Maine Marriage License Requirements 2026: $40 Fee, No Wait

In Maine, you file your marriage intentions with a municipal clerk, or with the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, and the license is issued with no waiting period (19-A M.R.S. §§ 651-652). The fee is $40, set statewide by 30-A M.R.S. § 2652, and the license is void if you do not marry within 90 days of filing. Both of you must be at least 18, and the ceremony needs an authorized officiant and two witnesses, except in a Quaker or Baha'i ceremony (19-A M.R.S. § 658).

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 Maine under Title 19-A, Chapter 23 of the Maine Revised Statutes, the clerk fee schedule in 30-A M.R.S. § 2652 and the officiant license in 5 M.R.S. § 90-G, with local practice from Bangor and Hampden. It does not cover divorce, ordering old marriage records, common-law marriage, or marriage licenses from other states.

Where to file your marriage intentions in Maine

Maine calls the application "marriage intentions." Where you file depends on where you live (19-A M.R.S. § 651(1)):

The license is not tied to the town that issued it. The statute says: "Once the intentions are filed and the license is issued, the parties are free to marry anywhere within the State."

Your signature on the application must be acknowledged before an official authorized to take oaths. Each of you signs your own page of the state form before a notary or the clerk. The state's clerk handbook allows intentions to be filed by mail when appearing in person is not convenient, as long as an official authorized to take oaths witnesses the signatures, but it tells clerks that both of you must be present to obtain the license. Some offices work by appointment; Bangor, for example, takes marriage license applications by appointment only.

What to bring and what the application asks

The application includes a signed certification that the information is correct and that you are free to marry (19-A M.R.S. § 651(2)). If either of you will change your name, you list the proposed new name on the application. The application may be filed "regardless of the sex of each person."

Bangor asks for proof of identity, such as a driver's license or state ID. The state's intentions form asks each of you for your Social Security number, which federal law requires, and for your parents' names and birthplaces if known. State law requires ID only if the clerk is not satisfied as to who you are, so each clerk sets its own ID policy; ask your clerk what to bring.

If either of you was married before

You must bring proof of how your last marriage ended. Under 19-A M.R.S. § 651(4), the applicant "shall submit with the application a certificate or certified copy of the divorce decree or annulment of the last marriage or the death record of the last spouse." Bangor asks for certified death or divorce documents. If you were divorced in Maine, the state clerk handbook says you must wait 21 days from the date the divorce was docketed before you can get a license, unless both parties to that divorce signed a waiver of their right to appeal. Within those 21 days, bring a copy of the waiver.

If the divorce record is in another language, it needs a translation by a disinterested third party (19-A M.R.S. § 651(5)).

Do not skip this step. A marriage contracted without submitting that proof, or when either of you intentionally lied about the number of previous marriages, is void (19-A M.R.S. § 701(6)).

Privacy

The application is not a public record for 50 years, except for your names and the intended date of the marriage (19-A M.R.S. § 651(2)).

How much a Maine marriage license costs

The fee is $40 statewide. The municipal clerk fee schedule sets it: "Recording marriage intentions and issuing a marriage license, $40, except, when the laws of this State require 2 licenses, the fee is $20 each" (30-A M.R.S. § 2652(2)).

Ask your clerk which payment methods it accepts. Fees can change, so the clerk's current page is the final word.

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

There is no waiting period. Section 652(1) of Title 19-A directs the clerk to deliver the license after the intentions are filed, and the clerk pages agree. Bangor: "There is no longer a waiting period to obtain a marriage license." Hampden: "There is no waiting period to marry after filing."

The exception is a recent Maine divorce: within 21 days of the date the divorce was docketed, the license cannot be issued without a copy of the waiver of appeal signed at the time of the divorce (see the divorce section above).

Another rare exception: under 19-A M.R.S. § 653, a person who files a caution against a marriage can cause the license to be withheld until a probate judge decides whether the marriage may go ahead.

The license lasts 90 days. Section 652(3) provides: "The license is void if not used within 90 days from the day the intentions were filed." The clock starts on the filing date, so if your plans slip, you would need to file again.

Minimum age: 18, no exceptions

Both of you must be at least 18. Section 652(8) says: "The clerk or State Registrar of Vital Statistics may not issue a marriage license to a person under 18 years of age."

Maine closed this door in steps. Public Law 2019, chapter 535 ended the court and parental route for people under 16, and Public Law 2023, chapter 116 raised the floor to 17. Public Law 2025, chapter 47 (LD 1185, "An Act to Prohibit Persons Under 18 Years of Age from Marrying") repealed the remaining 17-year-old exception in § 652(7), effective September 24, 2025. The statute as published by the Legislature already reflects the change. Older websites that describe a parental-consent route are out of date.

Who cannot marry in Maine

Section 701 of Title 19-A sets out the marriages Maine prohibits:

• Close relatives. A person may not marry a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, nephew, niece, aunt or uncle (19-A M.R.S. § 701(2)(A)).
• An existing marriage. A marriage is void if either party has a living spouse from whom they are not divorced (19-A M.R.S. § 701(4)).
• Guardianship. A person under guardianship may not marry without the guardian's approval (19-A M.R.S. § 701(3)). Under a limited guardianship, this applies only if the court gave the guardian that specific power.
• Marrying elsewhere to evade Maine law. If Maine residents go to another state to enter a marriage that Maine prohibits, the marriage is void in Maine (19-A M.R.S. § 701(1)).

First cousins: allowed with a genetic counseling certificate

First cousins may marry in Maine, but only with a physician's certificate of genetic counseling. Section 701(2)(B) allows a marriage between first cousins "as long as ... the man or woman provides the physician's certificate of genetic counseling." The certificate is filed with your intentions (19-A M.R.S. § 651(3)), and the clerk cannot issue the license without it (19-A M.R.S. § 652(6)).

Blood tests

None. We found no blood test or general medical requirement in Chapter 23 of Title 19-A. The only medical document the law calls for is the genetic counseling certificate for first cousins.

Who can officiate a Maine wedding

Under 19-A M.R.S. § 655, these people may solemnize a marriage:

If they are Maine residents:

• A justice or judge
• A lawyer admitted to the Maine Bar
• A marriage officiant licensed by the Secretary of State under 5 M.R.S. § 90-G

Whether or not they live in Maine:

• An ordained minister of the gospel
• A cleric engaged in the service of the religious body to which the cleric belongs
• A person licensed to preach by an association of ministers, a religious seminary or an ecclesiastical body

No member of the clergy is required to perform a marriage that goes against their religious beliefs (19-A M.R.S. § 655(3)).

A friend or relative as officiant

A Maine resident who is not a judge, lawyer or member of the clergy can get a marriage officiant license from the Maine Secretary of State under 5 M.R.S. § 90-G. The applicant must be at least 18, a Maine resident and proficient in English, and the license lasts 7 years. Every commissioned notary public automatically receives one unless the notary declines in writing, so a friend who is already a Maine notary may already be able to officiate. We could not confirm the application fee or processing time; check with the Secretary of State.

Officiants from other states

Out-of-state clergy covered by the list above do not need a temporary registration certificate. Any other officiant who lives outside Maine and is authorized to solemnize marriages in their own state can get a temporary registration certificate from Maine's Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics for a named couple (19-A M.R.S. § 655(1-A)). The application needs a copy of the other state's commission and statute, the couple's names and the date of the marriage, plus a $100 fee. The certificate expires when the officiant signs the license or after 90 days.

When the officiant completes the license, they add their title, residence and the relevant date: when they were ordained, when their officiant license expires, when they were admitted to the Bar, or the date of their temporary certificate (19-A M.R.S. § 654(3)).

Maine's vital records office says online ordination counts: "A person ordained through an online process is still considered an ordained minister, at least for the purpose of marrying a couple in the State of Maine." It adds that ordained ministers do not need a temporary registration certificate.

Witnesses

Two are required. The marriage "must be performed in the presence of at least 2 witnesses other than the person officiating" (19-A M.R.S. § 656(2)). The officiant and both witnesses sign the license. Maine's vital records office says witnesses do not need to be 18, but they must understand that they are witnessing a marriage and be able to sign their name. Outside one exception, the law requires an authorized officiant and two witnesses. The exception: a marriage solemnized among Quakers or Friends in the form practiced in their meeting, or among members of the Baha'i faith according to Baha'i rules, is valid under 19-A M.R.S. § 658, and the clerk or keeper of the meeting's records returns evidence of the marriage under § 654.

Proxy marriage

Maine does not allow proxy marriage. The state's vital records office says: "Marriage by proxy is not permitted in the State of Maine." Both of you, the two witnesses and the officiant must be physically present for the ceremony. Section 656(2) also requires both of you to sign the certification statement on the license.

After the ceremony: returning the license and getting copies

Once the license is completed and signed, it becomes your marriage certificate, and you are legally married (19-A M.R.S. § 656(2)). The returned license must show both of your names, the place and date of the marriage, any new name, the officiant's signature and the names of the 2 witnesses.

Either of you or the officiant must return the license to the clerk who issued it, or to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, "within 15 working days following the date on which the marriage is solemnized" (19-A M.R.S. § 654(2)). A license returned later is marked as a late filing. The 15-working-day deadline comes from a 2025 amendment (Public Law 2025, chapter 130, effective September 24, 2025), which also has the clerk attach electronic copies in the state system (19-A M.R.S. § 654(4)).

Certified copies come from the clerk: up to $15 for the first under 30-A M.R.S. § 2652(3), with Bangor and Hampden charging $15 for the first and $6 for each additional. For copies years later, see Maine marriage and divorce records and our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name

Maine builds the name change into the license. You list the proposed new name on your intentions (19-A M.R.S. § 651(2)), the completed license shows it (§ 654(3)), and "the new name indicated on the license becomes effective upon completion of the marriage license" (19-A M.R.S. § 656(3)). For updating your records afterward, see Maine name change laws and our guide to changing your name after marriage.

Maine marriage license myths

• "Maine has a waiting period." Not after filing. Bangor and Hampden both say there is none. The one timing rule is the 21-day wait after a Maine divorce unless both parties to that divorce signed a waiver of appeal.
• "A 17-year-old can marry with a parent's consent." Not under current § 652(8): no license may be issued to anyone under 18 (Public Law 2025, chapter 47).
• "First cousins cannot marry in Maine." They can, with a physician's certificate of genetic counseling (19-A M.R.S. § 701(2)(B)).
• "You must marry in the town that issued the license." Once it is issued, you may marry anywhere in Maine (19-A M.R.S. § 651(1)).

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Maine marriage licenses under Title 19-A, Chapter 23 of the Maine Revised Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. Local procedures and fees can change. For your specific situation, ask the municipal clerk who will take your intentions, the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, or a lawyer licensed in Maine.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• New Hampshire marriage license requirements
• Massachusetts marriage license requirements
• Maine marriage and divorce records
• Maine name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Maine?

$40, set statewide by the municipal clerk fee schedule in 30-A M.R.S. § 2652(2). Bangor and Hampden charge $15 for the first certified copy and $6 for each additional.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Maine?

No. The clerk issues the license after your intentions are filed (19-A M.R.S. § 652(1)), and Bangor and Hampden both say there is no waiting period. The exception: if either of you was divorced in Maine less than 21 days ago, counted from the date the divorce was docketed, the state clerk handbook says you need a copy of the waiver of appeal signed at the time of the divorce.

How long is a Maine marriage license valid?

90 days from the day you filed your intentions. After that the license is void (19-A M.R.S. § 652(3)).

Where do we apply if we do not live in Maine?

Any municipal office in Maine or the State Registrar of Vital Statistics can take your intentions (19-A M.R.S. § 651(1)), and you may marry anywhere in the state once the license is issued.

Do you need witnesses to get married in Maine?

Yes. The ceremony must take place in the presence of at least 2 witnesses other than the officiant, and both witnesses sign the license (19-A M.R.S. § 656(2)).

Can a 17-year-old get married in Maine?

No. A clerk may not issue a marriage license to anyone under 18 (19-A M.R.S. § 652(8)). Public Law 2025, chapter 47 repealed the earlier exception for 17-year-olds.

Can first cousins marry in Maine?

Yes, if they provide a physician's certificate of genetic counseling with their intentions (19-A M.R.S. §§ 651(3), 701(2)(B)). The clerk cannot issue the license without it.

Can a friend officiate our wedding in Maine?

A Maine resident can get a marriage officiant license from the Secretary of State under 5 M.R.S. § 90-G, and commissioned notaries receive one automatically unless they decline. Ordained ministers and other clergy may officiate whether or not they live in Maine. Other out-of-state officiants, such as a judge or justice of the peace authorized in their own state, need a $100 temporary registration certificate.

What documents do I need if I was divorced?

A certificate or certified copy of the divorce decree or annulment of your last marriage, or the death record of your last spouse, submitted with your application (19-A M.R.S. § 651(4)).

Who returns the marriage license after the wedding?

Either of you or the officiant, to the issuing clerk or the State Registrar, within 15 working days after the ceremony (19-A M.R.S. § 654(2)).