Marriage License Requirements in Michigan

Each state has different requirements and regulations when it comes to obtaining this important document, so we asked expert Elizabeth Schultz to break down all the essential information for the Great Lakes state. If one or both applicants plan to change their traditional name following marriage (take the partner`s surname or separate the two surnames), they may sign with the new name at the end of the licence. Please note that the Kalamazoo County Clerk`s Office for the issuance of marriage licenses is regulated by the State of Michigan. It is the couple`s responsibility to determine the legality of the official performing the ceremony. To ensure full compliance with the law, you should seek legal advice when interpreting the law regarding «persons entitled to marry». Order a certified copy of an existing marriage certificate If you or your future spouse is a Michigan resident, you must apply for the license in your district of residence, regardless of where in the state the marriage will take place. However, if no person is resident, you will need to apply for the license in the country where the marriage will take place. The license is valid throughout the state for thirty-three (33) days from the date of application. Ministers, priests, rabbis, appointed judges. etc., can perform wedding ceremonies in Michigan. Make sure you know if the person performing your ceremony needs advice.

For more information about judges and magistrates in other Michigan counties, contact each county`s county clerk. *Please note: There is a required 3-day waiting period to obtain a licence after submitting an application. Do not apply until 33 days after your wedding date. Once your application is approved, there is a three-day waiting period before you can use the licence. The licence expires if it is not used within 30 days of its entry into force. If you wish to waive the three-day waiting period, this is possible in some counties, but there is an additional fee for waiving. If one of the two people has already been married, they must provide certified documents about how the previous marriage ended, such as divorce, annulment or death. Whether you`re getting married at an art museum in downtown Detroit or at an idyllic farmhouse outside Ann Arbor, if you`re getting married in Michigan, you`ll need a marriage certificate to make your union official. For the purposes of the marriage proposal, residency is determined by a valid driver`s license, ID card, Kalamazoo County ID card or utility bill, lease or current mortgage.

There is a required waiting period of 3 days after submitting an application and before the license can be collected. The licence expires 33 days after the date of application. In Michigan, marriage licenses are issued by the county clerk`s office. Most counties offer the option to complete your paperwork online before your appointment, but not all. Counties also differ on who must attend the appointment: some require both members of the couple to be present, while others require only one member of the couple — usually the resident of the county where you are applying for the license — to be present. If an error was made in a marriage certificate already filed with the Kalamazoo County Clerk`s Office, legal proceedings must be initiated to correct the error. To change a name on a Michigan ID card or driver`s license, a person must go to a Secretary of State branch with their valid driver`s license or ID card, a certified copy of the marriage certificate and birth certificate, or some other form of proof of legal presence. Self-union marriages are not legally recognized by the state of Michigan, so you will need to recruit an official for your ceremony.

Good news: Your official doesn`t need to register with the state, so an out-of-state celebrant or friend who has been ordained online will work well. Once the ceremony is over, your officiant and two other witnesses over the age of 18 will need to sign your marriage certificate, so plan accordingly if you plan to run away. The licence must be returned to the clerk`s office of the country where you received it within ten days of the ceremony. If you were already married, Michigan does not require proof of divorce or death of a spouse to apply for a marriage certificate. Valid driver`s license or state ID with current address, birth certificate or valid passport. If the passport is used instead of the birth certificate, the full names of both parents and the state or country in which they were born must be provided at the time of application. Social Security numbers of both parties are also required. Applications for marriage licenses are available from the Oakland County Clerk`s Office. Complete your application and submit it online. The marriage certificate must be picked up in person and the required documents must be presented to both parties when collecting the permit. The marriage information sheet contains all the information necessary to complete the application.

(Note: This is not the application for a marriage certificate.) NOTE: Regardless of how the license is signed, in the State of Michigan there is no obligation for individuals to change their name and no timeframe within which this must be done after the ceremony. You must both complete an application, sign it and pay a licence fee. The amount varies by county. You have to wait three days to be tied. Marriage certificates are not issued automatically after a marriage certificate is processed. Couples must purchase them separately. The cost varies by county: in Washtenaw, a certified copy of a marriage certificate costs $15 for the first copy and $5 for each subsequent copy purchased at the same time. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit, it costs $24 for the first copy and $7 for each additional copy purchased at the same time.

Because marriage laws can sometimes get complicated, it may also be a good idea to consult with an experienced Michigan family law attorney if you have questions about your specific situation. If you want to get married in Michigan, you will need a marriage certificate. The county clerk`s office issues marriage licenses to couples. Elizabeth Schultz is head of the vital records division of Washtenaw County, Michigan, which includes Ann Arbor. Her department oversees the approval of marriage licenses for the county. Out-of-state applicants must apply in the county where the wedding will take place. There is a required 3-day waiting period to obtain a licence after submitting an application. This 3-day waiting period is considered completed if the online application is completed more than three days before being received by the Clerk`s office to pay the application fee and complete the procedure. To waive the three-day waiting period, a $15 waiver fee is charged in addition to the $20 marriage licence fee. You apply for the licence at the county clerk`s office where one of the applicants lives. The license can then be used anywhere in the state of Michigan.

If you are over the age of 18, you can legally marry in the state of Michigan without your parents` consent. Michigan residents must apply for their marriage license in the county where they live, but can use the license anywhere in the state. Non-Michigan residents who wish to marry in the state must apply for their marriage license in the county where they wish to marry. The license is only valid for use in that country. Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting and using a Michigan marriage certificate, including the document you`ll be surprised to have to bring to your date. You must have the following on hand for your Michigan marriage license appointment: The following table lists the main provisions of Michigan`s marriage license requirements.