North Dakota Marriage License Requirements 2026: $65 Fee, No Wait

In North Dakota, the county recorder issues marriage licenses, unless the board of county commissioners has designated a different official (N.D.C.C. 14-03-10). There is no waiting period, but the license must be issued no more than 60 days before the wedding. The statute sets a license fee of up to $30 plus a $35 domestic violence fee, and the counties we checked charge $65 in total (N.D.C.C. 14-03-22). Chapter 14-03 of the North Dakota Century Code governs.

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 North Dakota under chapter 14-03 of the North Dakota Century Code (N.D.C.C.), with procedures published by the Burleigh, Stutsman, Cass and Grand Forks county offices. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to apply for a North Dakota marriage license

The county recorder issues the license unless the county has designated a different office (see below). Under N.D.C.C. 14-03-10, you can get it from the issuing office in any of these counties:

• the county where either of you resides or is temporarily domiciled;
• the county where a parent of either of you resides or is temporarily domiciled; or
• the county where the marriage will be solemnized.

In each case the board of county commissioners may designate a different official to do the job, and many have: Cass County (Fargo) issues licenses through its Finance Office, Grand Forks County through its Tax Equalization Department, and some smaller counties through the clerk of court. Because the third option is the wedding county, you do not need to live in North Dakota to get a license there. A member of the US armed forces stationed in North Dakota is treated as residing in the county where they are stationed (N.D.C.C. 14-03-10).

You can marry anywhere in the state. N.D.C.C. 14-03-09 lets authorized officiants solemnize marriages "at any location within the state," and Stutsman County says its license may be used anywhere in North Dakota.

Do both of you have to appear?

Chapter 14-03 does not spell out whether both of you must come in together, so county practice decides it. Stutsman County says "both parties must apply together in person at the Stutsman County Courthouse." Burleigh County (Bismarck) says "Applications are accepted by appointment only."

Grand Forks County also says both parties must be present, with no appointment needed. Cass County (Fargo) lets you fill out the application and pay online; its page does not say whether you must then appear in person, so call ahead. We did not find a North Dakota county that issues a license fully remotely. Check your county's marriage license page for how to start the application and whether you need an appointment.

What to bring

N.D.C.C. 14-03-17 sets out what the recorder collects:

• Proof of age. Each of you signs an affidavit showing you are over 18 and shows the recorder "a birth certificate or other satisfactory evidence of age." If either of you is under 18, the recorder requires written parental or guardian consent (see the age section below).
• Divorce information. An affidavit showing whether either of you has been divorced. If so, "a certified copy of the decree must be filed with the application," and the recorder will not issue a license that contravenes the decree.
• Social Security numbers. "Each application for a marriage license must contain the social security number of each applicant."
• Surname choice. The application includes a statement on surname options (see the name change section below).

The affidavits must be sworn before a person authorized to administer oaths. Knowingly swearing falsely in them is a class A misdemeanor (N.D.C.C. 14-03-17, 14-03-28).

County checklists add detail. Burleigh County accepts a state ID, driver's license or passport as evidence of age. Stutsman County requires photo ID from both of you. If a previous marriage ended because your spouse died, bring the death certificate: Stutsman County asks for a certified copy and Grand Forks County for a copy.

One more rule: the recorder may not issue a license to anyone under the influence of intoxicating liquor when applying, and no ceremony may be performed while either of you is under the influence of liquor or a narcotic drug (N.D.C.C. 14-03-18).

How much a North Dakota marriage license costs

The fee has two parts. N.D.C.C. 14-03-22(1) lets the recorder "collect a fee of up to thirty dollars from the party applying for the license." Subsection (2) adds a supplemental fee of $35 "for aid to victims of domestic violence through the domestic violence prevention fund." All four counties we checked (Burleigh, Stutsman, Cass and Grand Forks) charge $65 in total.

Because the base fee is "up to" $30, a county could charge less. Your county's marriage license page is the final word on the fee, payment methods and hours, and they can change.

If the recorder performs your ceremony during regular courthouse hours, the fee is $30, kept by the county. Outside regular hours, the recorder sets the fee (N.D.C.C. 14-03-22(3)).

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

North Dakota has no waiting period. Stutsman County puts it plainly: "In the state of North Dakota there is no waiting period after you apply for the license before the marriage may take place."

The time limit runs the other way. Under N.D.C.C. 14-03-10, no one may solemnize a marriage until the couple produces a license "regularly issued not more than sixty days before the date of the marriage." Stutsman County says the license must be used within 60 days; an unused license expires, the fee is not refunded, and you need a new license.

Age requirements

Both of you must be 18, or 16 or 17 with parental or guardian consent. N.D.C.C. 14-03-02 says: "If a person is sixteen to eighteen years of age, a marriage license may not be issued without the consent of the parents or guardian, if there are any."

N.D.C.C. 14-03-17(1)(a) says whose written consent the recorder requires:

• either parent, if the parents are living together;
• the parent with legal custody, if they are not;
• the surviving parent, if one parent has died; or
• the guardian or person with care of the minor, if both parents have died or someone other than a parent has legal and actual custody.

There is no court step in chapter 14-03. Burleigh County adds a practical rule: "If between the age of 16 and 18, you must have signed parental consent. Parents must accompany the applicant and have proof of identity." Stutsman County asks for the written consent of both parents or legal guardians, present at the application, and Grand Forks County requires the consent as a notarized statement, so check your county's rule.

No one under 16 can marry. N.D.C.C. 14-03-02: "A marriage license may not be issued to any person below the age of sixteen, notwithstanding the consent of the parents or guardian of said person."

Who cannot marry in North Dakota

N.D.C.C. 14-03-03 makes these marriages "incestuous and void":

• parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree;
• brothers and sisters of the half or whole blood;
• uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews, of the half or whole blood; and
• "first cousins of the half as well as the whole blood."

The section applies to illegitimate as well as legitimate relatives. First cousins cannot marry in North Dakota.

A marriage by someone whose earlier spouse is living is void unless the earlier marriage was annulled or dissolved. The exception is a former spouse who was absent and believed dead for the five years before the new marriage (N.D.C.C. 14-03-06). Chapter 14-03 sets no waiting period after a divorce, but the recorder will not issue a license that contravenes the terms of your divorce decree (N.D.C.C. 14-03-17).

Sections 14-03-01 and 14-03-08 still describe marriage as between "one man and one woman" in the code text. 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."

Blood tests

North Dakota does not require a blood test. Sections 14-03-12 through 14-03-16, which once required a serological test for syphilis, each now read "Repealed by S.L. 1983, ch. 175, § 3."

Who can officiate a wedding in North Dakota

N.D.C.C. 14-03-09 lets these people solemnize marriages anywhere in the state:

• all judges of courts of record;
• municipal judges;
• county recorders, unless the county commissioners designate a different official;
• ordained ministers of the gospel, priests and clergy authorized by recognized denominations; and
• "any individual authorized by the rituals and practices of any religious persuasion."

We found no officiant registration requirement in chapter 14-03, and no official guidance on online ordination. If your officiant was ordained online, ask the issuing county office how it treats that before the wedding. Performing a ceremony without legal authority is a class A misdemeanor (N.D.C.C. 14-03-25, 14-03-28). The chapter does not provide for a couple to marry themselves without an officiant.

Two witnesses are required. Under N.D.C.C. 14-03-20, every marriage certificate must "be signed by two witnesses to the marriage in addition to the signature of the person who solemnized the marriage."

After the ceremony

The officiant fills out and signs the certificate in duplicate. N.D.C.C. 14-03-21 requires the original license and certificate to be "returned to the official who issued the license within five days after the date of the solemnization of the marriage," and the duplicate goes to the two of you right away. Willfully missing the deadline is a class A misdemeanor (N.D.C.C. 14-03-28).

The recorder files the original and sends a copy to the state registrar of vital statistics (N.D.C.C. 14-03-22(5)). Once the completed license is back, Burleigh County sells certified copies for $5 for the first and $2 for each additional copy. For ordering copies later, see North Dakota marriage and divorce records or our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name on the license application

North Dakota builds the name choice into the application. N.D.C.C. 14-03-20.1 says a surname "does not automatically change upon marriage," and neither of you has to change. Either or both of you may enter a new surname on the application, which must be one of these:

• the other spouse's surname;
• any former surname of either spouse;
• a single surname combining all or part of either spouse's premarriage or former surname; or
• a hyphenated or spaced combination of those surnames.

N.D.C.C. 14-03-20.2 also lets you change your middle name, to your premarriage or former surname, to your premarriage middle name plus that surname, or to a hyphenated combination. The marriage certificate showing the new name is proof that its use is lawful, and following these sections meets the evidence requirement of N.D.C.C. 39-06-07.1. For the next steps, see name change after marriage and North Dakota name change laws.

Common myths about North Dakota marriage licenses

• "There is a waiting period or a blood test." Neither. Stutsman County confirms there is no waiting period, and the blood-test sections were repealed in 1983.
• "You have to marry in the county that issued the license." No. Officiants may solemnize marriages anywhere in the state (N.D.C.C. 14-03-09).
• "The $65 fee is set by state law." State law sets a license fee of up to $30 plus a $35 supplemental fee (N.D.C.C. 14-03-22). The counties we checked charge $65 in total.
• "A parent's consent lets a 15-year-old marry." No. N.D.C.C. 14-03-02 bars a license for anyone under 16, whatever the parents say.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about North Dakota marriage licenses under chapter 14-03 of the North Dakota Century Code, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the county office that issues marriage licenses where you plan to apply or a lawyer licensed in North Dakota.

Related

• Marriage license requirements by state
• South Dakota marriage license requirements
• Minnesota marriage license requirements
• North Dakota marriage and divorce records
• North Dakota common-law marriage
• North Dakota name change laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in North Dakota?

Burleigh and Stutsman counties charge $65. That total is the county license fee (up to $30 under N.D.C.C. 14-03-22) plus a $35 supplemental fee for the domestic violence prevention fund.

Is there a waiting period to get married in North Dakota?

No. Chapter 14-03 sets no waiting period, and Stutsman County says there is none after you apply.

How long is a North Dakota marriage license good for?

The license must be issued no more than 60 days before the wedding (N.D.C.C. 14-03-10). Stutsman County says an unused license expires after 60 days, with no refund, and you must buy a new one.

Do we have to apply in the county where we get married?

No. You can apply in the county where either of you or a parent of either of you lives, or where the wedding will be (N.D.C.C. 14-03-10). Stutsman County says the license can be used anywhere in North Dakota.

Do both of us have to be there to apply?

It depends on the county. Stutsman County requires both of you to apply together in person, and Burleigh County takes applications by appointment only.

Can a 16-year-old get married in North Dakota?

Yes, with the written consent of a parent or guardian (N.D.C.C. 14-03-02, 14-03-17). There is no court step, but county rules can be stricter: Stutsman County asks for both parents' written consent. No one under 16 can get a license, even with parental consent.

Does North Dakota require a blood test to get married?

No. The serological-test sections, N.D.C.C. 14-03-12 through 14-03-16, were repealed by S.L. 1983, ch. 175.

Can first cousins marry in North Dakota?

No. N.D.C.C. 14-03-03 makes a marriage between first cousins of the half or whole blood incestuous and void.

Who can officiate a wedding in North Dakota?

Judges of courts of record, municipal judges, county recorders, ordained ministers, priests and clergy of recognized denominations, and any individual authorized by the rituals and practices of any religious persuasion (N.D.C.C. 14-03-09).

How long does the officiant have to return the marriage license?

Five days after the ceremony (N.D.C.C. 14-03-21). Willfully failing to return it is a class A misdemeanor under N.D.C.C. 14-03-28.