Every marriage starts with a wedding and every wedding requires a marriage license. It is what allows your marriage to be recorded in the county and state, making the ceremony legally binding. If you have never been married you may not know how or where to get a marriage license. If you are one of the many that come to Utah for your elopement, you may not know Utah laws on marriage licenses. So I figured it is a good place to start. I will cover who issues the license, who applies for it, how you receive it, and what do you do with it after the ceremony. There are two ways to get a marriage license, in person or online. I will cover both ways at each step.

County Clerk’s Office Issues Marriage Licenses.

Marriage licenses are issued by each county’s County Clerk (sometimes known as Clerk/Auditor), and can be used anywhere in Utah. The hours of operation and location of each county’s County Clerk’s office can be found online, so I will not list them all here. I will list information for marriages in the Southern Utah, such as weddings in Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

Zion National Park borders Washington County on the west and Kane County on the East.

Bryce Canyon borders Iron County on the west and Garfield County on the east.

Capitol Reef National Park is in Wayne County.

Utah County issues the online zero contact marriage license that can be use at any of the parks in Southern Utah.

Couples Must Apply for the Marriage License.

Marriage licenses are applied for by the couple. Couples will apply for them at a County Clerk’s Office. If you are getting a paper license you will need to both be in person at the clerk’s office to apply. If you want to use an online license you will just upload documents to their website. This should be done one to four weeks before the wedding. Again, a license from any county in Utah can be used anywhere in Utah so you can either visit the nearest County Clerk or visit Utah County online to apply. You will need the same documents if you are applying online or in person. You will need a valid, unexpired, government issued ID such as a driver license. Check the county website for a full list of required information.  In addition, both applicants will need a good email address to use the online license.

Check with the clerk’s office to see how long it will take to receive your license.  Some are mailed, most you get when you walk out. Utah County Online license is usually available immediately if applied for during working hours.

Marriage licenses generally cost around $50 but vary some between counties. Washington County charges $30, Iron County charges $35, and Utah County charges $70 for their online license.

Bring Your Marriage License to the Ceremony.

The couple, along with the two witnesses and the officiant, sign the license the day of the wedding. We usually sign the license immediately after the ceremony. The officiant then sends the signed license to the respective clerk’s office. If you have an online marriage license you will receive an email to forward to the officiant.  I will digitally sign and submit the license through the links provided in the email you send me. You will get a confirmation email letting you know it is submitted. Later you will receive the paper marriage license and marriage certificate in the mail.

Finally, like I always say, don’t be afraid of Google. If I did not cover everything you need, hit up the local county clerk’s office. You can find them on a google search.