Apply for a Marriage License

What You Need to Know

Make an appointment with the Town Clerk for two to four weeks before your wedding date
The appointment will be for twenty minutes
You both must come in together to the Town Clerk’s Office to file your intention to marry
Bring your $20 fee in cash or a check
There is a three (3) day waiting period to obtain your license
- Three days is counted from the day after you come in
- If you come in on Monday, the license can be issued on Thursday
- If you come in on Tuesday, the marriage license can be issued Friday. However, because Town Hall is closed on Fridays, you can’t pick it up until Monday.
- Sundays and holidays are included in the three days

Licenses are valid for 60 days from the date you come in to file your intention to marry
The fee includes the license and one certified copy issued after the wedding
All people who marry in Massachusetts must have a marriage license issued by a city or town in Massachusetts
The city or town where you get your license is the record keeper of the copy of the marriage license

Under certain circumstances, one party can come in to file alone. Call the Town Clerk if one party is in the military, imprisoned, or ill.
The three-day waiting period may be waived by a court order. File your intentions first before contacting the Worcester County Probate Court at 508-831-2200.

It is the responsibility of the officiant (member of the clergy or justice of the peace) to complete the marriage certificate and send it back to the Town Clerk’s Office for recording with the state. The certificate is not valid until it has been returned and recorded in the Town Clerk’s office.
If an out-of-state member of the clergy is to perform the marriage, a special certificate must be obtained from the Secretary of the Commonwealth prior to performing the ceremony. For more information regarding this, click here. The original certificate must be filed with the Town Clerk with the marriage certificate.
The Governor’s Office may issue a certificate authorizing a citizen to solemnize a specified marriage on a specified day, commonly known as a One Day Solemnizer. For more information regarding this, click here to visit the State’s website for information and an application. The original certificate must be filed with the Town Clerk with the marriage certificate.