When to Apply for a Marriage License: Essential Timing Tips for a Hassle-Free Wedding

When planning your wedding there are so many to-do’s, but it all is in vain, if you forget your marriage license. Talk about a big wedding oops! Today I’m going to be sharing about when to apply for a marriage license before your wedding day and some of the little details around acquiring it.

All wedding licenses issued within the state of Pennsylvania are valid in any county regardless of the county you obtained your marriage license in. If you are local to me and obtained your marriage license at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, your marriage license is still valid if your wedding is in Pittsburgh or Allegheny County. If you are planning a wedding outside of Pennsylvania, that follows a different set of rules to apply for a marriage license.

The best place to start is on your county’s website. The county website will not only have their preferences for obtaining the license, but most have an option to get the process started online. Many have the application right on their website for you to fill out. However, you MUST BOTH appear at the Register of Wills office to fully obtain it.

What is the marriage license process? I’m so glad you asked!

• You must apply for your marriage license within 60 days of your wedding date.  
• You will need to start the application process online and bring a printed confirmation number for your application to the Register of Wills at your location courthouse.
• You must BOTH appear at the Register of Wills office for the license.
• Pay the license fee listed on your county’s website in the form of payment they prefer.

Once you finish the application process with the both of you appearing at the Register of Wills office, your marriage license will be ready for pick-up in three days. It will then be valid for 60 days, so don’t apply and appear at the courthouse to soon.

If you are considering eloping and would like to skip having an officiant, a Self-Uniting Marriage License is perfect for such things. You can simply hike to the middle of nowhere and have a friend or two for your “ceremony.” We have had a few couples do this and it’s magical!  

Do you have more questions about how soon can you apply for a marriage license before your wedding? Send me a message and I can walk you through it.

Would you like Aaron and I to photograph your wedding? You can follow the link here to learn more! We would love to meet you!