New Jersey Marriage License

Don’t worry about the time and don’t even think you can’t manage to get your marriage license. Within this article we will give you the most important information in detail to make it easier for you to get your New Jersey marriage license.

We won’t let the legal issues postpone your special day and make you disappointed. There is hardly any couple in the state of NJ that hasn’t got their marriage license, and you won’t be an exception as well. Trust us and get your New Jersey marriage license just in a few simple steps.

How do you get a marriage license in New Jersey?

If you want to make your wedding ceremony in New Jersey, the first thing you should get beforehand is the New Jersey marriage license. Here you will learn about all the requirements and essential documents you need to have, to get your New Jersey marriage license.

Most important of all, both residents and non-residents of the state can apply for a New Jersey marriage license. Yet, for non-residents it is obligatory to apply for their license within the same city where they want to get married. Residents have the privilege to do it in any NJ municipality.

Before the couple enters the marriage:

• Both should be at least 18 years old
• They must not be a party to another civil union
• Mustn’t have been married to another person in the New Jersey state or recognized by the state.

Where to apply for a NJ marriage license?

For such occasions there are special registrar buildings located throughout the state; in the county probate court or circuit court. These are the clerk’s offices where you are supposed to be present with your spouse when applying for your NJ marriage license.

It sometimes happens that one of the partners is already married and he/she needs to get divorced. For getting the divorce decree you can also got to your local NJ Registrar’s Office. You can as well request your marriage certificate in this office.

There are also some things are important to know beforehand; there is no need to take a blood test before applying and NJ law doesn’t forbid same-sex marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships. What refers to the validity of the license; the NJ marriage license is valid for six months after the issuance.

Required paperwork when applying for a NJ marriage license

• The driver’s license, passports, and state or federal IDs to prove your identity
• Your divorce decree, in case one of you has already been in matrimony (present it to the court)
• Residency proofs, both for non-residents and residents of NJ
• Social Security cards or numbers.

You don’t need to worry about giving your personal documents to the clerk’s office. The registrars keep all the information confidential. The security number must present only the US citizens. The language in which the documents should be written is English, if not you need to have a certified English translation.

Age Requirements

As we already have mentioned the accepted age is eighteen, but there are some cases when consent will help you to get your license.

The applicants under 18 must get their parent’s consent. Only after that, they can enter marriage life.

Moreover, those who are even smaller (under the age of 16) must get both parental consent and additional written permission by a judge. The latter can be the judge of:

• The Superior Court
• The Chancery Division
• The Family part.

Who can be the officiant of the wedding ceremony?

Once the waiting period is over you should think about finding an approved wedding officiant. As you have six months you don’t need to hurry, but to complete your NJ marriage license you have to marry accompanied by the marriage officiant.

The religious service performer can be:

• The Judge of a Federal District Court, Municipal Court, the Superior Court, and the Tax Court
• Retired judges of the Superior Court
• The Mayor or Chairman of any Township Committee
• The Village President of New Jersey
• The Clerks and all the ministers of every religion.

How long will it take to get a marriage license in New Jersey?

Once you have applied for your NJ marriage license you need to wait 72 hours before the office issues it. The waiting period starts from the moment the registrar applies. In case of remarriage there is no need to wait you just give them the certified copy of your existing marriage.

Although the validity of the license application is only six months from the date accepted, you can turn to the local registrar and extend it to 1 year (the maximum). Even if you don’t manage to use the license before it expires, you still can make a new application.

There may be some problems only when you want to perform the civil and religious ceremonies on the same day. In this case, the solution will be making photocopies of both applications. One copy you may use for the religious ceremony and the other for the civil ceremony.

Can I get a marriage license online in NJ?

Getting licenses online has become really relevant nowadays. You can also get your NJ marriage license online through a video conference by following these rules:

• Both you and your spouse must be situated in NJ.
• You must be present during the video conference.
• You have to show a valid ID during the video conference.

Once you are able to meet these requirements, your local county clerk will send the marriage license via email. Moreover, you can as well have a virtual wedding ceremony through video. You just need to be present during the conference with one more person as the witness of your wedding.

Do you need a witness to get a marriage license in NJ?

In fact, not all the states require witnesses for making the wedding ceremonies. The only purpose to get a witness is that he/she must make sure that the partners are willing to make a union and sign the license. New Jersey also finds it important to have witnesses on such occasions.

The couple should bring one witness with them to the clerk’s office when obtaining the license and two witnesses to be present during the marriage ceremony. The witnesses should be not younger than 18 years old.

How much is the fee for getting the NJ marriage license?

Before you make plans for your special day you should take into account the expenses for getting it done. After estimating all the costs it will become more understandable for you how to manage everything.

You can make it clear by learning about your friends’ experiences in such issues. However, before coming to these huge financial matters consider the need to take the legal steps. As you know, nearly all the states require some amount of money for getting a marriage license.

In New Jersey the marriage license fee is $28 and you pay it at the clerk’s office before making your appliance. You get your license only after 3 days since having made the appliance. That is why you need to pay the fee beforehand; in cash or with credit cards.