How to get an NYC marriage license

Yes, it’s finally time to get married. You probably have waited your entire life for this one and now that it is here, you probably seem happier and more prepared to take the jump. However, if you are living in New York, then you would probably be aware of the fact that before you can get married, you would have to get a NYC marriage license.  U.S marriage laws should be the first place you go when getting your marriage license.

Understanding an NYC license

An NYC license is mostly interested in making sure that you are qualified to be married in the city. It would also ensure that there is no duplicity in the system. There are few things that you would have to note about NYC marriage licenses;

You would have to get the license before the last 24 hours before the wedding date. This is important because the law clearly states that a marriage license would not be issued to anyone who has less than 24 days before his marriage. This can only be bypassed through the use of a judicial waiver.

Steps to getting an NYC marriage license

So you finally decided to go ahead with the plan. Here are some steps you would need to follow to make sure that you get your NYC marriage license on time;

Know who is eligible for marriage

In New York like in so many states of the US, there are varying similarities and differences in the way things are run. For example, the persons who are eligible for marriage in NYC would include adults, people who are less than 18 but more than 14. It is also unlikely that NYC would allow you to marry anyone who has blood ties with you. However, if you are looking for same-sex marriage in New York, then you would be happy to know that you are now eligible for marriage.

Documents and Identification

The next thing you would have to do is to make sure that you have documents which prove you are who you say you are. There are many documents which would do the trick in New York. Some of these documents would include your birth certificate, the record of the last census which was done, and your naturalization record if you are an immigrant and so much more. If you came into the country through the refugee program, you would need to have your name, address and other particulars of your parents written and sealed by an agency.

It is worthy to remember that if the documents which have to be submitted happens to be in any other language that is not English, that documents would have to be translated. It must also be accompanied by a statement that the document is true and accurate.

You would need to have some ID with you. Usually, the standard test would be the presence of either an international passport, driver’s license or any other ID which has been issued by the government in the US. Other documents which you might need to show would be proof that your prior marriages have ended in the event that you were married prior to this wedding.

Town clerk

The place to submit all of this would be at the town clerk in New York. It is important to note that it is not allowed for someone else to apply for the marriage mate. Both parties must be present in the clerk’s office before any license would be given.

Once you are at the town clerk, you would be asked to fill an application together with your spouse. Once the form has been duly filled, you would both also have to be present at the office to make sure that it has been duly signed and accepted.

License Fee

Of course, before any license is given out, you would have to pay the license fee. Here is the catch. When applying from inside New York, the license fee would be lesser ($35) than when you are applying for outside ($40). Only payments through credit card or cash are accepted.

Conclusion

When you follow all the steps above, you should get your license. Also, remember that your license is only valid for 60 days. So, make sure you make wise use of it.