Hawaii Marriage License Requirements 2026: $65 Fee, No Waiting Period

In Hawaii, marriage licenses are issued by agents of the state Department of Health (DOH) under chapter 572 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), not by counties. The license costs $65 on every island, there is no waiting period, and the license is valid for 30 days, counting the day it is issued (HRS 572-6(a)). It can be used only for a ceremony in Hawaii.

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 Hawaii under chapter 572 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and the published procedures of the Hawaii Department of Health. It does not cover civil unions in depth, divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to get a marriage license in Hawaii

Hawaii runs marriage licensing at the state level. The Department of Health appoints agents in each judicial circuit to grant licenses (HRS 572-5(a)). Some agents are DOH employees at the Oahu main office and the neighbor-island DOH offices; others are private agents on a list the DOH publishes.

The process has two steps:

1. Apply and pay online. Both of you complete the online application and pay the fee through the state's eHawaii marriage system.
2. Meet an agent together. The DOH says: "Applicants must appear together in person before an agent prior to the ceremony to pick up their license. Proxies are not allowed." The agent verifies your photo ID and issues the license.

The DOH main office on Oahu is at City Financial Tower, Suite 100, 201 Merchant Street, Honolulu, phone (808) 586-4544, open Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with appointments booked online. The DOH page lists phone numbers for the neighbor-island offices.

Does the statute allow a video appointment?

The statute is broader than the DOH page. HRS 572-6(a) allows the appearance to take place "In-person or by synchronous online access before an employee of the department of health authorized to issue licenses," and allows remote appearance before a private agent only as authorized in DOH rules. We could not find those rules, and the DOH page currently tells couples to appear together in person. Plan to appear in person unless the DOH tells you otherwise.

When to pick up the license

The DOH says you can pick up the license no sooner than 30 days before your ceremony date. That lines up with the 30-day validity period: a license picked up too early would expire before the wedding.

What to bring and what the application asks

Each of you needs a valid government-issued photo ID. The DOH states: "There are no state residence or U.S. citizenship requirements." Visitors marry in Hawaii on the same terms as residents.

Under HRS 572-6(a), each applicant gives a sworn statement that includes:

• full name, date of birth, social security number and residence;
• your relationship to each other, if any;
• the full names of each of your parents;
• whether any prior marriage or civil union has been dissolved, with the date of death or the date and jurisdiction of the last decree.

The DOH page itself does not mention a social security number, but the statute lists it. Other documents the DOH asks for:

• Recent divorce or death: bring the divorce decree or death certificate only if the divorce or death occurred less than 30 days before you pick up the license. A document not in English needs a certified translation.
• Legal name change: a certified legal name change document, if it applies to you.
• Applicants 18 or younger: a certified copy of a birth certificate. The DOH requires it for "anyone 18 years of age or under," so an 18-year-old must bring one too. HRS 572-10 separately requires proof of age when an applicant appears to be under 18.

How much a Hawaii marriage license costs

The DOH states: "The cost to obtain a marriage or civil union license is $65.00 ($60 application fee + $5 portal fee). All fees are non-refundable."

Unlike most states, Hawaii's fee is not set county by county. HRS 572-5(a) sets the license fee at $60 statewide, and the money is split among the state general fund, spouse and child abuse special funds, and a vital statistics improvement fund (a private agent keeps $9 of it). HRS 572-5(e) also requires private agents to collect a $5 surcharge, which they keep; the DOH lists the total cost as $65. Fees can change, and the DOH page is the final word on the current amount. We found no discount for premarital education.

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

There is no waiting period. In the DOH's words: "Once the license has been issued, there is no waiting period before the marriage can take place."

The license runs out quickly, though. HRS 572-6(a) provides: "Every license shall be of full force and effect for thirty days commencing from and including the date of issuance." After 30 days the license is void, no ceremony may be performed on it, and you would need to apply again.

Age requirements: what the statute says and what the DOH page says

The DOH page and the statute do not match, and readers should know both.

The DOH page states: "The legal age to enter into a legal marriage or civil union is 18 years old." It adds that an applicant under 18 needs the consent of a parent or guardian, who must bring photo ID and documents proving the relationship, and it asks families in that situation to contact the DOH.

The statute still sets a lower floor. HRS 572-1(2) requires that each party be "at least sixteen years of age; provided that with the written approval of the family court of the circuit within which the minor resides, it shall be lawful for a person under the age of sixteen years, but in no event under the age of fifteen years, to marry, subject to section 572-2." HRS 572-2 then requires that "the written consent of his or her parents, or guardian or other person in whose care and custody he or she may be, shall accompany the application" for anyone under 18. If the minor is under the jurisdiction of the family court, a family court judge must also consent in writing.

In short, under the statute as published:

The history note on HRS 572-1 shows no amendment since 2013, so we found no recent law raising the age to 18. We did not check how the DOH applies the statute in practice. A family considering a minor's marriage should contact the DOH before applying. For other legal routes to adult status, see Hawaii emancipation laws.

Who cannot marry in Hawaii

HRS 572-1(1) bars marriage between:

• an ancestor and a descendant of any degree;
• siblings of the whole or half blood;
• an uncle and a niece or nephew, or an aunt and a nephew or niece;

whether or not the parents were married. First cousins are not on the list, and the DOH confirms that cousins may marry.

Neither party may have a living spouse or civil union partner (HRS 572-1(3)), with one exception: HRS 572-1.7 lets civil union partners marry without first ending their civil union. Marriage in Hawaii is "permitted between two individuals without regard to gender" (HRS 572-1).

Blood tests and health information

The DOH says: "Blood tests are not required." The old medical provision, HRS 572-7, has been repealed. Instead, HRS 572-5(d) requires the agent to give each applicant a rubella brochure and DOH information on family planning, fetal alcohol and drug syndromes, and AIDS and HIV testing, where available.

Who can officiate a wedding in Hawaii

Hawaii licenses its officiants. The DOH states: "All marriage performers (officiants or solemnizers) must be licensed by the State of Hawaii before performing a marriage or civil union." HRS 572-11(a) requires the license before any ceremony.

Who can get a license to solemnize (HRS 572-12):

• Clergy and religious societies: ministers, priests and officers ordained or authorized by their denomination or society, and religious societies that do not have clergy.
• Judges: active or retired state or federal judges, justices and magistrates in Hawaii.
• Anyone 18 or older (civil license): "A civil license to solemnize marriages may be issued to, and the marriage rite may be performed and solemnized by, any individual at least eighteen years of age" (HRS 572-12(b)). A civil officiant must get each couple's prior written consent and follow the reporting rules in HRS 572-13 and 572-15.

The civil license is the route for a friend or relative, including someone ordained online. The statute does not ask how a person was ordained; what matters is the DOH license.

Officiant license fees under HRS 572-11(b): "The fee for a standard license to solemnize marriages shall be $100 per year. The fee for a short-term license to solemnize marriages shall be $25 per sixty-day period." A short-term license suits someone officiating a single wedding. Officiants register through the DOH's online performer system, and missing or unverifiable information can delay approval, so apply well ahead of the date.

Witnesses and self-uniting ceremonies

We did not find a witness requirement in the chapter 572 sections we reviewed; ask the DOH if this matters for your plans. We also found no self-uniting option. HRS 572-1(7) requires "the parties to be married and the person performing the marriage ceremony be all physically present at the same place and time for the marriage ceremony," which presumes a licensed officiant or a licensed religious society (HRS 572-12(a)(2) covers religious societies without clergy).

Proxy and remote weddings

Hawaii does not allow proxy marriage. The DOH says proxies are not allowed at the license appointment, and the physical-presence rule in HRS 572-1(7) applies to the ceremony itself. A ceremony where either partner or the officiant joins by video does not meet that requirement.

After the ceremony

The officiant files the report. HRS 572-13(a) requires the officiant to keep a record of each marriage (names, residence and date), and HRS 572-13(b) requires the officiant "to report within three business days every marriage ceremony, performed by the person, to the agent of the department of health in the district in which the marriage takes place." An officiant who neglects the record can be fined $50.

If the officiant never reports, the couple is not stuck. Under HRS 572-13, the couple may file a notarized affidavit, and the marriage is deemed valid as of the date stated, provided the requirements of HRS 572-1 were met.

The DOH delivers one certified copy of the marriage certificate to the couple (HRS 572-13(c)). Additional certified copies cost $10 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy, plus a $2.50 general administration fee covering up to five copies. To order copies later, see Hawaii marriage and divorce records or how to get a copy of your marriage certificate. If you plan to change your surname, see Hawaii name change laws and name change after marriage.

Common myths about Hawaii marriage licenses

• "Hawaii requires a blood test or a waiting period." Neither. The DOH says blood tests are not required and there is no waiting period once the license is issued.
• "A Hawaii license works anywhere." It is valid only for a ceremony in Hawaii, and only for 30 days.
• "Any friend can officiate." Only after the friend obtains a DOH license to solemnize (HRS 572-11, 572-12).
• "The minimum age is flatly 18." That is what the DOH page says, but HRS 572-1(2) still allows marriage at 16 with parental consent, and at 15 with family court approval.
• "You have to apply in the county where you marry." Hawaii has no county licensing; a DOH agent issues a license valid anywhere in the state.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Hawaii marriage licenses under chapter 572 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the Hawaii Department of Health's marriage license office or a lawyer licensed in Hawaii.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Hawaii?

$65, according to the Department of Health: a $60 application fee plus a $5 portal fee, all non-refundable. The fee is the same on every island because it is set by state law (HRS 572-5), not by counties.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Hawaii?

No. The DOH says that once the license has been issued, there is no waiting period before the marriage can take place.

How long is a Hawaii marriage license valid?

30 days, counting the day of issuance (HRS 572-6(a)). After that the license is void and you need a new one.

Do you have to be a Hawaii resident to get married there?

No. The DOH states there are no state residence or U.S. citizenship requirements.

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

The statute allows it with the written consent of a parent or guardian (HRS 572-1(2), 572-2), and a 15-year-old may marry with family court approval as well. The DOH page states the legal age as 18, so a minor's family should contact the DOH directly.

Can my friend officiate my wedding in Hawaii?

Yes, if your friend first gets a license to solemnize from the Department of Health. Any individual 18 or older may receive a civil license (HRS 572-12(b)); a short-term license costs $25 per 60-day period (HRS 572-11(b)).

Can first cousins marry in Hawaii?

Yes. HRS 572-1(1) bars marriages between ancestors and descendants, siblings, and aunts or uncles with nieces or nephews. First cousins are not on the list, and the DOH confirms cousins may marry.

Can we get married by proxy or over video in Hawaii?

No. HRS 572-1(7) requires both parties and the officiant to be physically present at the same place and time, and the DOH says proxies are not allowed when picking up the license.