Getting Married in Virginia

Hi friends, thanks so much for checking out the blog!

Today I’m talking specifically about getting married in the Commonwealth of Virginia and I want to give you a little bit of valuable information that will help you understand the things you need to take care of and a couple of myths about getting married in the state too, so let’s begin!

Your Marriage License

All marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. There are no residency requirements to obtain a marriage license in Virginia.

Couples may obtain a marriage license from any circuit court in Virginia, although you will need to acquire one in the city or county you will be getting married in, so make note of that.

Click on the City or County below to find your Clerk of the Circuit Court:

Accomack Albemarle Alexandria Alleghany Amelia Amherst Appomattox Arlington Augusta Bath Bedford Bland Botetourt Bristol Brunswick Buchanan Buckingham Buena Vista Campbell Caroline Carroll Charles City Charlotte Charlottesville Chesapeake Chesterfield Clarke Colonial Heights Craig Culpeper Cumberland Danville Dickenson Dinwiddie Essex Fairfax Fauquier Floyd Fluvanna Franklin Frederick	Fredericksburg Giles Gloucester Goochland Grayson Greene Greensville Halifax Hampton Hanover Harrisonburg/Rockingham Henrico Henry Highland Hopewell Isle of Wight James City County/Williamsburg King George King William King and Queen Lancaster Lee Loudoun Louisa Lunenburg Lynchburg Madison Martinsville Mathews Mecklenburg Middlesex Montgomery Nelson New Kent Newport News Norfolk Northampton Northumberland Nottoway Orange Page	Patrick Petersburg Pittsylvania Portsmouth Powhatan Prince Edward Prince George Prince William Pulaski Radford Rappahannock Richmond Richmond County Roanoke City Roanoke County Rockbridge Rockingham/Harrisonburg Russell Salem Scott Shenandoah Smyth Southampton Spotsylvania Stafford Staunton Suffolk Surry Sussex Tazewell Virginia Beach Warren Washington Waynesboro Westmoreland Williamsburg/James City County Winchester Wise Wythe York County/Poquoson

Additionally, you can get the license up to 60 days before the ceremony, if you get it sooner than that, it will not be valid and you’ll have to get another one for your wedding day.

Once the license is issued, there is no waiting period and no blood test is required.

How long does it take?

Well, the whole marriage license application process can take as little as 20 minutes!

But plan a little extra to park and take your time filling out the forms. Some Circuit Court Clerk's Offices even have the application online for you to fill out ahead of time to make this process even faster.

What do you need for a marriage license in Virginia?

To Obtain a Marriage License you need the following:

1. Both parties need to be present at the same time.

2. Both parties must have a valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license, passport, or DMV-issued ID card.

3. $30 fee payable by cash, check, money order, or credit card, but double check with each Clerk of the Circuit Court for details.

Do you need divorce papers to get married in Virginia?

If you are a widower or have been married previously, Virginia does not require you to bring a divorce decree or death certificate to your appointment, but you will be required to swear in front of the government official reviewing your application that you are no longer married.

Can my friend or family member marry us?

You can get a One-Time Ceremony Civil Celebrant form and perform the ceremony, although each Clerk of the Circuit Court has various requirements, so long before the wedding, contact them and follow their instructions.

How long does it take to get ordained in Virginia?

Upon filing the petition and order for an appointment to perform marriage ceremonies in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the order will be submitted to the Judge's chambers for entry. No hearing is required unless directed by a judge.

Please allow approximately 10-14 business days after filing for processing.

Can my friend or family member get ordained online to marry us?

Virginia does not accept online ordinations.

If you don't have a friend who is appointed by the state, here is who can make it official.

• A minister of any religious denomination who is authorized by a circuit court to celebrate the rites of matrimony. To obtain such authorization, the minister must produce proof of his ordination and regular communion with the religious society of which he is a reputed member.   If you are expecting your childhood pastor to marry you, make sure they are still in good standing with the state. 

• The court in each city and county has appointed persons who are eligible to perform civil marriage ceremonies.  These may be any judge or justice of a court of record, any judge of a district court, any retired judge or justice of the Commonwealth, and any active, senior, or retired federal judge or justice who is a resident of the Commonwealth. 

No, You Don’t Need Witnesses

No witnesses are required at your ceremony. You should both come in knowing your social security numbers and both your parents' full legal names.

If you've been married before, you might need to know divorce details, or even bring a copy of your divorce decree. Your license is valid for 60 days after you obtain it.

Your Keepsake

While Virginia does not provide you with the real certificate to keep, they do offer you a keepsake you can put on the wall, it’s not certified. You can also get a wooden copy of your certificate as a keepsake through the Virginia Engraving Company for $30.