Marriage Licenses

Couples wishing to obtain a marriage license can do so in-person at Town Hall, Monday – Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Arrangements are requested in advance of arriving to ensure the availability of the Town Clerk or Deputy Registrar to issue the license.

The following is a summary of the requirements to obtain a marriage license. For in-depth information, please see: NYS Department of Health – Marriage Certificates.

Documentation Requirements

• Blood tests are no longer required.
• To obtain a marriage license, you must bring a certified birth certificate with a raised seal and a current government issued photo identification. If your birth certificate is in another language other than English or Spanish, a certified translation is required.
• If you are divorced, you must provide a copy of your most recent divorce decree. If you have been divorced more than once, you must provide the date(s) of earlier divorce(s). If your divorce decree is in another language other than English or Spanish, a certified translation is required.
• If a marriage ended due to death, a “certified death certificate” is required.
• Once issued, the marriage license cannot be used for 24 hours and must be used within sixty days.
• Witnesses must be at least 18 years of age.

Age Requirements

• If either applicant is under 17 years of age, a marriage license cannot be issued.
• If either applicant is 17 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents and a justice of Supreme Court or a judge of the Family Court having jurisdiction over the town or city in which the application is made.
• If both applicants are 18 years of age or older, no consents are required.

Marriage of Minors

One parent alone may consent to a minor’s marriage if:

• The other parent has been missing for one year preceding the application;
• The parents are divorced and the consenting parent was given sole custody of the child when the divorce decree was awarded;
• The other parent has been judged incompetent; or
• The other parent is deceased.

Parents, guardians or other people consenting to the marriage of a minor must personally appear and acknowledge or execute their consent before the town or city clerk or some other authorized official. If the notarized affidavit is made before an official outside of the State of New York, it must be accompanied by a certificate of authentication when the consent is filed in New York State.

Fees

• A marriage license fee of $ 40.00 fee is due at the time of issuance.

• A duplicate copy of the license can be provided to authorized persons for a
  $ 10.00 fee, if the original license was issued by the Town of Seneca Falls.

• If the exact marriage date is not known, a search can be undertaken for an additional fee, and will require one to two days to be completed.

Where Do You Get Copies of Records?

For copies of marriage licenses issued anywhere in New York State except New York City, a certified copy of the marriage records may be obtained from the office of the Town or City Clerk who issued the license, or from the New York State Department of Health. The fee is $ 10.00 if you obtain a certified copy from the Town or City Clerk who issued the license.

Application to Local Registrar for Copy of Marriage Record

If applying to the New State Department of Health, the fee is $ 30.00. For a certified copy, write to: Certification Unit Vital Records Section. New York State Department of Health. P.O. Box 2602 Albany, New York 12220-2602.

For marriage licenses issued in New York City, do not apply to the New York State Department of Health. You must apply to the borough office of the City Clerk of New York in the borough where the license was issued. For an application and current fees, contact the City Clerk of New York at (212) 669-2400 or go to:

http://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/marriage/marriage_bureau.shtml