Washington Marriage License Requirements 2026: Fees and 3-Day Wait

In Washington, you get a marriage license from a county auditor (RCW 26.04.140). The license cannot be used until three days after you apply, and it becomes void if the marriage is not solemnized within 60 days of issuance (RCW 26.04.180). The fee is built from state charges plus county add-ons, and since July 27, 2025 it includes a $100 domestic violence co-responder fee, so the four largest counties now charge between $162 and $172.

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 Washington State under chapter 26.04 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), the fee statute RCW 36.18.010, and the published procedures of the King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane county auditors. It does not cover divorce, ordering older marriage records, common-law marriage, or the rules of other states.

Where to apply for a Washington marriage license

Washington licenses are issued by county auditors. RCW 26.04.140 says: "Before any persons can be joined in marriage, they shall procure a license from a county auditor, as provided in RCW 26.04.150 through 26.04.190." Each of Washington's 39 counties runs its own licensing office, and procedures differ.

Under RCW 26.04.150, you can get the application by mail from the auditor of the county where you plan to marry and sign it before a notary. Counties build their processes around that rule:

• King County: if you start online, both of you finish in person at the Recorder's Office. You can also apply by mail: sign the printed application before a notary and mail it with a $169 check, money order or cashier's check.
• Pierce County: complete the application online, then either come in together by appointment or mail it in with notarized signatures.
• Snohomish County: apply online and pick up in person (both of you attend unless one has already signed before a notary), or apply entirely by mail with a notarized application, which takes about two weeks to process.
• Spokane County: each spouse fills out a separate application. You can mail both forms with notarized signatures and payment, or apply at the Recording and Marriage License Office, which gives you the license when you apply.

None of these four counties offers a fully remote license: each needs either an in-person visit or notarized signatures.

Where you can hold the ceremony

The ceremony must happen in Washington. Spokane County's page says: "The ceremony must occur in the State of Washington and be performed between 3 and 63 days of application." The statute ties the application to the county where you intend to marry (RCW 26.04.150), and the officiant returns the certificate to the auditor of the county that issued the license (RCW 26.04.090). We found no statute that limits the ceremony to the issuing county, and Snohomish County says: "You can use your marriage license to hold a ceremony anywhere in Washington State." King and Snohomish both say the certificate goes back to the issuing county even if the ceremony took place in another county.

What to bring and what the application asks

The application is sworn by both of you. Under RCW 26.04.160(1), it must state each applicant's "name, address at the time of execution of application, age, social security number, birthplace, whether single, widowed or divorced, and whether under control of a guardian, residence during the past six months." Counties may ask for more.

Pierce County tells applicants: "Bring government issued photo ID (both people must be 18)." Check your own county's ID list before you go.

A few points that surprise people:

• Residency: chapter 26.04 contains no residency requirement. The application asks where you have lived for the past six months, but it does not require Washington residence.
• Prior marriages: the application asks whether each of you is single, widowed or divorced. A person with a living spouse or registered domestic partner cannot marry someone else (see below).
• Public record: marriage applications are public records (RCW 26.04.170).

How much a Washington marriage license costs

Washington's license fee has a state layer and a county layer. RCW 36.18.010(5) sets four statutory pieces: an $8 fee, an additional $5 fee for child abuse prevention, an additional $10 fee for the state general fund, and "An additional $100 fee" for the domestic violence co-responder account. Counties may add a family services fee of up to $15 under RCW 26.04.160(2) and a family court services fee of up to $8 under RCW 26.12.220, and the legislature's bill report notes that general recording fees and surcharges also apply.

The $100 piece is new. It came from Substitute House Bill 1498 (chapter 345, Laws of 2025), effective July 27, 2025. The legislature's final bill report puts total license fees at $136 to $172 depending on the county. Before the change, the same report put totals at $36 to $72, and figures in that range still circulate online.

Fees for Washington's other 35 counties are set locally. Each county's auditor page is the final word, and fees can change. Washington offers no premarital-course discount: chapter 26.04 contains none.

Waiting period: three days, no waiver

RCW 26.04.180 provides that a license "may not be used until three days after the date of application." The license may be issued when you apply, but you cannot hold the ceremony until the wait has passed. County pages describe the clock as starting when the license is purchased and payment is finalized.

Washington's statute contains no waiver. King County says: "This waiting period cannot be waived under any circumstances, including court order." Pierce County says the same: "The 3-day waiting period cannot be waived." That is a real difference from Oregon, where a clerk or judge can waive the three-day wait for good cause; see Oregon marriage license requirements.

How long the license lasts

The statute says the license "shall become void if the marriage is not solemnized within sixty days of the date of the issuance of the license" (RCW 26.04.180). Pierce County describes it the same way, as 60 days from issuance.

County pages do not all agree. King and Snohomish each say in one place that licenses are valid for 60 days after the three-day waiting period, although both also say the license expires 60 days after it was issued. Spokane gives a window of day 3 through day 63 after application. Those readings run a few days past the statute's text. The safe plan is to hold the ceremony within 60 days of the date your license was issued. If the license lapses, it is void, and you will need to apply again with a new fee.

Age requirements

Both of you must be 18. RCW 26.04.010 says marriage "is a civil contract between two persons who have each attained the age of 18 years, and who are otherwise capable," and "Every marriage entered into in which either person has not attained the age of 18 years is void." The application affidavit also requires each applicant to state that they are 18 or older (RCW 26.04.210).

This is a recent change. Chapter 10, Laws of 2024 amended RCW 26.04.010, and the session-law note says: "This act applies to any marriage entered into on or after June 6, 2024." That act, House Bill 1455, removed the earlier routes: a 17-year-old could marry with written consent from a parent or guardian, and a superior court judge could waive the age rule for someone younger. Neither route exists for marriages on or after June 6, 2024.

Who cannot marry in Washington

RCW 26.04.020 prohibits two kinds of marriage:

• An existing marriage or partnership: a marriage is prohibited when either person has a living spouse or a registered domestic partner, unless that partner is the person they are marrying.
• Close relatives: a marriage is prohibited "When the spouses are nearer of kin to each other than second cousins, whether of the whole or half blood computing by the rules of the civil law." The statute also makes it unlawful to marry your sibling, child, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.

First cousins are nearer of kin than second cousins, so by the statute's words a first-cousin marriage is prohibited. If you are related by blood in another way, ask the county auditor or a Washington lawyer how the rule applies to you before you apply.

Same-sex couples marry on the same terms as everyone else. RCW 26.04.010 is written in gender-neutral language, following chapter 3, Laws of 2012, which voters approved as Referendum 74.

Blood tests

There is no blood test. Spokane County states: "Witnesses or blood tests are not required to obtain a marriage license in the State of Washington."

Instead, RCW 26.04.210 requires an affidavit "showing that if an applicant is afflicted with any contagious sexually transmitted disease, the condition is known to both applicants." You do not have to say whether either of you has such a condition, only that, if one does, both of you know. Swearing falsely on the affidavit is perjury under the same section.

Who can officiate a wedding in Washington

RCW 26.04.050 lists who may solemnize a marriage, whether active or retired:

• justices of the Washington Supreme Court and judges of the court of appeals and superior courts;
• supreme court, court of appeals and superior court commissioners;
• judges and commissioners of courts of limited jurisdiction;
• justices of the US Supreme Court and federal judges and judicial officers (added by chapter 86, Laws of 2023);
• judges of tribal courts of federally recognized tribes;
• "any regularly licensed or ordained minister or any priest, imam, rabbi, or similar official of any religious organization."

Washington has no officiant registration: King County says a person who meets the statute's criteria can officiate "without any further registration with King County or Washington State." The statute does not mention online ordination, and we found no official Washington guidance on it, so if your officiant was ordained online, ask your county auditor how it treats that. There is no self-uniting option: King County says "Neither person getting married may perform the ceremony," and Spokane County says the two witnesses may not officiate either.

If the officiant turns out not to be authorized, the marriage is not void as long as either party believed it was lawful (RCW 26.04.060). Solemnizing a marriage without authority carries a fine of $100 to $500 for the person who did it (RCW 26.04.240).

Witnesses

The ceremony needs two witnesses. RCW 26.04.070 requires the parties to declare, "in the presence of at least two attending witnesses, that they take each other to be spouses." You do not need witnesses to get the license itself, only for the ceremony. The statute does not state a minimum age for witnesses, but King County says a witness is usually treated as competent at 18 and recommends two adult witnesses if a younger person also serves as a witness.

Proxy marriage

Washington's marriage chapter does not mention proxy marriage. RCW 26.04.070 requires the parties to "assent or declare in the presence of the minister, priest, imam, rabbi, or similar official of any religious organization, or judicial officer solemnizing the same," which assumes both of you are present. No section expressly allows or bars a proxy ceremony, so ask a Washington lawyer if one of you cannot attend.

After the ceremony

The officiant files the paperwork. Under RCW 26.04.090, "A person solemnizing a marriage shall, within thirty days thereafter, make and deliver to the county auditor of the county wherein the license was issued a certificate for the files of the county auditor," along with a certificate for the state registrar. An officiant who willfully refuses or neglects to do this commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $25 to $300 (RCW 26.04.110).

Pierce County stresses that the signed original certificate must be returned, by mail or in person. Once it is recorded, certified copies cost $3 each in King and Pierce counties. To order copies later, see Washington marriage and divorce records or our guide on how to get a copy of your marriage certificate.

Changing your name

Pierce County notes that you will need certified copies of the marriage certificate to change your name with Social Security and on your driver's license. For the steps, see name change after marriage and Washington name change laws.

Covenant marriage

Washington does not offer covenant marriage. Chapter 26.04 RCW has no covenant marriage provision.

Common myths about Washington marriage licenses

• "A judge can waive the three-day wait." No. RCW 26.04.180 has no waiver, and King County says it cannot be waived "including court order."
• "A license costs about $70." Not since July 27, 2025. The $100 domestic violence co-responder fee pushed the four counties we checked to $162 to $172.
• "A 17-year-old can marry with a parent's consent." Not for marriages on or after June 6, 2024. A marriage involving someone under 18 is void.
• "You need a blood test." No. Only the affidavit in RCW 26.04.210 is required.
• "You get 60 days after the waiting period ends." The statute counts 60 days from issuance, even though some county pages describe it differently.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Washington marriage licenses under chapter 26.04 RCW and RCW 36.18.010, verified on October 7, 2026. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county auditor or a lawyer licensed in Washington.

Related

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a marriage license in Washington State?

It depends on the county. Since a $100 domestic violence co-responder fee took effect July 27, 2025, King charges $169, Pierce $172, Snohomish $170 and Spokane $162. The legislature's bill report puts the statewide range at $136 to $172.

Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Washington?

Yes. The license may not be used until three days after the date of application (RCW 26.04.180). The statute has no waiver, and King County says not even a court order can waive it.

How long is a Washington marriage license good for?

RCW 26.04.180 says the license becomes void if the marriage is not solemnized within 60 days of the date it was issued. Some county pages describe the window differently, so plan within 60 days of issuance.

Can we apply for a Washington marriage license by mail?

Yes. RCW 26.04.150 lets you get the application by mail and sign it before a notary. King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties all accept notarized applications by mail.

Can you get married under 18 in Washington?

No. A marriage in which either person is under 18 is void (RCW 26.04.010). The rule applies to marriages entered into on or after June 6, 2024.

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

At least two attending witnesses at the ceremony (RCW 26.04.070). Witnesses are not needed to obtain the license.

Who returns the marriage certificate after the wedding in Washington?

The officiant, who must deliver the certificates to the auditor of the county that issued the license within 30 days (RCW 26.04.090).