Vermont Marriage License Requirements 2026: $80 Fee, No Wait

In Vermont, any town clerk in the state can issue a marriage license, whichever town you live in or plan to marry in, and at least one of you must sign it in front of the clerk (18 V.S.A. § 5131). The fee is $80 statewide, set by 32 V.S.A. § 1712. There is no waiting period and no blood test, and the license is void if you do not marry within 60 days of the date it was issued.

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 civil marriage license in Vermont under Chapter 105 of Title 18 of the Vermont Statutes, the fee in 32 V.S.A. § 1712 and the relationship bar in 15 V.S.A. § 1a, along with guidance from the Vermont Department of Health and the Secretary of State. 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 Vermont

Go to a town (or city) clerk's office. Section 5131(a)(3) of Title 18 says the license "shall be issued by any town clerk in the State," so either of you may use any clerk in Vermont, regardless of where you live. Assistant town clerks can handle the job too (18 V.S.A. § 5137).

There is no residency requirement. Couples from other states can get a Vermont license and marry here.

The license is good anywhere in Vermont, but only in Vermont. The Department of Health puts it this way: "With a valid Vermont license, you can be married anywhere in Vermont, but only in Vermont." You cannot use it to marry in New Hampshire, New York or anywhere else.

Watch out: Some town websites say otherwise. Cambridge's clerk page, for example, says that if just one of you lives in a Vermont town, "you must buy the license in that town." The statute does not contain that limit; it lets any town clerk in the state issue the license. If a town page and the statute disagree, the statute controls, but call the clerk you plan to use so there are no surprises on the day.

Do both of us have to go to the clerk?

No. Both of you sign the application, certifying that the information on it is accurate, but the clerk will issue the license if at least one of you signs it in the clerk's presence (18 V.S.A. § 5131(a)(1)). The Department of Health says the same: "The town clerk will then issue a license if at least one of you signs it in front of the clerk."

What you cannot do is get the license entirely by mail. Practices vary by town on the paperwork side. Cambridge, for instance, accepts the completed application by mail or delivery with a check, but one of you must come in to sign and pick up the license, and the town asks for at least 24 hours to prepare it. That lead time is a town practice, not a state waiting period.

What to bring and what the application asks

Vermont's statute and the state application form do not list a required ID document or a Social Security number. The form, revised in March 2026, asks each of you for:

• Your legal name and your last name at birth
• Date and place of birth
• Your residence
• Your parents' names, including your mother's maiden name, and their places of birth
• A confidential section: your total number of marriages and civil unions, including this one, how and when the last one ended (death, divorce, dissolution or annulment), and whether either of you has a legal guardian

The Department of Health suggests certified birth certificates as an easy way to have most of this information on hand. Individual clerks may have their own practices, so ask the town clerk what to bring.

Take the form seriously. Under 18 V.S.A. § 5140, a person who makes a material misrepresentation on the marriage application "shall be deemed guilty of perjury."

How much a Vermont marriage license costs

The fee is $80.00, and it is the same in every town because it is set by statute. Under 32 V.S.A. § 1712(1), the town clerk keeps $15.00, $50.00 goes to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund, and $15.00 goes to the State Treasurer.

The Department of Health says you can arrange at purchase for the clerk to mail you a certified copy once the marriage is recorded. Ask your clerk which payment methods it accepts; Cambridge's page mentions payment by check. Fees can change, so treat the town clerk as the final word.

We found no fee discount for premarital education in the Vermont sources we checked.

Waiting period and how long the license lasts

There is no waiting period. The Department of Health says "you do not need blood tests, and there is no waiting period," and the sections of Chapter 105 we reviewed set none. You can get the license and marry the same day, as long as your officiant is ready.

The license has a 60-day life. Section 5131(b) provides: "If the proposed marriage is not solemnized within 60 days from the date of issue, such license shall become void." If your plans slip past that, you would need to apply for a new license.

Minimum age: 18, no exceptions

Both of you must be at least 18. A town clerk may not issue a license if "either party is under 18 years of age" (18 V.S.A. § 5142(1)).

This is a recent change. Act 8 of 2023, which the act itself says may be cited as the "Act to Ban Child Marriage," took effect on July 1, 2023. Before that, a 16- or 17-year-old could marry with written consent from a parent or guardian. Act 8 removed that route from 18 V.S.A. § 5142 and also repealed 18 V.S.A. § 5143. The governor signed the bill on April 20, 2023.

Emancipation does not open a back door. Act 8 also amended Vermont's emancipation law so that an emancipation order does not affect laws requiring a person to be 18 to marry. For how emancipation works otherwise, see Vermont emancipation laws.

Who cannot marry in Vermont

Section 5142 lists the situations in which a clerk may not issue a license. Beyond the age rule, a license is barred when:

• Either party lacks the capacity to understand the nature of the act.
• Either party is 18 or older and under guardianship, unless the guardian gives written consent.
• The parties are related in a way 15 V.S.A. § 1a forbids.
• Either party already has a living spouse. The Department of Health adds that a person in a civil union with someone else cannot marry.

Relatives you cannot marry

Under 15 V.S.A. § 1a: "No person shall marry his or her parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, sibling's child, or parent's sibling." First cousins are not on that list, and the Department of Health's list of barred relatives also leaves them off.

Remarrying after divorce or a civil union

A Vermont divorce decree is first a decree nisi. It becomes absolute 90 days after it is entered, unless the court sets an earlier date (15 V.S.A. § 554(a)). The Department of Health says you may remarry after the date your previous marriage or civil union was legally dissolved, so check the date your decree became final before you apply. For the divorce process itself, see Vermont divorce laws.

Partners in a Vermont civil union can marry each other, and under 18 V.S.A. § 5131(a)(4) they may choose on the application to dissolve the civil union as part of the marriage.

Blood tests

None. The Department of Health states plainly that you do not need blood tests to marry in Vermont, and we found no required pamphlet.

Who can officiate a Vermont wedding

Section 5144(a) of Title 18 authorizes these officiants:

• A Supreme Court justice, Superior judge, probate judge, assistant judge, justice of the peace, magistrate, or Judicial Bureau hearing officer.
• Clergy ordained, licensed or otherwise regularly authorized by their faith who live in Vermont.
• Clergy who live in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York or Quebec and whose congregation lies wholly or partly in Vermont.
• Clergy who live in another U.S. state or in Canada, if they first obtain a special authorization from the Probate Division in the unit where the marriage will take place. The judge decides whether to grant it.
• An individual registered as a temporary officiant with the Vermont Secretary of State.

Quaker, Christadelphian and Baha'i marriages may be solemnized in the manner each faith uses (18 V.S.A. § 5144(b)).

A friend or relative as a temporary officiant

This is the route when a friend or family member will lead the ceremony. Under 18 V.S.A. § 5144a, the person registers online with the Secretary of State, which says to "Register & pay $100 filing fee to become a temporary officiant prior to the wedding date."

The rules on the Secretary of State's page are worth reading before you pay:

• The $100 fee is per ceremony. The registration covers only the one marriage named on it.
• The authority expires when the couple's license expires (18 V.S.A. § 5144a(b)).
• The certificate of authorization arrives by email, and the names and addresses on it must match the marriage license.
• The fee is not refundable, but the authorization can be edited if the ceremony moves.

The statute says "an individual" may register; the Department of Health describes the option as open to any person over 18. No ordination is needed.

Witnesses

Not required. The Department of Health says "Vermont law does not require witnesses." You can still have them as part of the ceremony.

Officiating without authority

Knowingly solemnizing a marriage without authority can bring up to six months of imprisonment, a fine of $100 to $300, or both (18 V.S.A. § 5147(a)). The marriage itself is not void for that reason if either party believed it was lawful (18 V.S.A. § 5147(b)).

Proxy marriage

Not allowed. Asked whether a couple can marry by proxy, the Department of Health answers: "No. A marriage license cannot be issued through the mail, and you cannot be married by proxy."

After the ceremony: returning the license and getting copies

The paperwork runs in this order under 18 V.S.A. § 5131(b) and (c):

1. Both of you sign the license and hand it to your officiant before the ceremony, within the 60 days.
2. After the ceremony, the officiant fills in the date and place, signs and certifies it. It is now your civil marriage certificate.
3. The officiant returns it to the town clerk who issued the license within 10 days. A temporary officiant attaches the Secretary of State's certificate of authorization.

The statute reads: "Such certificate shall be returned within 10 days to the office of the town clerk from which the license issued by the person solemnizing such marriage." Solemnizing without a license, or failing to return the certificate within 10 days, carries a fine of not less than $10 (18 V.S.A. § 5146).

Certified copies cost $10 each. According to the Department of Health, you can get more from the town clerk two or more weeks after the ceremony, or from Vermont Department of Health Vital Records six or more weeks after it. For ordering copies years later, see Vermont marriage and divorce records and our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name

The Vermont application has no field for a new name. It records each person's legal name and last name at birth, plus a mailing address after the wedding. If you plan to change your surname, use your certified marriage certificate and follow Vermont name change laws and our guide to changing your name after marriage.

Vermont marriage license myths

• "16- and 17-year-olds can marry with a parent's consent." Not since July 1, 2023. Act 8 barred marriage under 18 with no exception (18 V.S.A. § 5142(1)).
• "You have to live in Vermont, or use your own town's clerk." The statute lets any town clerk in the state issue the license, and it has no residency requirement.
• "Your officiant must be ordained." Any individual can register as a temporary officiant for $100 per ceremony (18 V.S.A. § 5144a).
• "There is a waiting period or a blood test." The Department of Health says there is neither.
• "A Vermont license works for a wedding in another state." It is valid anywhere in Vermont, but only in Vermont.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Vermont marriage licenses under Title 18, Chapter 105 of the Vermont Statutes, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. Town practices and fees can change. For your specific situation, ask the town clerk who will issue your license, the Vermont Department of Health, or a lawyer licensed in Vermont.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Vermont?

$80 at any town clerk's office, set statewide by 32 V.S.A. § 1712(1). Certified copies of the marriage certificate are $10 each.

Is there a waiting period to get married in Vermont?

No. The Vermont Department of Health says there is no waiting period and no blood test, so you can marry the day you get the license if your officiant is ready.

How long is a Vermont marriage license valid?

60 days from the date of issue. If the marriage is not solemnized within that time, the license becomes void (18 V.S.A. § 5131(b)).

Do we have to be Vermont residents to get married in Vermont?

No. Any town clerk in Vermont can issue the license (18 V.S.A. § 5131(a)(3)), and couples from other states can marry in Vermont. The license works only for a ceremony in Vermont.

Do both of us have to go to the town clerk?

No. The clerk will issue the license if at least one of you signs it in the clerk's presence (18 V.S.A. § 5131(a)(1)). The license cannot be issued by mail.

Can a friend officiate our wedding in Vermont?

Yes, if they register as a temporary officiant with the Vermont Secretary of State and pay the $100 filing fee for your ceremony (18 V.S.A. § 5144a). The authority covers only your marriage and ends when your license expires.

Do you need witnesses to get married in Vermont?

No. The Vermont Department of Health says Vermont law does not require witnesses.

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

No. Since July 1, 2023, when Act 8 of 2023 took effect, a town clerk may not issue a license if either party is under 18 (18 V.S.A. § 5142(1)), and there is no parental-consent or emancipation exception.

Can first cousins marry in Vermont?

Vermont's list of forbidden relatives in 15 V.S.A. § 1a covers parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews, and aunts and uncles. First cousins are not on it.

Who returns the marriage license after the wedding?

The officiant, who must return the completed certificate to the town clerk who issued the license within 10 days of the ceremony (18 V.S.A. § 5131(c)).