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Marriage Licenses & Records

Congratulations on your impending marriage!  Applying for your marriage license is one of the most important tasks and the Clerks Office is here to help.  Below is some general information. If you have additional questions or concerns, please call our office.

How to obtain a Marriage License and General Information:

  • Click here to complete your Marriage Intentions on line
  • Both parties must be present to complete the paperwork.  Exceptions to this are: if one of the parties is on active duty in the military and is unable to be present at the filing; or if one of the parties is currently incarcerated.  Please call our office if either exception applies to your circumstance.
  • The couple must be at least eighteen years of age or they must obtain a court waiver from Probate court allowing a minor to be married.
  • Please bring current photo identification.
  • Once the couple fills out the application there is a mandatory three calendar day waiting period to pick up the license. This three day waiting period can only be circumvented with a court waiver. A court waiver (for a marriage without delay) can be obtained through Family and Probate Court, 36 Federal Street, Salem, MA.  The fee for the court waiver is $195. For the Clerk's Office to release the license to the intended couple, a certified copy of the court waiver must be provided which shall remain with the Clerks Office as part of the marriage intentions filing. The court waiver expires after 3-days and must be used by the couple to get married within that timeframe.
  • The following is some of the information you should bring with you or know in order to complete the marriage paperwork: what your surname will be after marriage, where you were born, the correct spelling of your parent(s) name(s), your mother's current name and maiden name, whether your parents were married at the time of your birth, your social security number, and the officiant's name and title. 
  • The Marriage License is valid for sixty (60) days from the date the intentions are filed and may be used only in the state of Massachusetts.
  • If you would like a family member or a friend to officiate your wedding, a special certificate (referred to as either a One Day Solemnization Certificate or One Day Designator Certificate) can be applied for online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office.  

Application Fee: $40.00 (as of August 1, 2020, fee includes one certified copy of your marriage certificate)

If additional marriage certificates are needed the fee is $10.00 per copy.  Additional copies can be obtained by coming into Room 3 of City Hall, online at salem.com/paybills, or by requesting copies by mail.

If you have taken your spouse's last name you will need a marriage certificate in order to change your name on your social security card, bank accounts, driver's license, passport, etc.