Virginia Marriage License

If you live in the State of Virginia and want to get married, you are on the right page. Like the other states of the US, Virginia also focuses on the legality of a marriage. That is why, before getting married in Virginia, it is important to get a Virginia marriage license.

Let’s cover all the details connected with getting a marriage license in Virginia.

Where to get a marriage license in Virginia?

The parties can apply for their Virginia marriage license at any County Court Clerk’s Office.

Mainly all courthouse clerks’ offices work on Monday–Friday 8:30 – 5:00. When you choose a certain clerk’s office, check the working hours online through their website.

The license is valid anywhere in the state. Virginia does not have any residency requirements and the parties may get a marriage license from any circuit court in Virginia.

In case one of the parties needs a translator, they must bring one with them, as they are not allowed to translate for each other.

How to get a marriage license in Virginia?

Both parties must simultaneously be present when getting their marriage license. Once the couples get their marriage license, there is no need to wait. That is to say, as soon as they get their license they can marry each other. This rule also applies to divorced people. Furthermore, they do not need to take their divorce decree with them.

The parties do not have to take a blood test, as well.

• However, the license is valid for 60 calendar days, so the couples need to perform their marriage ceremony within those days.

It is worth mentioning that the marriage ceremony must take place in Virginia.

• If the couple does not use their marriage license, they must return it to the Circuit Court. After that, the authorized person must return the license to the Marriage Record and the Marriage Return to the Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office within five days.

Who can and can not marry in Virginia?

According to Virginia law, the minimum age for marriage is 18 years for both parties. Though, for people who are at least 16 years old, there are some exceptions. The Court may submit their license if they have a satisfying reason for their marriage. As well as, they must get consent from their parents or guardians:

• The State of Virginia does not allow marriages between an ancestor and descendant, or between a sister and a brother
• Marriages between an uncle and a niece or between an aunt and a nephew are not allowed in Virginia either
• People who are half or whole blood or by adoption can not get married either

Both parties must have dissolution prior to their earlier marriage before applying for a Virginia marriage license. So, people who are not divorced yet, can not marry again.

When one of the parties or both of them do not have the capacity to give consent mentally or physically, they can not marry, as well.

If the parties perform their common-law marriage in Virginia or any other jurisdiction that does not admit them for its residents, the marriage is not valid in Virginia.

What documentation do you need when applying for a marriage license in Virginia?

Like the other states of the US, the State of Virginia also requires some documentation when applying for a marriage license. Both parties must have valid and non-expired government-issued ID papers that will prove their age. So, here is the list of documentation the parties must take with them when going to the clerk’s office:

• passport
• driver’s license
• military ID
• state ID
• DMV-issued ID card

As we have already mentioned, there is no need for divorced people to bring their divorce decree. However, they should know the month and the year of their divorce. Likewise, they may need to mention the jurisdiction which decreed the divorce.

What information do you need to fill out in the application form?

Virginia marriage licenses have the certain required information that both parties must fill out when applying for the license. Here is the list of it:

• full name
• age and date of birth
• place of birth (state or foreign country)
• address
• education
• the number of the marriage ( first, second, third, etc.)
• marital status (divorced or widowed, if married before)
• full names of both parents

How much is a Virginia marriage license?

The current fee for getting a Virginia marriage license is $30. The parties may pay in cash or with a debit or credit card. However, when paying the fee with a debit or credit card, there is a $2 processing fee.

If the Clerk of Circuit Court performs the marriage, there is an additional fee of $50.

How to apply for a marriage license online in Virginia?

The parties can apply for Virginia marriage licenses online. Here are the names of Northern Virginia county court clerk’s offices: Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William Counties. Unfortunately, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Alexandria, do not yet take online applications.

If you want to apply for your marriage license online, you will need to complete and send an online pre-application.

• Providing all the required information mentioned below, you should send your pre-application to the email of the clerk’s office that you have chosen.

After that, you will receive an email that states the date and time of your WebEx appointment.

So, on the scheduled day, you and your prospective spouse will have an online appointment with a clerk, via WebEx. After the virtual appointment, the clerk will mail your marriage license during one business day through the U.S. Postal Service.

How to obtain Virginia Vital Records?

The applicants can obtain Virginia marriage records in person or by mail from the Circuit Court Clerk’s office that issued the marriage license. All Vital records are also available on the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. The address is:

2001 Maywill Street,
Suite 101, Richmond,
VA 23230

The information number is 804-662-6200.

• Only immediate family members – mother, father, wife, husband, child, sister, brother, and grandparents may obtain copies of marriage licenses. Uncles, in-laws, aunts, cousins, etc. can not obtain a Vital Record. The applicants must provide a valid ID and a piece of the requested information about the bride and groom. As well as, some information about the date and place of marriage must be needed.

The applicants must pay a fee of $12 for each copy, certificate, or search of a Virginia vital record. They can pay in cash, by check, money orders, by VISA, or MasterCard.