If I live in a different state than where Im getting married, where should I get my marriage license from?

I'm not an expert on the whole country but usually you have to have the license by the state in which you well get married.

I believe you have to get your license in the state where you're being married. That's the case for us anyway (live in WV, getting married in NH).

I'm guessing this has to be done in person?

We live in Texas getting married in Missouri and will get our license in Missouri

Yes it has to be in person and in some states it even has to be in the county you're getting married in.

Yes, in person - and sometimes there's time restrictions. (72 hour waiting, etc.).

In Texas, you can get your license in any county.

It has to be in the State you're getting married. In NY it can be any city or town within the State

We live in Colorado but will be getting married in Virginia so we were told we have to get a Virginia marriage license. We will go do it in person a month prior to the wedding.

There are a few states where you can do the entire process online, but to be safe, I would call your venue or town in AZ and ask what to do next.

I googled "how to get married in AZ" and found this:

http://www.usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/arizona/marriage_licenses/

But like Celia said, I would talk to your officiant and venue to find out for sure what the requirements are.

If you are getting married in AZ, you must have a license issued by one of the AZ county courts (specifically, you need to go to the office of the clerk of the court). The offices are generally only open M-F. While your license is issued by the county, it is valid for any marriage in any county in AZ. Marriage licences are good for 1 year from date of issue and there is no waiting period.

Both parties must show up in person and each person needs a valid government-issued photo ID (ex: drivers license, passport). There is also a fee. I believe it is ~$76 and includes one copy of a certified marriage certificate that will be mailed to you after the court receives official notification of your wedding (in the form the returnable portion of the official license) and the wedding is "recorded." I recommend paying the additional fee to have at least one additional certified copy of the certificate (~$28 per additional copy).

ALSO, technically there is a time limit on when the notification portion of the license must be returned to the court after the marriage (30 days). It is actually the officiant that is on the hook for the timely return and is (potentially) subject to a penalty if it is late. For this reason, many officiants now ask for the returnable portion required for recording and return it to the court themselves.

For specific court hours and times, you can google the county and "marriage licence"... or...

For greater Phoenix (Phx, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, etc), use Maricopa county:

http://clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/marlic.asp

For Tuscon, use Pinal county: http://www.coscpinalcountyaz.gov/marriage-license.html

For Flagstaff/Sedona, use Coconino county: http://www.coconino.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=134

How early is everybody getting their marriage license?

I'm out of state too...I'll only be in town a week n advance and it is a 30 day limit...

Positive that its the state where you get married. Actually, in Maryland you have to apply for the license in the COUNTY where you will be getting married, even if you don't live in that county.

I live in Texas and we are getting married in Colorado.

We will be arriving in town about 5 days before the wedding and going to get the licence will be the first thing that we do!

I wish there was an easier way, but in person the week of seems to be the only way for out of state brides

CALL A GOVERNMENT OFFICE. okay? Tell them when and where you are getting married and take it from there.

I have couples ALL THE TIME who don't know that there is a waiting period in NJ, (and PA and many other places) and it wrecks havoc with their plans. Do not rely on any internet site that doesn't end in .gov and if your officiant is waffly, don't go by their information.

It's the only thing that really needs to be right.

Unfortunately no. If you're getting married in Arizona, you will need to obtain your license from that state.

Here is additional information:

Obtaining a Marriage License in Arizona

ID Requirement:

Drivers license or identification card or other

Identification showing current address and date of birth. Bringing a certified copy of your birth certificate is recommended because some counties require it if you are younger than 30.

Residency Requirement:

Do not have to be a resident of Arizona.

Waiting Period:

No waiting period in Arizona.

Previous Marriages:

Copies of divorce decree are not required.

Covenant Marriage Option:

Yes. Here are the requirements for couples who are getting married.

How Much a Marriage License Cost?:

$76.00 - Cash or money order.

Other Tests:

No tests.

We're getting married in Maryland and we have to get our license in the same county as the ceremony, which seems different from some of the other posters. So definitely check on Arizona's rules.

I would still call the Clerk of Courts where you are getting married. In PA, you apply for the license, but they won't issue it for 3 days. Apparently, they will give it to you in some counties. We had to go back and pick ours up 3 days later. Fun. Then you have to bring ID and a SS card. If you don't have one of those, you can bring multiple other items. The list is huge. The fees vary by county. Philadelphia is 80.00. Delaware County (maybe 30 minutes from center city Philly) is 60.00. Lancaster is 40.00 while Bucks is 75.00 and Montgomery is 50.00. None of those places are hugely far from Philly. They all require the payment in cash or money order. Some of them charge more if you pay with a money order.

Then you have rules differences. Divorce decrees and death certificates, some counties are ok with copies. Others want originals with the raised stamp. Birth certificates for people born outside the US have to be translated. Oh and if you don't speak English, you have to bring a translator. But you still have to pay extra to bring them in some places.

But the funny thing (not funny ha ha, funny weird) is that if you are 16-17, you can still get married with parent permission. If you are 15 or younger, you can petition the court to allow you to marry.

Sara's link is to a website rife with errors. Ditto what Celia said -- get the info straight from the office that issues the license.