Arizona Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, ID, No Wait

In Arizona, you get a marriage license from the clerk of the superior court in any county (A.R.S. 25-121). There is no waiting period and no blood test, the license is good for one year, and the license fee is $98. A.R.S. 12-284 still prints $83, but an Arizona Supreme Court order raised the fee to $98 effective December 28, 2024. Arizona's marriage rules are in Title 25 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, and the state also offers covenant marriage.

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 Arizona under Title 25 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) and the published procedures of the Pima County clerk and the Maricopa County justice courts. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to get a marriage license in Arizona

A.R.S. 25-121(A) provides: "Persons shall not be joined in marriage in this state until a license has been obtained for that purpose from the clerk of the superior court in any county of this state." Because the statute accepts a license from any county, you do not have to apply in the county where the wedding will happen.

Licenses are not only issued at the county seat. The clerk may designate a justice of the peace whose office is 5 or more miles from the county seat to issue licenses (A.R.S. 25-126), and may allow a city or town clerk more than four miles from the county seat to do so (A.R.S. 25-127).

Pima County (Tucson)

The Pima County Clerk of the Superior Court says both parties appear in person, fill out a kiosk application and sign an affidavit, and "a form of identification is strongly encouraged." Licenses are also issued at the Ajo and Green Valley justice courts, the Marana and Sahuarita municipal courts and the Oro Valley magistrate court. If one of you is incarcerated, hospitalized, in the military or otherwise unable to appear, the clerk can send an affidavit that the absent applicant signs before a notary, and the other applicant brings it in person.

Maricopa County (Phoenix)

We could not verify the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court's marriage license page, so this article does not state Maricopa's fee, hours or application options. Contact the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court directly before you go. Some Maricopa County justice courts also offer license services; the Ironwood Justice Court page in Gila Bend states: "Marriage license services are available here."

What to bring and what the application asks

You both complete and sign, under oath, an affidavit giving each applicant's name, age and residential address (A.R.S. 25-121(B)). The affidavit also includes a statement that you understand "information on sexually transmitted diseases is available from the county health department on request."

Your Social Security numbers go on a separate form. A.R.S. 25-121(C) states: "The applicants shall provide their social security numbers to the clerk separately from the affidavit." The clerk does not release them except to the Department of Economic Security for child support purposes, unless you ask in writing.

Bring valid identification for each of you; Pima's Green Valley Justice Court lists it as required, and the Pima superior court clerk strongly encourages it. The statute does not require proof of Arizona residency to get a license.

How much an Arizona marriage license costs

The license statute tells the clerk to "collect the fee prescribed by section 12-284" (A.R.S. 25-121(B)). That fee schedule, A.R.S. 12-284(A), lists "Marriage license and return of a marriage license" at $83.00.

That printed amount is out of date. A.R.S. 12-284(L) lets the Arizona Supreme Court raise these fees in line with the consumer price index, and the Court's Administrative Order 2024-210 set "Marriage license and return of a marriage license" at $98.00 in the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration (section 3-404), effective December 28, 2024. Pima County's Green Valley Justice Court page states: "The current fee for obtaining a marriage license is $98."

Fees change, and your county clerk's page is the final word on the current amount and accepted payment methods. The Green Valley Justice Court page lists checks, money orders and cashier's checks; it does not say whether cash or cards are accepted.

The same order raised the fee for a certified copy or abstract of a marriage application or license from the $30.00 printed in A.R.S. 12-284 to $35.00. If you lose the license before the ceremony, you must apply again and pay the fee again (A.R.S. 25-123(C)).

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

Arizona has no waiting period. Pima County states: "The State of Arizona does not require a blood test and there is no waiting period requirement." You can marry the day the license is issued.

The license lasts a year. A.R.S. 25-121(B) provides: "The marriage license shall state that the marriage license expires one year from the date of issuance of the license." A.R.S. 25-111(B)(3) makes a marriage invalid unless it is solemnized before the license expires, so do not let the date pass.

Age requirements: who can marry in Arizona

At 18 you can marry without anyone's consent. A.R.S. 25-102 sets the rules for younger applicants:

• Under 16: "Persons who are under sixteen years of age shall not marry." There is no exception.
• 16 or 17 with an emancipation order: allowed if the minor has an emancipation order (from an Arizona court under Title 12, Chapter 15, or another state's court) and the other person is not more than three years older.
• 16 or 17 with parental consent: allowed if the parent or guardian who has custody consents and the other person is not more than three years older.

There is no separate court-approval step for a 16- or 17-year-old under 25-102. The clerk may not issue a license to a minor who does not meet these conditions. A clerk who knowingly issues a license to a minor without the written consent of a parent or guardian commits a class 2 misdemeanor (A.R.S. 25-129), and so does an officiant who knowingly solemnizes such a marriage (A.R.S. 25-128).

For the emancipation route, see Arizona emancipation laws.

When the age rules changed

Arizona set the age-16 floor and the three-year limit in 2018, when Governor Ducey signed a minimum marriage age bill, as Arizona Public Media reported at the time. Arizona still allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry under the conditions above.

Who cannot marry in Arizona

Close relatives. A.R.S. 25-101(A) makes void any marriage between parents and children (including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree), brothers and sisters of the half or whole blood, and "uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews and between first cousins."

First cousins have an exception (A.R.S. 25-101). They may marry if both are 65 or older, or, if one or both are under 65, with the approval of any superior court judge on proof that one of the cousins is unable to reproduce.

Same-sex couples marry in Arizona on the same terms as anyone else. A.R.S. 25-101(C) still states that "Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited," and 25-125(A) still refers to "a male person and a female person," but the U.S. Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. That holding makes the old wording unenforceable.

Blood tests and medical requirements

Arizona does not require a blood test or medical exam. The only health-related element is the affidavit acknowledgment that information on sexually transmitted diseases is available from the county health department (A.R.S. 25-121(B)).

Who can perform a marriage ceremony in Arizona

A.R.S. 25-124 authorizes these officiants:

• duly licensed or ordained clergy, defined to include "ministers, elders or other persons who by the customs, rules and regulations of a religious society or sect are authorized or permitted to solemnize marriages"
• judges of courts of record, municipal court judges and justices of the peace
• justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, federal court judges, bankruptcy and tax court judges, and U.S. magistrate judges
• judges of the Arizona court of military appeals

The sections reviewed contain no state registration requirement for officiants.

Arizona protects couples who relied in good faith on the wrong person. Under A.R.S. 25-111(B)(2), a marriage is valid if it was solemnized by a person "purporting to act in such capacity and believed in good faith by at least one of the parties to be so authorized."

Witnesses and signatures

At least two witnesses aged 18 or older must be present. The license is signed by both of you, the two witnesses and the officiant (A.R.S. 25-125). Arizona law makes no provision for a self-uniting ceremony without an officiant.

Courthouse weddings

Maricopa County justice courts perform weddings at each judge's discretion. Ask the court or your county clerk about availability and any fee.

Proxy marriage

Arizona's statutes do not use the word "proxy," and no official source we reviewed says proxy marriage is allowed or prohibited. A.R.S. 25-125(A) describes a marriage contracted by persons "who participate in a ceremony conducted by and in the presence of a person who is authorized to solemnize marriages," which on its face contemplates both parties taking part. If one of you cannot attend, ask the county clerk or an Arizona lawyer before planning around it.

Covenant marriage in Arizona

Arizona offers covenant marriage, a form of marriage a couple chooses on the license application that requires premarital counseling and limits the grounds for ending it (A.R.S. 25-901 to 25-903). A.R.S. 25-901(A) provides that couples with the legal capacity to marry "may enter into a covenant marriage by declaring their intent to do so on their application for a license."

To enter a covenant marriage, you submit with your application:

• a declaration that includes the statutory covenant marriage statement and an affidavit that you received premarital counseling from clergy or a marriage counselor, covering the seriousness of covenant marriage, the lifelong commitment, the obligation to seek marital counseling in times of trouble, and the exclusive grounds for ending the marriage
• your signatures on the declaration, witnessed by a court clerk
• a notarized attestation from the clergy member or counselor confirming that you received the pamphlet developed by the Arizona Supreme Court

Already-married couples can convert to a covenant marriage by submitting the declaration and a sworn statement and paying the A.R.S. 12-284 fee. No counseling is required to convert (A.R.S. 25-902).

A covenant marriage can be dissolved only on one of eight grounds in A.R.S. 25-903:

1. adultery
2. a felony conviction with a prison sentence
3. abandonment for one year
4. physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence or emotional abuse
5. living separate and apart for two years
6. living apart for one year after a legal separation
7. habitual drug or alcohol abuse
8. both spouses agree to the dissolution

After the ceremony: returning the license and getting copies

The officiant endorses the solemnization on the license and, under A.R.S. 25-123, "shall return the license to the clerk within thirty days after the solemnization." The clerk records it. Returning it late, or knowingly returning it with false information, is a class 2 misdemeanor for the officiant (A.R.S. 25-128).

If the endorsed license is lost, the clerk issues a replacement signed by the officiant, the couple and two witnesses. If those signatures cannot be obtained, a court order route is available, with no court fee (A.R.S. 25-123(D)).

The superior court fee for a certified copy of a marriage license is $35.00 (ACJA 3-404, raised from the $30.00 printed in A.R.S. 12-284); check your county clerk for its current copy fee. For ordering copies later, see Arizona marriage and divorce records. For a surname change, see Arizona name change laws.

Common myths about Arizona marriage licenses

• "Arizona has a waiting period or requires a blood test." Neither; Pima County says so directly.
• "A 15-year-old can marry with a judge's permission." Under 16 "shall not marry" (A.R.S. 25-102).
• "A 16- or 17-year-old can marry anyone with parental consent." The other person can be no more than three years older.
• "The license is only good for 30 or 60 days." It is good for one year (A.R.S. 25-121).
• "The fee is the $83 printed in the statute." The Arizona Supreme Court raised it to $98 effective December 28, 2024.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Arizona marriage licenses under Title 25 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the clerk of the superior court in your county or a lawyer licensed in Arizona.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• Utah marriage license requirements
• Nevada marriage license requirements
• Arizona common-law marriage
• Name change after marriage

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Arizona?

$98. A.R.S. 12-284 still prints $83, but the Arizona Supreme Court raised the superior court marriage license fee to $98 effective December 28, 2024. Check your county clerk of the superior court for accepted payment methods.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Arizona?

No. Arizona's licensing statute sets no waiting period, and the Pima County clerk states that there is no waiting period requirement.

How long is an Arizona marriage license good for?

One year from the date of issuance (A.R.S. 25-121). Under A.R.S. 25-111, the marriage must be solemnized before the license expires.

Do you need a blood test to get married in Arizona?

No. Pima County states that Arizona does not require a blood test. The application affidavit only acknowledges that information on sexually transmitted diseases is available from the county health department (A.R.S. 25-121).

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

Only with an emancipation order or the consent of the parent or guardian who has custody, and only if the other person is no more than three years older (A.R.S. 25-102). Anyone under 16 cannot marry.

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

Two. A.R.S. 25-125 requires at least two witnesses who are 18 or older, and they sign the license with the couple and the officiant.

Can first cousins marry in Arizona?

Only in limited cases. A.R.S. 25-101 voids first-cousin marriages unless both cousins are 65 or older, or a superior court judge approves on proof that one cousin is unable to reproduce.

What is a covenant marriage in Arizona?

A marriage the couple declares on the license application after premarital counseling, which can then be dissolved only on the grounds listed in A.R.S. 25-903. Married couples can convert an existing marriage under A.R.S. 25-902.