198 N. Washington Avenue, Bergenfield, NJ 07621 | 201-387-4055

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MARRIAGE LICENSE INFORMATION

OFFICE HOURS :  Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm. By Appointment ONLY. 

                             Marriage Licenses are available to qualifying couples of all gender compositions.

Requirements for entering into a Marriage:

For Couples to establish a Marriage within the State of NJ, it shall be necessary that they satisfy all of the following criteria:

  1. Not be a party to another civil union, domestic partnership or marriage in this State or recognized by this State;
  2. Be at least 18 years of age.
  3. The marriage license application is to be made in the New Jersey municipality in which either party resides and the license is  valid ONLY in the State of New Jersey.
  4. If neither applicant is a New Jersey resident, submit the application in the municipality where the marriage ceremony will be performed,  the license is only valid in the issuing municipality.

Required documents when applying for a marriage license:

  1. Proof of identity by valid driver's license, passport or state/federal I.D.
  2. Proof of your residency by presenting Drivers Lic, bank statement ,utility bill ( Apartment Lease or letters from landlords are not accepted)
  3. A Social Security card or Social Security Number.*
  4. A witness, 18 years of age or older.
  5. The $28 application fee.

*Social security number is required by law for US citizens and will be kept confidential.

Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Requested additional documents (these documents are helpful but not required):

  1. A copy of your birth certificate to establish your parents’ names and related birth information.
  2. If you are divorced, have had a previous civil union dissolved, domestic partnership terminated or have had a civil union annulled, please bring the decree(s) or the civil annulment documents.
  3. If your former spouse/civil union or domestic partner is deceased, please bring the death certificate.

Marriage Lic. Application(updated 2019)

After You Apply:

There is a 72-hour waiting period before the license is issued. The waiting period begins when the application is filed with the Local Registrar.    

The marriage license application is valid for six months from the date accepted, unless the Registrar has given prior approval to extend the validity of the application to a maximum of one year.

Only one marriage license may be granted from a marriage application. If the license expires before being used, a new application must be made and another $28 fee remitted.

The only exception to this requirement is in the case where a civil and religious ceremony are to be performed on the same day. In this case, the Local Registrar will photocopy the marriage application, marking one “A” and one “B”, and issue the corresponding marriage licenses, marking them “A” and “B” as well. One copy will be used for the religious ceremony and the other for the civil ceremony.

Remarriage:

For individuals who are currently married in New Jersey or are married in another state or country, the option exists to reaffirm your relationship/vows by registering a remarriage.

Applying for a Remarriage License: 

To apply for a remarriage, the couple must provide proof of their existing marriage, meet the requirements for entering into a marriage in  New Jersey and follow the guidelines above to completing the license application.

The process for a remarriage license is the same as for the marriage license, except that the remarriage license must be accompanied by the proof of existing marriage.( certified copy of the existing marriage )  The 72 hour waiting period is waived for a remarriage License.