In order to get married, you need to apply and receive a Michigan marriage license. Applications can be obtained from the county clerk in the county in which one of the parties lives (or, if both parties are non-residents, in the county where the marriage is to be performed) and deliver it to the person who is to solemnize the marriage, before the marriage can be performed. Both applicants are not required to appear in person at the time of applying. However, he or she will be required to complete all the information about both applicants.
The items you will most likely need are:
- Identification requirements vary in each county for a Michigan marriage license.
- A valid driver's license or certified copy of birth certificate may be required.
- If only one applicant will be appearing that person will need to bring a photocopy of the front and back of the other person's driver's license.
- Full names
- Addresses, dates and places of birth
- Bride's name after the marriage
- Social security numbers
- The fee to obtain your marriage license is $20 for residents, $30 for non-residents. Wayne County, however, is authorized to charge more.
The State of Michigan does not require a blood test.
The waiting period for a Michigan marriage license is 3 days and the license will be valid for 33 days.
Marriages may be solemnized by any of the following:
- Federal, probate, district, or municipal judges; district court magistrates, in their court area; Mayors, in their city; or Wayne County clerks;
- Ministers of the gospel, anywhere in the state, "if the minister is ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of the denomination, and is a pastor of a church in this state, or continues to preach the gospel in the state";
- Non-resident minister of the gospel, anywhere in the state, if the minister is authorizes to solemnize marriages by his or her state's laws.
No particular form or oath is required. The parties merely solemnly declare that they take each other as husband and wife before at least two witnesses and the person officiating.
Mayors and Wayne County clerks are specifically authorized to collect a Solemnization Fee. There are no provisions concerning fees charged by others.
After the wedding ceremony the person who solemnizes the marriage fills in the Michigan marriage license certificate with the time and place of the marriage and the names and residences of the two witnesses, and signs it. The part marked "duplicate" is given to the newlyweds, and the original must be mailed to the county clerk that issued it within 10 days. The clerk records the information in a registration book, and mails it onto the state registrar. The person who performs the marriage must also keep a record in a book used expressly for that purpose.
The following is a list of Southeast Michigan clerk's offices:
Macomb County Clerk
Mt. Clemens:
586-469-5120
Monroe County Clerk
Monroe:
734-240-7020
Oakland County Clerk
Pontiac:
248-858-0572
St. Clair County Clerk
Port Huron:
810-985-2200
Wayne County Clerk
Detroit:
313-224-6262
Please call the appropriate office prior to your visit to verify office hours & fees. Obtaining your Michigan marriage license is the one of the last steps in your wedding planning process. From here, all the fun is to come!
