Alaska Marriage License Requirements 2026: $60 Fee, 3-Day Wait

In Alaska, marriage licenses come from Alaska Vital Records (the state or a local registrar) or from most local courts, though not the Anchorage or Juneau courts. You apply on a paper form by mail or in person, wait three days after the application is received (AS 25.05.091), and then have three months to hold the ceremony anywhere in Alaska (AS 25.05.121). The fee is set statewide by Vital Records: $60, or $73 for a license mailed out to you, according to its marriage license page.

For other states, see our guide to marriage license requirements by state.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers getting a marriage license in Alaska under Chapter 25.05 of the Alaska Statutes and the procedures of Alaska Vital Records and the Alaska Court System. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to apply for an Alaska marriage license

Alaska issues licenses through a "licensing officer," which the statute defines as the state registrar or a local registrar (AS 25.05.381). In practice that means Alaska Vital Records, which has offices in Juneau and Anchorage. The application asks you to submit it to the office closest to where the ceremony will take place. The Alaska Court System adds: "Most courts also issue marriage licenses. The Anchorage and Juneau courts do not issue marriage licenses."

You do not have to visit a licensing office. Under AS 25.05.091(a), the sworn statement on the application may be made before a notary public or a postmaster, who certifies it to the licensing officer. Each of you must still be sworn and sign in person before that official, and the application allows a notary in your home jurisdiction. You can then mail the application with the fee, or bring it in.

We found no online application. Vital Records uses a paper application, and the fee must be paid by check or money order payable to Alaska Vital Records and sent with the application.

Where the license is valid

An Alaska license works anywhere in the state. AS 25.05.121 provides: "The marriage license issued by a licensing officer in this state authorizes the marriage ceremony to be performed anywhere in the state." Vital Records adds that the license is valid only in Alaska or Alaska State waters.

Residents and nonresidents may both apply, according to Vital Records. Alaska has no residency requirement.

What the application asks for

Both of you must be identified to the licensing officer's satisfaction (AS 25.05.111). The Vital Records application requires each party to present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID or Tribal/BIA card. A birth certificate may be required to prove age, and must be provided for a party under 18. The sworn statement covers:

• Each party's name, residence, occupation and age, and any relationship between you.
• The names of the guardians of any party under the legal age for marriage.
• Every prior marriage, with its beginning and ending dates and how it ended.
• Each party's Social Security number, if any. AS 25.05.091(b) requires it, and it may be given to the state child support agency on request.

Any previous marriage must be final before you apply. Vital Records asks for a copy of the divorce decree only in one case: "Submitting a copy of a divorce decree is only required if the divorce or dissolution occurred less than sixty days prior to applying for the marriage license."

Neither party may be intoxicated or unable to understand the proceeding. When the license is issued, each applicant receives written information about fetal alcohol effects and about chemical abuse and battering during pregnancy (AS 25.05.111).

How much an Alaska marriage license costs

Alaska has one statewide fee, set out by Vital Records. Its page states: "The Marriage License Application fee is $60.00 ($73.00 for mailed-out licenses), payable by check or money order and must be submitted with the application."

Two cautions. First, the same Vital Records page also gives a $70 total for a mailed license with $10 Priority Mail elsewhere, so confirm the mailed-out amount with Vital Records before you send payment. Second, fees are not refundable.

Other costs you may meet:

Waiting period

Alaska has a three-day wait. AS 25.05.091(a) requires the application to be filed at least three days before the license is issued. Vital Records puts it this way: "There is a three (3) day waiting period that begins once a mailed or in-person application is received by the issuing office."

The agency's wording elsewhere on the page is stricter than the statute. Vital Records describes the wait as three full business days after it receives the application before the license can be picked up and the ceremony performed. Because the agency controls when the license is released, plan on the business-day reading, and allow mailing time if you apply by post.

The wait can be waived. Under AS 25.05.161, "If a three-day waiting period would result in undue hardship or delay in an individual case, the licensing officer may waive the three-day requirement."

How long the license lasts

You have three months. Vital Records states: "The license is valid for three (3) months from the date of issuance," with no refunds or extensions. The application form adds that an application stays valid for one year, but once a license is issued and picked up it lasts 90 days, after which you must reapply and pay another $60. AS 25.05.121 likewise allows the marriage to be solemnized within three months of the license date.

The deadline mainly binds the officiant. Solemnizing a marriage after the license expires is a misdemeanor for the officiant, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500 (AS 25.05.361). The marriage itself is not voidable for that reason if the parties believed it lawful (AS 25.05.041(a)(3)). If your date slips past three months, buy a new license.

Age requirements and marriage under 18

The minimum age is 18, with a court route for 16- and 17-year-olds. AS 25.05.011(a) also qualifies a member of the US armed forces on active duty, and the Vital Records application lists an active-duty applicant under 18 as an exception to its consent rule. Vital Records asks anyone under 18 to call (907) 465-3391 before applying. Under AS 25.05.171(b), "A superior court judge may grant permission for a person who has reached the age of 16 but is under the age of 18 to marry" after a hearing, and only if:

• the marriage is in the minor's best interest;
• the other party is not more than three years older; and
• the parents consent, or are arbitrarily withholding consent, are absent, disagree, or are unfit.

Vital Records requires the court order plus a parental consent form signed by both parents. It states plainly: "No one under age 16 can marry in Alaska."

The former subsection (a) of AS 25.05.171 was repealed in 2022 (section 8, chapter 67, SLA 2022), so the route described above, in subsection (b), is the one that applies today. For how a minor gains adult legal status more broadly, see Alaska emancipation laws.

Who cannot marry in Alaska

A marriage is void if either party has a living spouse, or if the parties "are more closely related to each other than the fourth degree of consanguinity, whether of the whole or half blood" (AS 25.05.021). Alaska counts degrees under the civil-law method, which places first cousins in the fourth degree, so first cousins may marry. The Vital Records application puts it this way: Alaska law prohibits marriages between two people more closely related than first cousins. The application asks each of you whether there is any blood relationship, so if you are related, ask Vital Records how the rule applies before you apply.

The live text of AS 25.05.011(a) still reads: "Marriage is a civil contract entered into by one man and one woman that requires both a license and solemnization." That wording has not been amended, but it cannot be enforced against same-sex couples: the US Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that states must license same-sex marriages.

Blood tests

No blood test is required. Vital Records says: "A blood test is not required to apply for a marriage license." Alaska repealed its premarital testing statutes (AS 25.05.101, .131, .141 and .151) in 1984. The only health-related step left is the written fetal alcohol and pregnancy-safety information handed out with the license.

Who can officiate a wedding in Alaska

AS 25.05.261(a) authorizes these people to solemnize a marriage:

• a minister, priest or rabbi of any church or congregation in the state;
• a commissioned officer of the Salvation Army;
• the principal officer or elder of a recognized church that has no regular minister;
• a marriage commissioner or judicial officer;
• any individual holding elective public office in the state.

A marriage may also be solemnized before or in a religious organization according to its own ritual. If a marriage is performed by someone who turns out not to be authorized, it is still valid if the parties believed it lawful (AS 25.05.281).

Becoming a marriage commissioner for one wedding

Alaska makes it easy for a friend or relative to officiate. The court system says "anyone can perform your marriage ceremony, including a friend or relative, if they first get a marriage commissioner appointment from an Alaskan court." The court system says the person should be 18 or older and need not be a resident of Alaska or the United States. The appointment itself is made under AS 25.05.081.

The appointment costs $25. Apply in person or by phone at the court nearest to where the wedding will be performed; there is no online form. The court issues a written order naming the wedding date, and the commissioner should have it in hand before the ceremony. If the wedding does not happen on that date, the commissioner needs a new appointment. In the Fourth Judicial District, apply at least a week before the wedding, and the marriage license must accompany the application. A local court may also perform a civil ceremony, depending on local policy.

Witnesses

Alaska requires one witness. AS 25.05.301 says the parties must declare, "in the presence of at least one competent witness that they take each other to be husband and wife." The witness must be 18 or older and must communicate with both parties, before or after the ceremony, to confirm that each is marrying of their own free will. Vital Records adds: "The officiant cannot be the witness."

The sample ceremony wording on one court self-help page refers to two witnesses. The statute and the Vital Records page both say at least one, and the statute governs.

Proxy marriage

Proxy marriage is not available. Vital Records states: "Proxy marriages (where someone stands in for the other party) are not permitted in Alaska." AS 25.05.301 also requires the parties to declare their consent in each other's presence and the officiant's.

After the ceremony

The officiant files the paperwork. Under AS 25.05.321, the officiant completes two short-form certificates (one for each party) and "shall complete the certificate as required and submit it to the local registrar within seven days after the date the marriage is solemnized." The witness signs too, and the certificate needs the printed names, mailing and email addresses and telephone numbers of both the officiant and the witness.

The Vital Records application also tells the couple to return the original signed license to a Vital Records office, in person or by mail, so check that it was sent. Once the signed license is returned, you can order a certified certificate of marriage for $30. To order copies later, see Alaska marriage and divorce records or our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name

We could not confirm how Alaska's application handles a new surname, so ask Vital Records when you apply. Your certified marriage certificate is the document most agencies ask for; see name change after marriage and Alaska name change laws.

Common myths about Alaska marriage licenses

• "You need a blood test." No. Alaska repealed premarital testing in 1984.
• "You must be an Alaska resident." No. Vital Records accepts applications from residents and nonresidents.
• "Only clergy or judges can marry you." No. Anyone 18 or older can get a $25 marriage commissioner appointment from a court.
• "You need two witnesses." The statute, AS 25.05.301, requires at least one.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Alaska marriage licenses under Chapter 25.05 of the Alaska Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact Alaska Vital Records, your local court, or a lawyer licensed in Alaska.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• Alaska marriage and divorce records
• Alaska common-law marriage
• Alaska name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Alaska?

$60 for the application, or $73 for a license mailed out to you, paid by check or money order to Alaska Vital Records. A certificate of marriage costs another $30.

How long is the waiting period for a marriage license in Alaska?

The statute requires the application to be filed at least three days before the license is issued (AS 25.05.091). Vital Records counts three full business days after it receives the application. The licensing officer can waive the wait for undue hardship (AS 25.05.161).

How long is an Alaska marriage license good for?

Three months from the date of issuance, with no extensions or refunds. It is valid anywhere in Alaska and Alaska State waters (AS 25.05.121).

Can we apply for an Alaska marriage license by mail?

Yes. Your sworn statement can be made before a notary public or postmaster, who certifies it to the licensing officer (AS 25.05.091). Mail it with the fee by check or money order.

Where do I get a marriage license in Anchorage?

From Alaska Vital Records. The Alaska Court System says the Anchorage and Juneau courts do not issue marriage licenses, though most other courts do.

Can a friend officiate our wedding in Alaska?

Yes, once a court appoints them a marriage commissioner. The appointment costs $25. The court system says the person should be 18 or older and need not be a resident of Alaska or the United States.

How many witnesses do you need to get married in Alaska?

At least one competent witness aged 18 or older (AS 25.05.301). Vital Records says the officiant cannot be the witness.

Can a 16-year-old get married in Alaska?

Only with a superior court judge's permission after a hearing, if the marriage is in the minor's best interest and the other party is no more than three years older (AS 25.05.171(b)). No one under 16 can marry in Alaska.

Who files the marriage certificate after the wedding?

The officiant, who must submit the original certificate to the local registrar within seven days after the ceremony (AS 25.05.321).