Arizona Marriage License: Cost, Rules, and How to Get One

An Arizona marriage license is the small, civil step that turns a beautiful ceremony into a legal marriage. The process is simpler than most couples expect. There is no waiting period, no blood test, and no residency requirement, so couples from anywhere in the country can plan a wedding in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, or anywhere in the state and walk in to a clerk's office to take care of it.

This guide covers everything you need: the current fee, what to bring, where to go, how long the license lasts, who can officiate, and the small paperwork details that make sure your marriage is recorded properly after the ceremony. The details come from the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court and AZCourtHelp, and they apply to couples marrying anywhere in Arizona.

How much an Arizona marriage license costs

The base fee for an Arizona marriage license is $98. Most county clerks add a small handling charge if you apply online and want the license mailed to you, typically around $8 for postage. If you want a certified copy of the recorded license mailed back to you after the ceremony, that is an additional $43.50 in Maricopa County. So a complete, mail-in package with a certified copy lands at roughly $149.50.

If you walk in to a clerk's office and walk out with the license the same day, you only pay the $98. You can return later for a certified copy, or order one online after your marriage is recorded. The fee is the same in every Arizona county, because state law sets it. Counties only differ on the optional add-ons like mailing fees and how their offices handle in-person versus online applications.

Most couples ordering through a national service like The Knot are surprised by how affordable Arizona is compared to other states. California licenses run $35 to $115 depending on county and license type. New York is $40. Arizona's flat $98 is on the higher end of the basic fee but on the lower end overall once you add in everything other states tack on (premarital counseling, waiting fees, witness fees, and so on). Arizona keeps it simple.

Requirements: ID, age, and what to bring

Both partners must appear in person at the clerk's office to apply. (Maricopa County offers a partial online process, covered below, but at least one of you still needs to appear at the office to pick up the license.) Here is what to bring:

• Government-issued photo ID for each person. A current driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID all work. If the ID is expired, bring a certified birth certificate as backup.
• Social Security numbers for both partners (the number itself, not the card). If you do not have one, you sign a form stating so.
• Payment for the $98 fee, plus any add-ons. Most clerks take cash, credit, or debit. Some do not accept personal checks.
• If previously married: the date your most recent marriage ended. You do not need to bring the divorce decree or death certificate. There is no waiting period after a divorce in Arizona, but you must be legally divorced before applying.

Age rules are straightforward: 18 or older with no restrictions, 16 or 17 with both parental consent and a court order, and under 16 is not permitted under Arizona law. The court-order step for minors is significant, so most couples in this bracket plan around it well in advance.

Arizona does not require a blood test, premarital counseling, or proof of residency. You and your partner can fly in from anywhere, apply on a Tuesday, marry that Saturday at a Scottsdale resort, and fly home with a fully legal marriage. That is part of why Arizona has become a sought-after destination wedding state.

Where to apply: online and in person

Marriage licenses in Arizona are issued by each county's Clerk of the Superior Court. The license is valid statewide regardless of which county issued it, so you can apply in Maricopa and marry in Coconino without issue. Most couples apply in the county where they live or where the wedding will take place.

Here are the most-used offices for couples marrying in the Phoenix metro and Sedona areas:

County	Main Office Location	Typical Hours
Maricopa (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler)	Customer Service Center, 601 W. Jackson St., Phoenix	Mon to Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Coconino (Sedona, Flagstaff)	200 N. San Francisco St., Flagstaff	Mon to Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Pinal (Queen Creek, Florence, San Tan Valley)	971 N. Jason Lopez Cir., Florence	Mon to Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Yavapai (Prescott, Cottonwood)	120 S. Cortez St., Prescott	Mon to Fri, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Maricopa County offers an online marriage license program that lets you start the application from home, pay the fee, and schedule a brief pickup appointment. You still need to appear in person to sign, but the in-person portion takes about 10 minutes instead of 30. Sedona couples often use the Coconino County office, which is right downtown and easy to combine with a quick lunch on the way to a venue check.

Validity, ceremony rules, and officiants

Once issued, an Arizona marriage license is valid for 12 months. You can hold your ceremony anywhere in the state (any city, county, or unincorporated area) as long as it happens within that one-year window. If you do not marry within 12 months, the license expires and you have to apply again from scratch.

The ceremony itself requires four signatures on the license to make the marriage legal:

1. Both spouses
2. Two witnesses, each at least 18 years old
3. The officiant who performs the ceremony

Arizona is one of the more flexible states regarding who can officiate. The list includes any current or retired federal or state judge, justice of the peace, judge of a municipal court, judge of the United States bankruptcy court, an ordained clergy member (any denomination, including online ordinations from organizations like the Universal Life Church if recognized in your faith tradition), or a person authorized by a Native American tribe within Arizona to perform a marriage ceremony. There is no separate state registration required for clergy.

That flexibility is why so many Arizona couples ask a parent, sibling, or close friend to officiate. As long as the person becomes a legally ordained minister beforehand (a process that typically takes less than 10 minutes online and costs $0 to $40), they can legally marry you in Arizona.

After the ceremony: recording and certified copies

After all four parties sign the license, the officiant is responsible for returning the bottom (recording) portion of the license to the Clerk of the Superior Court that issued it. Arizona law requires this to happen within 30 days of the ceremony for the marriage to be properly recorded. Most clerks accept it by mail; some allow drop-off.

Recording typically takes 10 to 14 business days after the clerk receives the signed license. Once recorded, you can order certified copies online, by mail, or in person. In Maricopa County, certified copies cost $30.50 each plus $13 in postage and handling for mailed orders, or $30.50 flat if you pick them up. You will need at least one certified copy for changing your name on a Social Security card, driver's license, and passport, so most couples order two or three at minimum.

The original license stays with you. The recording portion is the part that goes back to the clerk. Photograph or scan the fully signed license before you mail it back, just in case. It is not a legal substitute for a certified copy, but it gives you a personal record while you wait for the recording to process.

Changing your name in Arizona

Arizona does not require a court order to take your spouse's last name (or to hyphenate, combine, or otherwise modify your name) when you marry. Your certified marriage certificate is enough documentation for every routine name-change step:

1. Social Security Administration first. Bring your certified marriage certificate, your current Social Security card, and a photo ID. This is free.
2. Arizona MVD next, once your Social Security record is updated. Bring your old license, the marriage certificate, and proof of Arizona residency. The fee is around $25.
3. U.S. State Department for your passport. If your passport is less than a year old, use Form DS-5504 (free). Older passports use Form DS-82 (about $130).
4. Banks, employers, insurance, and IRS after the above are done. Most accept a copy of the certified certificate plus your updated ID.

If you want a name change that goes beyond what marriage allows (creating a brand new name, for example), that requires a separate court petition in Arizona. For the standard "take my spouse's last name" or "hyphenate both names" cases, the marriage certificate alone is enough.

Helpful resources: Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court, AZCourtHelp.org, Pinal County Clerk, and Brides.com state-by-state guide.