Washington Marriage License

Here we talk about all the things you need to know; beginning from the key requirements and ending with the important paperwork you must have before applying for Washington marriage license. Just get all the things done perfectly with our help.

How do I get a Washington State marriage license?

Washington State gives people many opportunities to make their wedding day unique. However, as all the other states, Washington has its set of marriage laws. We have guiding information for you which will help to make the whole process more understandable for you.

You should remember that Washington State marriage license requirements change often. Before taking any steps, make sure the local marriage license office verifies all the information. Let’s start with the initial requirements:

Licensee Requirements

Before applying for the Washington marriage license partners should meet a few requirements:

• They mustn’t be in another marriage union
• It is preferable to be 18 years old (otherwise there will be some limits)
• Partners mustn’t be close relatives (they may only be second cousins)
• They must present certain paperwork, including: current photo ID, U.S. passports and passport cards, military ID, permanent resident card, driver’s license or state photo ID card
• Have about $70 cash in hand for paying the application fee

Age Requirements for marriage license

The accepted age for getting married in Washington is 18. However, even for younger applicants there are some requirements that they can meet and get married.

If you are 17 years old, you need to accomplish at least one of these points; either you need your parent’s legal consent or emancipation paper’s copy from the local court. Also don’t forget about the copy of the applicant’s birth certificate, without it no deal will be a success.

Applicants younger than 17 can apply only after superior court judge waives age requirement. Each partner should present his/her specific waiver that will name them.

Residence Requirements

If you are going to apply for a Washington marriage license, it doesn’t mean you have to be a resident in that state. Moreover, you can obtain your license from any Washington county and get married anywhere in the state.

The county you choose doesn’t have to be the county where the wedding ceremony will take place. However, your Washington State marriage license will not be valid in another state or county.

Although in some cases the applicants have to present a U.S. Social Security number, it is not a must at all. If they don’t have any they can bring a declaration mentioning about the absence of the SS number. Anyways, it won’t prevent them from getting the license.

Who can perform the marriage ceremony?

Since the day you have applied for your Washington marriage license you have to wait for three days. The three day waiting period is fixed and there is not any circumstance that can make it change.

Once you’ve received your marriage license, you should make your wedding ceremony within 60 days. If your ceremony does not take place within this period, the license becomes void and you have to apply again.

Washington State law has assigned who can perform a marriage ceremony:

• Ministers or priests of any church who have licenses
• Judges of tribal courts from a federally recognized tribe
• Court of Appeals Judges and Commissioners
• Supreme Court Justices and Commissioners
• Judges and Commissioners of courts of limited jurisdiction
• Judges and Commissioners of the Superior Court

How long does it take to get a marriage license process by mail in Washington?

Couples may apply for a Washington State marriage license by mail through any county recording. In fact, it will take them only two weeks. However, you had better do it about three weeks before your wedding day, not to have any postponing issues.

First thing you need to do is downloading the Marriage License Application (in PDF format). You can fill the necessary information into the fields provided. After that you can print the application and take it to a notary, sign it and get their sign and seal as well.

Prepare a check or cash equal to $70 for the fee and don’t forget to write your phone number in a special line (next to your name). Finally, you need to mail the completed application and fee to the county recording and later on you’ll receive your marriage license, a Certificate of Marriage, and an information envelope from them via mail.

How much is the fee for getting a Washington marriage license ?

The fee of applying for a Washington marriage license varies from county to county. For the application the price is between $60 and $70, including the fee of the certified fee ($3).

It is also important to check beforehand in which way the county accepts your payment. Many of them don’t accept personal checks, others prefer credit cards. However, the most convenient and preferable is paying in cash.

Accepted and forbidden Washington State marriages

Same-Sex Marriages

Let’s start the list with the same-sex marriages. These marriages are legal in Washington State. Interestingly enough, they are legal not only on the state level, but also the U.S. Supreme Court accepted them as normal.

Only after that it became legalized throughout the country. Before that happened, there were many unpleasant situations along that issue. It was the 2012 legislative session that passed a bill to make it legal for all couples, regardless of gender, to get married.

Proxy Marriages

In fact, Washington State forbids proxy marriages. However, if both partners aren’t able to apply for their marriage license application at the same time, they have the opportunity to fill an Absentee Marriage Application or use an online or mail-in form if the county has that option.

Cousin Marriages

As it was previously mentioned, marrying your relative is not accepted in the state. Moreover, you mustn’t think of marriage, if it is a first cousin or any relative closer than that. The Washington State law bans cousin marriages and even fines those who do it.

Common-Law Marriages

These marriages are common in the countries that don’t give much importance to the law. However, Washington is one of the states that require the marriage license in the first place. It is no surprise, that the state doesn’t recognize common-law marriages. It is only legal if it is formal.