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Nov
05

Marriage licensing

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! King County wants to make obtaining your marriage license quick and easy.

Three day waiting period, 60 day validity

Washington state law requires a three-day waiting period before a marriage license can be used. The three-day waiting period begins when the license is issued, not when the marriage application is submitted. Licenses are valid for 60 days after the three-day waiting period.

A license issued today would be valid for use between and .

Have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information.

Get a marriage license

Online

Click the button below to begin applying for your marriage license online.

Start Online Marriage License Application

Note: Once your Marriage License Application has been submitted, please retain your transaction number and follow the next steps at the end of the application.

In person

You can apply for a marriage license in person at our office in the King County Customer Service Center, 201 S. Jackson St, second floor, in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.

Save time by downloading and completing a Marriage License Application before coming to our office. Do not sign the application - both applicants will do so when you come to our office.

Be sure to bring a form of payment with you. There is a fee of $69 to apply for a marriage license. We accept cash, checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards at our office.

By mail

Download a Marriage License Application and fill it out.

Do not sign the application yet - you will do that in person in front of a notary.

Print the application, then sign it in front of a notary. Have the notary sign the application and attach their seal.

Submit the application, along with a check, money order, or cashier's check payable to King County Recorder for $69 to:

King County Recorder's Office
RE: Marriage Application
201 S. Jackson St., Ste. 204
Seattle, WA 98104

The Recorder's Office will process your application and mail your license, a Certificate of Marriage to be completed by your officiant and witnesses, and an information packet to the address you indicate in your application.

Next steps

  • Have the ceremony

    Once you've applied for and received your marriage license, your ceremony must take place within 60 days after the date your license was issued. The license is not valid until three days after it was issued. This waiting period cannot be waived under any circumstances, including court order. If your ceremony does not take place within this time period, the license becomes void and you will need to apply again.

    The ceremony can be performed by:

    • Licensed and ordained clergy members or similar officials of any religious organization
    • Washington State Supreme Court justices
    • Court of Appeals judges
    • Superior Court judges
    • Superior Court commissioners
    • Judges of courts of limited jurisdiction
    • Judges and judicial officers of federal courts
    • Judges of tribal courts from a federally recognized tribe

    Clergy from any state may perform marriage ceremonies in Washington State, provided they are permitted by their religious organization to perform ceremonies outside of their state. However, the ceremony itself must be performed in the state of Washington. Neither person getting married may perform the ceremony.

    A judge performing your ceremony can be active or retired. Washington state law specifies who can perform a marriage ceremony. To have a judge perform your ceremony, contact them directly. A fee may apply.

    Immediately following the ceremony, the couple, the officiant, and two witnesses must sign the Certificate of Marriage. It is the officiant's responsibility to complete and return the certificate to King County within 30 days after the ceremony.

  • Complete and return the certificate

    The person who performs your ceremony, called the officiant, has 30 days from the date of the ceremony to return the Certificate of Marriage. If your license was issued by King County, it must be returned to our office even if the ceremony took place in another county.

    Officiants should send the completed marriage certificate to:

    King County Recorder's Office
    RE: Marriage Certificate
    201 S. Jackson St., Ste. 204
    Seattle, WA 98104

    Officiants may also return completed certificates in person at our office in the King County Customer Service Center at the address above. Once received, we will verify and record the marriage certificate. Once this process is complete, you may request certified copies of your certificate to be used as proof of your marriage. Certified copies are not automatically sent to married couples, and there is a fee of $3 for each copy.

  • After the ceremony

    After your wedding ceremony, you can check if your certificate has been processed and recorded by searching online records. If your record shows a "Marriage Certificate" document type, then you can request copies. Each copy is $3.

    Name changes

    All marriage license documents are signed with one's current legal name, never the intended new name. There is no legal requirement for a name change after getting married - it is a right a couple may choose to exercise.

    If you or your new spouse want to change your surname after you're married, take a certified copy of your marriage certificate to any organization that you need to notify, such as the ones listed below. If you want to change your first or middle name, or create a new last name, check with King County District Court for details on a court-ordered name change.

    Washington state law does not impose a time limit after the wedding by which a name change must be accomplished. However, if you are making the change more than a year after your wedding, check with each agency to determine if a certified copy of your marriage license will suffice to change your name with them.

Important notes

  • Don't wait until the last minute! Due to staffing, the Recorder's Office cannot guarantee a three-day turnaround. We may run a few days behind processing marriage applications and marriage certificates, especially during peak periods of the year.
  • Please print legibly or type the information on your application. This cuts down on data entry errors.
  • Your application should reflect your current full legal names, not the name(s) you intend to take after marriage.
  • Your application must be notarized.
  • Please include at least one phone number where you can be reached during the day.
  • Enclose a check or money order for $69 payable to King County. The check or money order must include your address. Starter checks are not accepted.
  • Please provide a physical mailing address where we should return your packet. P.O. boxes are not acceptable. If you do not include a return address, we will use the one on the application.
  • Packets will be returned by USPS Priority Mail or FedEx once your application has been processed.

Forms and documents

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