HOW TO GET
MARRIED IN UTAH.
Utah Marriage License.
Who needs a marriage license.
All weddings that take place in Utah require a Utah marriage license. If you want to get married in Utah you will need a marriage license.
Who applies for the marriage license.
By law, only the couple can apply for the marriage license. Your coordinator, planner, or officiant can not do this for you.
APPLYING FOR A
UTAH MARRIAGE LICENSE.
How to apply for a Utah marriage license.
Marriage licenses are issued by and apply for through a county clerk/auditor. Each county has its own license, hours of operation, and protocols on how to apply for a license. All counties will require some basics. Both parties will need to prove who they are. This is most commonly done by showing up together at the clerk's office to apply with a photo ID, but not always. More on that in a bit. Couples will need to provide information on previous marriages and on the officiant that will be performing the ceremony. Later I will explain how to find your officiant before you travel to Utah.
Where to apply for a Utah marriage license.
There are 29 counties in Utah. A marriage license from any of the 29 counties can be used anywhere in Utah. So it does not matter which county you use. This will be really helpful down below when I explain different ways to get your license from counties.
How to apply online for your marriage license.
So, how do you decide which county to get your marriage license from? I HIGHLY recommend everyone that is planning to get married in Zion National Park, especially if it is an elopement, get their marriage license from Utah County. Here is why.
Not in Utah? That’s Okay!
You can apply for and be issued a marriage license from your couch at home. Utah County and only that county allows a 100% online marriage license. Much easier than coming to Utah, finding out what county you are in, then looking for the county seat, finding their building and both of you going in at the same time, and hoping the hours of operation line up with your trip and your schedule.
To apply for your marriage license from Utah County you will both need a separate email address. You will also need a scanned copy of your government issued ID, and a selfie. When you have that visit the Utah County Clerk/Auditor office website. Navigate to Marriage License and Online Application. Follow the instructions and you will have a marriage license in about 15 minutes. You will be issued the license by email.
When to Apply.
A Utah marriage license can be applied for up to 30 days before the wedding. It can not be used more than 30 days after it is issued. During normal business hours a couple can apply for and receive a marriage license in just a few minutes.
How to Use Your Utah Marriage License.
Once you have been issued your marriage license you can get married. You will need to get your license to an authorized wedding officiant. To find an officiant that specializes in Utah elopements or virtual marriages click HERE.
If you were issued a paper license you will need to hand deliver that paper to your wedding officiant at or before the wedding. If you were issued an online license you will need to send the email sent to you by Utah County to your wedding officiant! The officiant will finish and finalize your marriage license. If the officiant does not have the information in that email they will not be able to marry you.
After your wedding ceremony the officiant completes your marriage license with you. “Usually” the wedding ceremony takes place first, then the license signing is done all at once. Sometimes at elopements the officiant will verify the age and names of the witnesses first. This is so the officiant knows that the moment you are pronounced it is a legally recognizable marriage. Either way, by the end the license/certificate is complete. On a paper license the witnesses will print and/or sign (depending on the county), the “applicants” AKA the couple will both sign, then the officiant will sign. At that moment the officiant will most likely refer to the form as a certificate. The county will refer to the paper as a certificate only after they have recorded it.
If you have a digital license from an online application it is a little different. The officiant verifies the witnesses and no one signs. The officiant signs the application/license digitally, and submitted it online.
Who Can Legally Act as Witness to a Marriage in Utah.
Having witnesses is tricky if you are getting eloped and have no guests. A witness must be at least 18 years old. Even if the couple being married are 16 years old and the witness has their legal gradian present the witness must be 18 or older. I have shown up to an elopement and the couple wanted to use their three and five year old children as witnesses, no they can not. A couple told me they only witnesses they would have would be their dogs, no they can not. I have been asked by couples if I can be a witness. NO your officiant can not be a witness. You need two separate humans 18 or older to be your witnesses. If you are hiring a photographer they can be your witness. You do not need to know the person so any random passer-by can be your witness, assuming they are of age.
Virtual Ceremonies Witnesses.
Believe it or not, you do not need to be in Utah to be married in Utah. IF you have an online marriage license from Utah County only one of the five people need to be in Utah. This has been great in situations where the couple are not in the state or country. I can perform a virtual ceremony in Utah with couples or witnesses outside Utah. The officiant must still verify the identity of the people witnessing and get their full names. We need this to complete the online marriage license.
This is also handy when the couple does not bring a witness with them. We are able to FaceTime, Zoom, or video conference your friend back home or anywhere in the world.
Getting Your Marriage Certificate
After the county receives the information from your officiant it is recorded by the county. Boom! You are legally married and recognized in the eyes of the law! You will receive your marriage certificate (formally license) in the mail in a few weeks. If you used an online license you can go online and print a copy of your marriage certificate within 24 hours of your officiant completing the license.
**Officiants have 2 to 4 weeks to complete their online portion, but most will finish the license the day their invoice has been paid in full or the marriage ceremony is complete, whichever is last.
In a couple of weeks you then receive the completed marriage license/certificate in the mail.
Learn More.
Resources and article about getting married in Utah.
