Idaho Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, Age, No Expiry

In Idaho, a county recorder issues your marriage license (Idaho Code 32-401), and the counties we checked require both of you to apply together in person. Idaho has no waiting period and the license does not expire, according to Kootenai and Canyon counties, and the Idaho Code sets neither. The fee is where Idaho gets confusing: state statutes and a state rule add up to $28, but the counties we checked charge $28 to $31.

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 Idaho under Title 32, chapters 2 through 4 of the Idaho Code, the fee and recording provisions in Idaho Code 31-3205, 39-262, 39-263 and 39-5213 and IDAPA 16.02.08, and the published procedures of the Ada, Canyon and Kootenai county recorders. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to apply for an Idaho marriage license

Idaho licenses come from the county recorder. Idaho Code 32-401 says: "The county recorder of any county in this state shall have authority to issue marriage licenses to any parties applying for the same who may be entitled under the laws of this state to contract matrimony."

Any county will do. You do not have to live in Idaho either: Ada County says there is no residency requirement. The license is for a wedding in Idaho, though. Ada County says the Idaho license requires the ceremony to take place in Idaho, and Kootenai County says the same, adding that your officiant does not have to be an Idaho resident.

Both of you appear together

Plan for both of you to go to the recorder's office. Ada County says "both applicants must appear together before the deputy clerk," Canyon County says "Both parties must appear together before the deputy clerk," and Kootenai County tells couples to "Appear together in our office."

Ada County has one exception: if an applicant cannot appear because of military service or incarceration, it uses a two-step process that requires at least two separate visits to the office. Ada, Canyon and Kootenai all let you start the application online, but the license itself is issued in person.

At the office, the recorder, who has no personal knowledge of whether you are legally able to marry, takes your written affidavit instead (Idaho Code 32-403(1) and 32-404).

What to bring

Idaho's statute requires Social Security numbers. Idaho Code 32-403(2) says: "Every application for a marriage license shall include the social security numbers of the parties applying for the license."

If you have never been assigned a Social Security number, the same section requires written verification from the Social Security Administration, plus a birth certificate, passport or other documentary evidence issued by an entity other than a state or the United States, plus proof of lawful presence as the department requires.

County checklists differ on ID:

• Ada County: a non-expired government photo ID and your Social Security number, and you sign a Marriage License Affidavit. A Social Security denial letter must come with a valid passport showing proof of entry.
• Canyon County: a government ID and your Social Security number. If you do not have one, Canyon asks for all three: a letter from the Social Security office saying no number has been issued, a foreign passport or foreign birth certificate, and proof of lawful presence such as a valid passport visa, a permanent resident card or an employment authorization card.
• Kootenai County: a government photo ID, which may be expired as long as the likeness is good. Applicants who live outside the US bring a photo ID from their country of residence plus a letter from the Social Security office.

How much an Idaho marriage license costs

Idaho's fee takes some explaining. Idaho law names three pieces:

• The recorder's fee: $11.00 for issuing the license, filing, recording and indexing the certificate, and taking affidavits (Idaho Code 31-3205(1)(k)). Idaho Code 32-408 says this fee covers the affidavit, filing and recording.
• The domestic violence fee: Idaho Code 39-5213(1) has the recorder collect "an additional fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each license issued."
• The marriage certificate recording fee: Idaho Code 39-263 pays county recorders a fee, set by rule of the state Board of Health and Welfare, for each marriage certificate recorded and forwarded to the state registrar. The rule sets it at $2 (IDAPA 16.02.08.501).

Those three add up to $28, which is what Canyon County charges. Ada and Kootenai counties charge more:

Neither Ada nor Kootenai County explains the gap between the $28 set by statute and rule and what it charges, and we have not been able to confirm the reason. Pay what your county recorder lists: the county page is the final word, and fees can change. Fees for Idaho's other counties are not listed here; check your county recorder.

Ada County's office is at 200 W. Front St., Room 1207, in Boise, and takes walk-ins or appointments.

The officiant's fee

Separately, Idaho Code 32-307 sets a default fee of $5.00 for the person who performs the ceremony. Canyon County says a judge's fee for a ceremony is stated before the ceremony.

Waiting period and expiration

Idaho has no waiting period. Kootenai County's page says: "In Idaho, the marriage license has no expiration date, witnesses are not required, and there is no waiting period." Canyon County answers the same question: "No, you may get married immediately after obtaining your marriage license."

The license also does not expire. Canyon County says: "No, there is no expiration date on the license." We found no validity period in chapter 4 of Title 32 (Idaho Code 32-401 through 32-415).

Age requirements

Both of you must be 18, unless a 16- or 17-year-old meets two conditions under Idaho Code 32-202:

1. Parental consent. A parent or guardian (if there is one) must give written consent that is acknowledged and sworn. Canyon County says a minor must come with a parent or guardian, who signs an Affidavit of Consent to Marriage of Minor. Ada County also asks any 16- or 17-year-old applicant for an original or certified birth certificate.
2. No large age gap with an adult. A 16- or 17-year-old may not marry a person who has reached the age of majority if the age difference is 3 years or more, and no license is issued in that case.

If both of you are 16 or 17, each of you must submit an original or certified birth certificate, or other proof of age the recorder accepts.

No one under 16 can marry. Idaho Code 32-202 says: "Where the female is under the age of sixteen (16), or the male is under the age of sixteen (16), the license shall not be issued." The statute has no court-approval route and no pregnancy exception. The age rule was last amended in 2020 (chapter 241). For a minor's legal independence more generally, see Idaho emancipation laws.

Who cannot marry in Idaho

Idaho's code bars several marriages:

• Close relatives. Idaho Code 32-205 makes void, as incestuous, marriages between parents and children, ancestors and descendants of every degree, brothers and sisters of the half or whole blood, uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews.
• First cousins. Idaho Code 32-206: "All marriages between first cousins are prohibited."
• A spouse still living. Under Idaho Code 32-207, a marriage while a former spouse is living is illegal and void, unless the earlier marriage was annulled or dissolved, or the former spouse had been absent and not known to be living for five successive years or was reputed to be dead.

Two provisions in the code text still describe marriage as between a man and a woman (Idaho Code 32-201) and list same-sex marriages as against Idaho public policy (Idaho Code 32-209). Those provisions cannot be enforced: in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), the US Supreme Court held that "same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."

Under Idaho Code 32-201, a common-law marriage cannot be formed after January 1, 1996; for more, see Idaho common-law marriage.

Blood tests

Idaho does not require a blood test. Canyon County's page says: "Blood tests are not required." We also found no medical requirement in Idaho's marriage statutes (Idaho Code 32-201 through 32-415).

Who can officiate a wedding in Idaho

Idaho Code 32-303 lists who may solemnize a marriage:

• a current or retired justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, court of appeals judge, district judge, or magistrate of the district court;
• the current or a former governor, and the current lieutenant governor;
• a current mayor;
• a current federal judge;
• a current tribal judge of an Idaho Indian tribe, or another tribal official approved by an official act of an Idaho Indian tribe; and
• a "priest or minister of the gospel of any denomination."

A retired judge qualifies only if receiving a retirement benefit for Idaho judicial service. The sections we reviewed do not require officiants to register. If the officiant turns out to lack authority, the marriage is still valid if either party fully believed they were lawfully married (Idaho Code 32-308).

The statute does not mention online ordination, and we found no court ruling or official guidance on it. If your officiant was ordained online, ask your county recorder before the wedding. For a courthouse ceremony, Canyon County offers judge ceremonies by appointment (208-454-7360).

The ceremony and witnesses

Idaho does not prescribe a form of ceremony, but Idaho Code 32-304 says "the parties must declare, in the presence of the person solemnizing the marriage that they take each other as husband and wife."

Idaho has no self-uniting option. The 32-303 list is the only route, so a couple cannot marry themselves without an authorized officiant. Witnesses are a different story: Kootenai County says they are not required, and Canyon County says Idaho does not require witnesses to be listed on the license.

Proxy marriage

Idaho's marriage statutes do not mention proxy marriage. In practice, Idaho Code 32-304 requires the parties to make their declaration in the officiant's presence, and the counties we checked require both applicants to appear, with only Ada County's two-visit process for military service or incarceration as an exception. The code is silent rather than prohibiting proxy marriage outright, but it gives no mechanism for one. If one of you cannot attend, ask the county recorder or an Idaho lawyer.

After the ceremony

The officiant returns the license and the signed certificate to the recorder who issued it. Two statutes set different deadlines. Idaho Code 39-262, the vital statistics law, says the person who performs the ceremony files the certificate with the county recorder "within ten (10) days after the ceremony." Idaho Code 32-402 requires return "within thirty (30) days from the date of solemnizing the marriage therein authorized," and failure is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $20 to $50. Returning it within 10 days satisfies both. The recorder must then record the return within one month or forfeit $100 (Idaho Code 32-407).

Never hold the ceremony without the license. Performing a marriage without one is a misdemeanor with a fine of $50 to $200 (Idaho Code 32-406).

Ada County gives you a mailing envelope for the return, mails the couple one certified copy, and charges $2.00 for each additional copy. In Canyon County, certified copies are restricted records, so you need to show proof of interest under Idaho Code 39-270. To order copies later, see Idaho marriage and divorce records or our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name

Canyon County's page explains how to use the certified copy to change your name with Social Security. For the full steps, see name change after marriage.

Common myths about Idaho marriage licenses

• "There is a waiting period or a blood test." Neither. Kootenai County says there is no waiting period, and Canyon County says blood tests are not required.
• "The license expires." Canyon and Kootenai counties say it does not, and the code sets no validity period.
• "A 16-year-old can marry with a parent's consent alone." Consent is not enough if the other person is an adult 3 or more years older (Idaho Code 32-202), and no one under 16 can get a license.
• "First cousins can marry in Idaho." Idaho Code 32-206 prohibits it.
• "The fee is the same everywhere." State law sets $11 plus $15 plus $2, or $28, which is what Canyon charges, but Ada charges $30 and Kootenai $31 in cash.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Idaho marriage licenses under Title 32 of the Idaho Code, Idaho Code 31-3205, 39-262, 39-263 and 39-5213, and IDAPA 16.02.08, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county recorder or a lawyer licensed in Idaho.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• Montana marriage license requirements
• Washington marriage license requirements
• Idaho marriage and divorce records
• Idaho common-law marriage

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Idaho?

It depends on the county. Canyon County charges $28, Ada County $30, and Kootenai County $31 in cash or $32.78 by card. State law sets an $11 recorder fee, a $15 domestic violence fee and a $2 certificate recording fee, $28 in all, so check your county recorder for the actual charge.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Idaho?

No. Kootenai County says there is no waiting period, Canyon County says you may marry immediately after getting the license, and the Idaho Code sets none.

Does an Idaho marriage license expire?

No. Canyon County says there is no expiration date on the license, Kootenai County says the same, and Idaho Code chapter 4 of Title 32 sets no validity period.

Do both people have to be present to get a marriage license in Idaho?

Yes, in the counties we checked. Ada, Canyon and Kootenai counties require both applicants to appear together. Ada County has a two-visit process for an applicant who cannot appear because of military service or incarceration.

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

Only with the written, sworn consent of a parent or guardian, and only if the other person is not an adult 3 or more years older (Idaho Code 32-202). No license is issued to anyone under 16.

Can first cousins marry in Idaho?

No. Idaho Code 32-206 says: "All marriages between first cousins are prohibited."

Do you need witnesses to get married in Idaho?

Kootenai County says witnesses are not required, and Canyon County says Idaho does not require witnesses to be listed on the license. The statutes we reviewed do not set a witness requirement.

Can you get married by proxy in Idaho?

Idaho's marriage statutes do not mention proxy marriage. Idaho Code 32-304 requires the parties to declare in the officiant's presence that they take each other as spouses, and the counties we checked require both applicants to appear, so ask your county recorder or an Idaho lawyer.

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

No. Canyon County says blood tests are not required, and we found no medical requirement in Idaho's marriage statutes.