Courthouse weddings, county by county.
Marriage license fees, ceremony fees, waiting periods, witnesses and validity — for U.S. counties, checked against each county clerk’s own published source. If a county doesn’t publish a figure, we show it as not published. We never guess.
1,000 county guides published
51 states covered so far
930 counties with a verified license fee
176 counties publishing a separate ceremony fee
Every record checked against the clerk’s own page — most recently verified November 9, 2026
Top questions
How much does a courthouse wedding cost? Two separate fees: the marriage license (paid to the clerk) and, where the courthouse performs ceremonies, a ceremony fee. Verified examples from our county pages: New York City charges $35 for the license and $25 for the ceremony; Cook County, Illinois charges $60 and $10; Los Angeles County charges $91 for a public license and $35 for the civil ceremony. Your county’s exact pair of figures is on its county page.
Do we need witnesses? It depends on the state and sometimes the county. Some states require two witnesses, some one, some none — and a few courthouses can provide witnesses. Your county page states the rule as the clerk publishes it.
Is there a waiting period? Many states impose one — 24 hours to 3 days is common — and many waive it for a course certificate or a judge’s order. Some states have none. The county page carries the exact rule.
How long is the license valid? Commonly 30 to 90 days, depending on the state. Marry within the window or the license expires and you start over.
Do we need an appointment? Increasingly, yes — especially for ceremonies. Some clerks are walk-in for licenses but appointment-only for ceremonies. Your county page says which.
Browse by state
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Popular counties
- New York (Manhattan), NY — license $35 · ceremony $25
- Los Angeles County, CA — license $91 · ceremony $35
- Cook County, IL — license $60 · ceremony $10
- Harris County, TX — license fee on its county page
- Maricopa County, AZ — license $98
- Clark County, NV — license $102
How we check
- From the clerk’s own page. Every fee and rule traces to the county clerk’s or court’s official published source — linked on every county page.
- A verified date on every record. Each county page shows when it was last checked against that source. No date, no claim.
- Unknown means unknown. A blank field means the county doesn’t publish that figure — not that it’s zero, free, or none. We would rather show a gap than invent a number.
Guides
- Courthouse Wedding Costs, Explained: The License Fee Is Not the Ceremony Fee
- Marriage License Waiting Periods and Validity Windows, State by State
- What to Bring to the Courthouse: The Checklist That Works Almost Everywhere
- The Cheapest Marriage Licenses in America (State-Set Fees, Ranked)
- How to Get Married at the Courthouse, Step by Step
Photographers & officiants — your couples are already here. Couples planning a courthouse wedding use these county pages to decide where and when. Featured vendor listings are planned for the counties with the most weddings first. Join the vendor waitlist →
Not a government site. Fees and rules change — always confirm with your county clerk before you go.