Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] So you've picked the venue, the dress is on hold, the date is on the calendar, and then somewhere around month four of planning, someone asks you the question that stops every couple in their tracks. Have you gotten the marriage license yet?
[00:00:13] And the honest answer for most couples is, I have absolutely no idea how that works.
[00:00:20] Hey, I'm Nick Gaskey from Heartcraft Wedding Films, and welcome to Golden Hour Arizona.
[00:00:25] Today we're talking about the smallest, simplest, and somehow most quietly stressful piece of paperwork in your entire wedding. The Arizona marriage license. Where to get it, what it costs, what to bring, and how to make sure that the day you spent a year planning actually ends in a legal marriage.
[00:00:44] The good news, and I really mean this, is that Arizona makes this one of the easiest parts of your wedding. There is no waiting period, there is no blood test, there's no residency requirement, there's no premarital counseling. Step you have to schedule three months out. Like in some other states, you and your partner can walk into a clerk's office on a Tuesday morning and walk out 40 minutes later with everything you need to be legally married that weekend. That's it.
[00:01:10] So let's talk about cost first, because that's usually the first question. An Arizona Marriage license is $98 statewide. Same fee in Maricopa County, Coconino, Pinal, Yavapai. Every county.
[00:01:24] The state sets the fee so you don't have to shop around. If you apply online in Maricopa county and you want them to mail the license to you, there's about an eight dollar postage charge. And if you want them to send you a certified copy of the recorded license back after the ceremony, that's another $43.50.
[00:01:42] So the full mail in package license plus certified copy lands around $150. Or if you just walk in, sign in person and pick everything up the day of, you only pay the 98.
[00:01:55] Here's a tip a lot of couples don't think about. You actually want at least one certified copy of your marriage certificate after the ceremony. Not the license. You walk out with the certified copy, which the clerk sends after your officiant returns the signed license.
[00:02:10] That certified copy is what Social Security needs to change your name.
[00:02:15] It's what the MVD needs for your new driver's license. It's what the state department needs for your passport.
[00:02:21] So when you're at the clerk's office, just go ahead and prepay for two or three certified copies. It saves you a trip later.
[00:02:29] Now let's talk about what to actually bring both of you need to be at the clerk's office together. That's the rule. Both partners in person at the same time with valid government photo id.
[00:02:41] A driver's license works. A state ID works. A US Passport works. Military ID works. If your ID is expired, bring a certified copy of your birth certificate as backup. You also need your Social Security numbers, the number itself, not the card. If you don't have one, there's a form you sign stating that. And if either of you has been married before, you need to know the date your last marriage ended.
[00:03:07] They don't ask for the divorce decree, they just need the date.
[00:03:11] You'll pay the $98 fee at the counter. Most clerks take cash, credit, debit and sometimes personal checks. The whole process at the counter takes about 30 minutes from walking in to walking out with the license in hand. If you've used the Maricopa county online program to start the application from home, it's closer to 10 minutes when you come in.
[00:03:32] So that's the application. Now where do you actually go? In Maricopa county, which covers Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, basically the entire Valley, the main office is the customer Service center at 601 W. Jackson St. In downtown Phoenix. Open Monday through Friday, 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. If you're getting married in Sedona, Coconino County's office is at 200 N. San Francisco St. North, right in downtown Flagstaff. Same hours.
[00:04:03] If you're in the East Valley, near Queen Creek or San Tan Valley, Pinal County's office in Florence is your spot. And up in Prescott, Yavapai county is at 120 S. Cortez St. Downtown.
[00:04:16] One thing that surprises a lot of couples it doesn't matter which county issues your license. The license is valid statewide. So you could apply in Maricopa and have your ceremony in Sedona, no problem.
[00:04:28] You could apply in Pinal and elope and Flagstaff. As long as you marry in Arizona within 12 months of the issue date, you're good. That 12 month window is important.
[00:04:38] Once the license is issued, it's valid for one year. After 12 months, it expires and you have to apply again from scratch. So I tell couples, don't get your license six months early. Get it inside that one year window, ideally a month or two before the wedding, just so you have plenty of breathing room at the ceremony itself. Four people have to sign the license to make the marriage legal. Both of you, two witnesses who are 18 or older and your officiant. The Witnesses can be anyone. They can be your maid of honor and best man. They can be your parents. They can be two friends who flew in for the weekend. They don't have to know you personally. They just have to be 18 and willing to sign.
[00:05:21] Officiants in Arizona are flexible in a way that surprises out of state couples.
[00:05:25] Yes, judges and clergy can perform ceremonies, but Arizona also accepts any ordained minister, regardless of denomination, which means the friend or family member you really want to officiate. They can.
[00:05:39] They just need to get ordained beforehand, which usually takes about 10 minutes online through an organization like the Universal Life Church. And it's either free or under $40, depending on which package they pick. No state registration, no paperwork from the clerk. They just sign your license at the ceremony and they're done.
[00:05:58] That flexibility is actually one of my favorite things about Arizona weddings.
[00:06:03] So many of the couples we work with choose to have a parent, a sibling, a best friend, even a former teacher officiate the ceremony, and it makes the moment so much more personal.
[00:06:13] The vows hit differently when the person holding the page is somebody who knew you when you were 10.
[00:06:20] After the ceremony, the responsibility shifts to your officiant. They have to mail or drop off the bottom recording portion of the signed license back to the clerk that issued it within 30 days. Arizona law requires it once the clerk receives it. Recording takes 10 to 14 business days.
[00:06:39] Then your certified copies become available before your officiant mails it back. Take a clear photo of the fully signed license.
[00:06:48] It's not legally a substitute for a certified copy, but it gives you a personal record while you wait.
[00:06:55] What about changing your name? Arizona makes this part really clean. You don't need a court order to take your spouse's last name, hyphenate or combine names.
[00:07:05] Your certified marriage certificate is enough.
[00:07:08] Start with Social Security, which is free. Then Arizona MVD for your new license, about $25.
[00:07:16] Then your passport.
[00:07:18] If your passport is less than a year old, the name change form is free, around $130.
[00:07:26] Then update your bank, your employer, your insurance and the IRS once those three core IDs are done.
[00:07:34] Okay, let's pull this all together.
[00:07:37] An Arizona Marriage license is $98.
[00:07:40] Both of you appear in person with photo ID and Social Security numbers. There's no waiting period. The license is valid statewide for 12 months.
[00:07:50] Two witnesses sign at the ceremony along with your officiant, who can be a judge, clergy or any ordained minister, including a friend you ordain online.
[00:08:00] The officiant returns the signed license within 30 days.
[00:08:04] Order at least two certified copies for your records.
[00:08:07] That's it. That's the whole process.
[00:08:10] It is genuinely the simplest piece of paperwork in your entire wedding. Even though it can feel intimidating from the outside, the hardest part is just getting to the clerk's office during business hours.
[00:08:22] If you're planning your Arizona wedding and you want a filmmaker who treats your story with. With the kind of care and permanence the day deserves, come find us at heartcraftweddingfilms.com we craft films you'll still want to watch in 30 years, not films that look like 20, 26.
[00:08:39] Films that look like you.
[00:08:42] I'm Nick Gaskey. Thanks for joining me on Golden Hour Arizona. Until next time, here's to your love story.
