New Hampshire Marriage License Requirements 2026: $50, 90 Days

In New Hampshire, you get a marriage license from any town or city clerk, and the license covers a ceremony anywhere in the state (RSA 5-C:42). The fee is $50 statewide (RSA 457:29), both of you must sign the application worksheet in person at the clerk's office, and the license is valid for not more than 90 days from the date you file (RSA 457:26). Both of you must be at least 18, with no exceptions, since January 1, 2025.

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 New Hampshire under RSA chapter 457 (marriages) and the marriage sections of RSA chapter 5-C (vital records), including changes made by 2026 N.H. Laws chapter 296. It does not cover divorce, ordering old marriage records, common-law marriage, or marriage licenses from other states.

Where to get a marriage license in New Hampshire

Go to a town or city clerk. RSA 5-C:42 II says an application "may be made in any city or town in the state of New Hampshire and the marriage license shall be issued for a marriage ceremony to be performed in any city or town in the state of New Hampshire."

So you can apply in one town and marry in another, and you do not have to live in New Hampshire. The Weare town clerk's page, for example, notes that out-of-state residents can apply.

A license from another state does not work here. The statute says no license or court-ordered waiver from another state is acceptable for a New Hampshire ceremony.

Both of you must sign in person

Both applicants must appear in person to file the marriage intentions and sign the worksheet. One of you may start the process, but the clerk will not issue the license until both of you have signed (RSA 5-C:42 VI).

The statute has two narrow exceptions:

• A member of the armed forces who cannot appear can use the legal-representative procedure in RSA 5-C:42 V.
• If one of you cannot appear for documented medical reasons, the clerk may meet you at another location in the town (RSA 5-C:42 V-a).

New in 2026: fill out the worksheet ahead of time

A change that took effect on September 8, 2026 (2026 N.H. Laws chapter 296, House Bill 1260) lets you prepare the paperwork in advance. RSA 5-C:41 II now reads: "The marriage application worksheet may be completed online or offline ahead of time, and shall be completed by the prospective marriage applicants by signing it in the office of the clerk of the town or city."

The signing still happens in person. Weare's clerk page says both applicants must appear together to sign, and that worksheets cannot be accepted by mail, fax or email. Some town pages may not yet reflect the September 2026 change, so check with your clerk about how to submit a pre-filled worksheet.

What to bring

Under RSA 5-C:42 VII, each applicant must show positive identification: "a certified copy of a birth certificate or a driver's license or a passport or other license or identification that contains a photograph of the applicant and the applicant's name and date of birth."

RSA 457:23 adds documents for anyone married before. Each applicant provides for inspection:

• Proof of age.
• If divorced, a certified copy of the final divorce decree (a certified annulment decree if the marriage was annulled, under RSA 5-C:42 X).
• If widowed, a certified copy of the death record of the deceased spouse.

Town clerks such as Barrington and Weare ask for documents with a raised seal. Barrington's page says: "If one or both of you was previously married, a divorce decree with a raised seal or a death certificate with a raised seal must be presented at the time of application."

A decree in a foreign language needs a certified English translation. If a foreign decree cannot be obtained, the statute allows an affidavit plus a statement from the embassy (RSA 5-C:42 XI-XII).

The worksheet itself records each person's full name, residence, birthplace, date of birth and Social Security number, along with the father's full name and birthplace and the mother's maiden name and birthplace (RSA 5-C:41 II).

How much a New Hampshire marriage license costs

The fee is set by statute: "The fee for the marriage license shall be $50 to be paid by the parties entering into the marriage" (RSA 457:29). The clerk sends $43 of each fee to the Department of Health and Human Services for domestic-violence programs and keeps $7.

The fee is not refunded if you never use the license (RSA 5-C:42 XIII), and an unused license must be returned to the clerk who issued it (RSA 5-C:97 I). Payment methods and card surcharges differ by town:

Both pages were checked on October 7, 2026. Card fees and payment options can change, so your town clerk has the final word. We found no premarital-education discount in RSA 457 or the clerk pages we checked.

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

The license sections of RSA 457 and RSA 5-C we reviewed set no waiting period between applying and the ceremony, and the Barrington and Weare clerk pages list none. If timing is tight, confirm with your clerk.

The license has a 90-day life. RSA 457:26 provides: "The license shall be valid for not more than 90 days from the date of filing." The filing date is the date of the intentions, the date a party signed the worksheet (or the earlier of two dates).

If the clerk has processed no marriage certificate 90 days after filing, the clerk records that the marriage presumably did not take place. A certificate received within six months after that is still accepted; a later one needs the delayed-certificate procedure (RSA 5-C:42 XIV).

Minimum age: 18, no exceptions

RSA 457:4 now reads: "No person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such persons shall be null and void." Clerks may not issue a license, and officiants may not solemnize a marriage, for a person known or reasonably believed to be under 18 (RSA 457:8).

This is recent. New Hampshire raised its floor to 16 effective January 1, 2019 (2018 N.H. Laws chapter 272). Until 2025, a 16- or 17-year-old could still marry through a court petition under former RSA 457:6 and 457:7. 2024 N.H. Laws chapter 81 raised the minimum to 18 and repealed that petition route, effective January 1, 2025.

Who cannot marry in New Hampshire

Relatives, including first cousins

RSA 457:2 bars marriage to a parent, an aunt or uncle (a parent's brother or sister), a child, a sibling, a grandchild, a niece or nephew, and a first cousin (the son or daughter of a parent's brother or sister). The section has no exception for first cousins.

New Hampshire also will not recognize a marriage entered in another state if RSA 457:2 would have prohibited it here (RSA 457:3). Separately, RSA 5-C:46 directs the state vital records division to issue a marriage certificate for step-siblings if their natural parents had no biological connection to each other closer than cousin, and for adopted siblings unless they are also related biologically as RSA 457:2 describes.

Existing marriage

You can be married to only one person at a time. If you were married before, you must show the certified divorce decree, annulment decree or death record described above.

Same-sex couples

RSA 457:1-a provides: "Any person who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of this chapter may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender or race." Since July 3, 2023, the statute provides that each party is designated "bride," "groom" or "spouse."

Blood tests

None. Barrington's clerk page says: "There is no requirement for a blood test to get a marriage license in New Hampshire." The old "diseased persons" sections, RSA 457:17 through 457:21, were repealed in 1986.

The clerk must keep available a list of family-planning agencies and the state's fetal alcohol syndrome and HIV brochures (RSA 457:28-a). That is a duty to have the material on hand, not a condition of your license.

Who can officiate a New Hampshire wedding

Under RSA 457:31, these people can solemnize a marriage:

• Civil ceremonies: a commissioned justice of the peace, a New Hampshire supreme court justice, a superior or circuit court judge, a federal Article III judge, a bankruptcy judge, or a U.S. magistrate judge.
• Religious ceremonies: an ordained minister who lives in New Hampshire and is in regular standing with the denomination; an unordained clergy member serving a religious body who lives in New Hampshire and holds a $5 license from the Secretary of State (RSA 457:31-a); or a minister living out of state whose pastoral charge lies wholly or partly in New Hampshire, within that parish.

Jewish rabbis who live in New Hampshire and Friends (Quakers) may solemnize marriages in the way usually practiced among them (RSA 457:31-b). A minister who lives out of state, an out-of-state rabbi, or a person authorized to perform marriages in their home state can apply to the Secretary of State for a $25 special license naming the couple (RSA 457:31-b, 457:32).

A friend or relative: the special marriage officiant license

RSA 457:32-b, added in 2020, provides: "The secretary of state may issue a special marriage officiant license, which shall temporarily authorize an individual to solemnize a marriage in this state." It covers only the civil marriage named on the registration form, costs $85, and the officiant's authority expires along with the couple's marriage license.

No ordination is required. Ask the Secretary of State's office for current application steps. No one may sign the marriage certificate as the officiant at their own ceremony (RSA 5-C:49 II).

What about online ordination?

RSA 457:31 requires a minister to be ordained according to the usage of the denomination and in regular standing. We found no official New Hampshire guidance on whether an online ordination meets that test. A friend who wants to officiate without any question about their authority can use the $85 special officiant license instead.

Officiating without authority

Solemnizing a marriage without authority is a misdemeanor (RSA 457:35). A marriage performed by someone professing to be a justice of the peace or minister is not void for that reason if it is otherwise lawful, has been consummated, and either party believed they were lawfully married (RSA 457:36).

Proxy marriage

Not allowed. RSA 457:8 states: "No magistrate or minister of religion shall solemnize any marriage by proxy." The in-person signing rule in RSA 5-C:42 points the same way, apart from the military and medical exceptions above.

After the ceremony: returning the license and getting copies

Since September 8, 2026, RSA 5-C:43 reads: "The marriage applicants shall provide the marriage license to the officiant prior to the marriage ceremony." After the ceremony, the officiant completes the license, including the officiant's authority, the date and location, and whether the ceremony was religious or civil, and returns it to the clerk. The officiant entries listed in RSA 5-C:41 XIV include no witness signatures, and RSA 457 sets no witness requirement.

The clerk records the date the license is received as the filing date and forwards it to the state division of vital records. The registrar then returns the original to you; you can ask for certified mail at your own cost (RSA 5-C:41, 5-C:43).

The officiant must return the completed license, by mail or in person, to the clerk of the town or city that issued it within 6 days (RSA 5-C:49 I). The officiant must report the marriage even if the couple later asks them not to, and failing to report it is a violation (RSA 5-C:49 VI-VII). Make sure your officiant knows the deadline. An officiant who solemnizes a marriage without the clerk's certificate faces a $60 forfeiture (RSA 457:34).

Certified copies come from a town or city clerk. Barrington charges $15 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. For ordering copies later, see New Hampshire marriage and divorce records and our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Choosing your name after marriage

New Hampshire builds the name choice into the license. RSA 5-C:41 II-a says: "Each party shall indicate on the marriage application worksheet the party's name after marriage."

Either of you may keep your surname, take the other's surname, or use a hyphenated combination of both full surnames. A party who changes surname may also move their middle name into the surname. The name you choose becomes your sole legal name after the marriage, as long as it is not for a fraudulent, criminal or wrongful purpose; any other change needs court approval. See New Hampshire name change laws and our guide to changing your name after marriage.

New Hampshire marriage license myths

• "A 16- or 17-year-old can marry with a parent's or a court's approval." Not since January 1, 2025. A marriage by anyone under 18 is void (RSA 457:4).
• "You must live in New Hampshire, or marry in the town that issued the license." Any town or city clerk may issue the license, residence is not required, and the ceremony can be anywhere in the state (RSA 5-C:42 II).
• "First cousins can marry in New Hampshire." RSA 457:2 lists first cousins as prohibited.
• "A friend ordained online can marry you." The statute requires ordination and regular standing, and no official source resolves online ordination; the $85 special marriage officiant license avoids the question.
• "You need a blood test or have to wait." Neither appears in the statute or the clerk pages we checked.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about New Hampshire marriage licenses under RSA chapters 457 and 5-C, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. Town practices and charges can change. For your specific situation, ask the town or city clerk who will issue your license, the New Hampshire Secretary of State, or a lawyer licensed in New Hampshire.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in New Hampshire?

$50 at any town or city clerk, set by RSA 457:29. It is not refunded if unused, and some towns add a card-processing fee (Barrington 3.25%, Weare $2.50).

How long is a New Hampshire marriage license good for?

Not more than 90 days from the date of filing (RSA 457:26), which is the date you signed the application worksheet.

Is there a waiting period to get married in New Hampshire?

The license sections of RSA 457 and RSA 5-C we reviewed set none, and the clerk pages we checked list none. Confirm with your clerk if your timing is tight.

Do we both have to be there to get a marriage license in New Hampshire?

Yes. Both applicants must sign the worksheet in person at the clerk's office; the license is not issued until both have signed (RSA 5-C:42). Narrow exceptions exist for military members and documented medical reasons.

Can we fill out the New Hampshire marriage application online?

Since September 8, 2026, the worksheet may be completed online or offline ahead of time, but you must still sign it in the clerk's office (RSA 5-C:41 II, as amended by 2026 N.H. Laws chapter 296).

Do you have to be a New Hampshire resident to get married there?

No. An application may be made in any city or town, and the license covers a ceremony anywhere in New Hampshire (RSA 5-C:42 II).

Can a friend officiate a wedding in New Hampshire?

Yes, with a special marriage officiant license from the Secretary of State. It costs $85, covers only the civil marriage named on the registration and expires with the couple's license (RSA 457:32-b).

Can first cousins marry in New Hampshire?

No. RSA 457:2 bars marriage between first cousins.

Can a 17-year-old get married in New Hampshire?

No. Since January 1, 2025, no one under 18 can contract a valid marriage, and any such marriage is null and void (RSA 457:4).

What do I need to bring to get a marriage license in New Hampshire?

Photo ID or a certified birth certificate (RSA 5-C:42 VII), plus a certified divorce decree, annulment decree or death record if you were married before (RSA 457:23). Clerks ask for documents with a raised seal.