The Wedding License

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2.16 million US marriage licenses were filed in 2006, according to the National Vital Statistics Report. What a powerful piece of paper. Without a license, your marriage won't be legal. Educate yourselves early about state and county requirements, which can vary greatly.

Call your county clerk's office ASAP to make sure you have time to gather paperwork necessary for the application. Depending on the state, the paperwork may include notarized birth certificates and blood tests.

Fees and waiting periods differ among the 50 states. In Wisconsin, couples must wait six days after applying to get their license and pay from $50 to $115, depending on the county. Wyoming duos, in contrast, have no waiting restrictions and everyone pays $25.

Most licenses are issued at the time of application. Double check this with your county clerk's office, and be sure to take your state's waiting period into account before deciding when to apply. Just don't do it too early - in some states (Hawaii, Delaware, Wisconsin), licenses are valid for only 30 days after issuance.

Apply yourselves. In most states, the prospetives bride and groom must apply for a marriage license together, in person. No proxies or stand-ins are allowed unless a waiver is granted. They apply at a municipal agency, usually the county clerk's office, in the town where they live. Out of state duos should apply in the town where they plan to wed.

To make your union legal, your wedding officiant must sign your license and file it with the appropriate government agency - like the county clerk's office or the department of health - and he must do so within a specified period of time. Check to make sure he knows the state laws before you jet off on your honeymoon.

Looking for a one-stop resource on license requirements? Click on usmarriagelaws.com, where you'll find info on applying and filing for licenses in all 50 states. The file isn't sanctioned by the government, so some listings may be out of date. Call your county clerk's office (phone numbers are listed on the site) for the official scoop.