Oregon Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees, Wait and Waiver

In Oregon, you get a marriage license from a county clerk (ORS 106.041). The license takes effect three days after you both sign the application, unless a judge or the county clerk waives the wait for good cause, and it stays valid for 60 days after that (ORS 106.077). License totals differ by county: Multnomah and Clackamas counties charge $60, and Washington County $85 since July 1, 2026. Since January 1, 2026, both of you must be 18.

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 Oregon under chapter 106 of the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) and the published procedures of the Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Lane county offices. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to apply for an Oregon marriage license

Oregon licenses come from county clerks. ORS 106.041(1) says: "All persons wishing to enter into a marriage contract shall obtain a marriage license from the county clerk upon application." Both of you file a written application on the state form, and the clerk may not issue the license until the statute's requirements, including proof of age, are met.

Procedures differ by county:

• Multnomah County: complete the application online, then both of you appear together in person to finish it.
• Clackamas County: "Both parties must appear together to complete the process."

Washington County also issues licenses by mail. You call or email for a paper application, both of you sign it, and you mail it back with the fee; the county asks you to allow at least three weeks before the ceremony.

Where you can hold the ceremony

Anywhere in Oregon. ORS 106.120(3) lets an authorized officiant solemnize a marriage anywhere in the state, so the ceremony does not have to happen in the county that issued the license. The completed record, however, goes back to the clerk who issued it (ORS 106.170).

What to bring and what the application asks

The state application form asks for each applicant's age, birthplace, sex, occupation, residence and previous marital status, and the name each of you will use after marriage. It also requires "Each applicant's Social Security number recorded on a confidential portion of the application, license and record of marriage" (ORS 106.041(2)). The clerk accepts any reasonable proof of age (ORS 106.050).

For ID, Multnomah County asks for photo ID for each person, and Clackamas County asks for valid government-issued picture ID. Chapter 106 contains no residency requirement, so you do not have to live in Oregon to marry there. If either of you was married before, the application asks the date that marriage ended, and Washington County says a license can be issued one day after the final date of a divorce.

When the clerk issues the license, the statute requires two pieces of information to go with it: a pamphlet on fetal alcohol syndrome (ORS 106.081), and a domestic violence statement printed on the license itself, which begins "Neither you nor your spouse is the property of the other" (ORS 106.041(5)).

How much an Oregon marriage license costs

Oregon has no single statewide license price, although state law fixes two charges. The county clerk's fee for issuing the license is $25 (ORS 205.320(1)(e)), and a separate charge goes to the Domestic Violence Fund: "In addition to any other fees provided by law, the county clerk shall collect a fee of $25 upon the application for a marriage license" (ORS 106.045). That $25 is collected for the state's Domestic Violence Fund. County totals are higher than those two charges, and the county pages we checked do not break their totals into parts.

Multnomah accepts cash, credit or debit, cashier's check or money order. Clackamas accepts debit or credit, cash, certified check or money order.

Washington County's page says its fee rose from $60 to $85 on July 1, 2026, with a 2.45% card charge (minimum $1.50) and certified copies at $7.75 each. Lane County's page lists $60, nonrefundable, but it still describes the age rule that ended on January 1, 2026, so confirm Lane's current fee by phone. Fees in every county can change, and the county clerk's own page is the final word. Chapter 106 offers no premarital-course discount.

Waiting period and the waiver

Oregon's license does not take effect right away. Under ORS 106.077(1), "the county clerk shall issue a marriage license which shall become effective three days after the date on which the application was signed by the applicants."

The wait can be waived, which sets Oregon apart from its northern neighbor. ORS 106.077(2) provides: "For good and sufficient cause shown, a written order waiving the three-day waiting period provided in subsection (1) of this section may be signed by" a designated judge or by "The county clerk or official responsible for issuing the marriage license." Each county decides how it handles requests. Multnomah charges $5 and Clackamas $15. Washington County charges $5 and waives only if you intend to marry within the three days, and Lane County's page says it waives the wait only for deploying military. Ask your clerk before you set a date inside the wait. Washington State, by contrast, has no waiver at all; see Washington marriage license requirements.

How long the license lasts

"A license shall be valid for 60 days after the effective date" (ORS 106.077(1)). Without a waiver, that means the ceremony can take place from day 3 through day 63 after you sign the application.

Clackamas County puts the deadline firmly: "This period is not extendable; if the 60-day limit is exceeded, a new license must be purchased."

Age requirements: 18, with no exceptions since 2026

ORS 106.010 now provides that marriage is "a civil contract entered into in person by males at least 18 years of age and females at least 18 years of age, who are otherwise capable."

The change came from Senate Bill 548, enacted as chapter 224, Oregon Laws 2025. The governor approved it on May 28, 2025, and it took effect on January 1, 2026. Section 9 of the act states: "ORS 106.060 is repealed." That repealed section had allowed a 17-year-old to marry with a parent's or guardian's consent. There is now no parental-consent or court route to marriage under 18 in Oregon.

Who cannot marry in Oregon

ORS 106.020 makes a marriage solemnized in Oregon void in two situations:

• A living spouse: either party already has a living spouse.
• Close relatives: "When the parties thereto are first cousins or any nearer of kin to each other, whether of the whole or half blood, whether by blood or adoption, computing by the rules of the civil law, except that when the parties are first cousins by adoption only, the marriage is not prohibited or void."

So first cousins cannot marry in Oregon, while cousins related only through adoption can. Same-sex couples marry on the same terms: although ORS 106.010 still says "males" and "females," Multnomah County's eligibility list contains no sex-based requirement.

Blood tests

No blood test is required. Chapter 106 contains no blood test or other medical requirement. The only health-related step is the fetal alcohol syndrome pamphlet the clerk hands out with the license (ORS 106.081).

Who can officiate a wedding in Oregon

ORS 106.120 lists who may solemnize a marriage:

• a judicial officer, which includes Oregon judges (including municipal and justice of the peace judges), active federal judges and active US magistrate judges;
• a county clerk or deputy county clerk;
• religious congregations or organizations, and a clergyperson the congregation authorizes;
• secular organizations, and a celebrant or officiant the organization authorizes.

The statute defines a secular organization as "an organization that occupies a place in the lives of the organization's members parallel to that filled by a church or particular religious authority" (ORS 106.120(1)(b)).

Oregon has no state registration for officiants in chapter 106: the authority comes from the congregation or organization. Washington County says an online ordination is "just as official as a traditional religious ordination" as long as it meets Oregon's requirements, and Lane County says ordained officiants do not register with the state or county. If your officiant was ordained online, you can still ask your county clerk before the wedding. We also found no self-uniting provision in chapter 106.

If the person who marries you turns out not to be authorized, the marriage is still valid when the parties believed in good faith that it was lawful (ORS 106.130).

Officiant fees for judges and clerks

Under ORS 106.120(4), a $117 fee applies when a state tax, appellate or circuit judge, or a county clerk or deputy, performs the ceremony during normal working hours, in court or clerk facilities, or with more than minimal staff time. For a ceremony outside working hours or away from those facilities, the officiant may also accept an agreed personal payment of up to $200 plus costs, an amount adjusted for inflation. Ask your county clerk whether it offers ceremonies and what it charges.

Witnesses

Oregon requires two witnesses, and Washington County says neither the officiant nor either of you can be one of them. Under ORS 106.150(1), the parties declare, "in the presence of at least two witnesses, that they take each other to be spouses in a marriage."

Proxy marriage

Oregon's statute does not provide for proxy marriage. ORS 106.010 defines marriage as a civil contract "entered into in person," and ORS 106.150(1) requires the parties to declare their consent in the presence of the officiant and two witnesses. Chapter 106 contains no proxy provision, so both of you should plan to attend.

After the ceremony

The officiant files the record. ORS 106.170 provides: "A person solemnizing a marriage shall, within five calendar days of the marriage ceremony, complete the original application, license and record of marriage form and deliver the form to the county clerk who issued the marriage license." The clerk files it and sends it on to the state Center for Health Statistics.

The certificate you receive when the license is issued is a commemorative marriage certificate. It is not the legal record. For a certified copy, Clackamas County charges $7.75 for the first and $4 for each additional copy. To order copies later, see Oregon marriage and divorce records or our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name on the license

Oregon builds the name change into the license. ORS 106.220(2) says: "Each party must indicate on the application, license and record of marriage the party's name after marriage." The permitted choices include keeping your name, taking your spouse's surname, combining surnames with or without a hyphen, and moving your birth surname to your middle name. The name you choose becomes your legal name; a name outside the listed options requires a court order under ORS 33.410. See Oregon name change laws and name change after marriage.

Covenant marriage

Oregon does not offer covenant marriage. Chapter 106 contains no covenant marriage provision.

Common myths about Oregon marriage licenses

• "The three-day wait can never be waived." It can. A judge or the county clerk may sign a written waiver for good cause (ORS 106.077(2)), for a county fee of $5 in Multnomah or $15 in Clackamas.
• "A 17-year-old can marry with a parent's consent." Not since January 1, 2026, when SB 548 repealed ORS 106.060.
• "First cousins can marry in Oregon." No. ORS 106.020 makes the marriage void unless the cousins are related only by adoption.
• "You have to marry in the county that issued the license." No. An officiant may solemnize anywhere in Oregon (ORS 106.120(3)); only the paperwork returns to the issuing clerk.
• "Officiants must register with the state." Chapter 106 has no state registration; authority comes from the congregation or organization.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Oregon marriage licenses under chapter 106 of the Oregon Revised Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county clerk or a lawyer licensed in Oregon.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Oregon?

It depends on the county. Multnomah and Clackamas counties charge $60, and Washington County raised its fee to $85 on July 1, 2026. Check your county clerk's page, since fees vary and can change.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Oregon?

Yes. The license takes effect three days after you sign the application (ORS 106.077(1)). A judge or the county clerk may waive the wait for good cause; Multnomah charges $5 and Clackamas $15 for the waiver. County practice varies: Washington County waives only if you plan to marry within the three days, and Lane County only for deploying military.

How long is an Oregon marriage license valid?

60 days after its effective date (ORS 106.077(1)). Clackamas County says the period cannot be extended, so a lapsed license means buying a new one.

Can you get married at 17 in Oregon?

No. Since January 1, 2026, both parties must be 18. SB 548 (Oregon Laws 2025, chapter 224) repealed the parental-consent route in ORS 106.060.

Can first cousins marry in Oregon?

No. ORS 106.020 makes a marriage between first cousins void, unless they are first cousins by adoption only.

How many witnesses do you need to get married in Oregon?

At least two (ORS 106.150(1)).

Can we get our marriage license in one Oregon county and marry in another?

Yes. An authorized officiant may solemnize a marriage anywhere in Oregon (ORS 106.120(3)). The officiant returns the record to the clerk who issued the license within five calendar days (ORS 106.170).