Marriage

A marriage license in Minnesota is valid for six months and only allows you to be married in the state of Minnesota.

Application process

Application for a marriage license must be made in person.

Complete the online pre-application.

Gather your required documents, including identification such as a driver's license or state ID.

Schedule an appointment or come into one of our locations. Walk-in services and wait time depend on staffing.

Both applicants should come in, but if one of you can't, you must bring completed:

• Party not appearing form (PDF, 1MB) – the signature of the person not appearing must be notarized.
  A copy of the ID for the non-appearing party is required to be submitted when the application is submitted.
• License application (PDF, 1MB) – the signature of the person not appearing must be notarized.

Fees

Payment can be made by check, money order or cashier's check.

Regular fee

• Regular fee: $115
• Fees are non-refundable.

Reduced fee

• Reduced fee: $40
• You may qualify if you have completed 12 hours of premarital education
• Complete an educator's statement (PDF) to qualify
• Fees are non-refundable.

Additional information

• License will be issued at appointment.
• Neither of you is required to be a Minnesota resident.
• A packet of information will be included with your license.
• A marriage must be witnessed by two adults (16 or older).
• An official who marries a couple should review the Filing a marriage license section.
• Minnesota Statute 259.13, If either APPLICANT has committed a felony crime under any law, a name change cannot be processed through a marriage license application. Persons with a felony under any law, seeking a name change must follow requirements listed in Minnesota Statute 259.13
• For more help call 612-348-8240.

A certified copy of a marriage record verifies that a marriage has taken place and must be applied for in the county where the original marriage license application was made.

You must provide the correct marriage date and applicant names. If you don't know them, we can search for $20 per hour ($10 minimum) in addition to the cost of the copy.

Mail, drop off or in person application processes

Complete the marriage record application (PDF).

Print and sign the application.

Submit completed and signed application along with check or money order by mail or at one of our drop off locations.

If you need in-person help: Schedule an appointment or come in to one of our locations. Walk-in services and wait time depend on staffing.

FAX in application

1. Begin your order at VitalChek. ($20 UPS express mail is optional.)
2. After placing your order print the Vital Records Authorization and sign it.
3. Fax your signed authorization form to 612-348-2010. 

If you are unable to place your FAX order through VitalChek

1. Complete the marriage record application (PDF).
2. Print and sign the application.
3. Submit the marriage record application and this fax coversheet (PDF) by FAX to 612-348-2010. ($20 UPS express mail is optional.)

Processing times

Regular processing

Orders will be processed in 2–3 weeks of receipt.

Faster processing

• Orders will be processed in 5–7 business days of receipt.
• You must include an additional $20 and write "Expedite" on the envelope.

If you cannot use a remote option, the in person application process is:

1. Complete the marriage record application (PDF).
2. Print and sign the application.
3. Schedule an appointment.

Order status

If it's been over four (4) weeks since you ordered use our vital records order inquiry form.

Fees

• Each certified copy: $9
• VitalChek fee: $9.50
• (Optional) Expedite processing: $20

Use the marriage record correction application to add or change information on your marriage record or marriage certificate filed in Hennepin County.

What can be corrected

Applicant information

Each applicant can request a correction for their own information only.

• Missing information
• Clerical errors or misspelling of before marriage name(s) – corrections to a before marriage name will carry over to an after-marriage name

Marriage date or place

These corrections can only be requested by the marriage officiant.

What cannot be corrected

This process is not for name changes that occur after a marriage has taken place. Legal name changes are done through district court.

Application process

Complete the marriage record correction application (PDF). Both applicants must sign and have signatures notarized, even if the correction is to only one of the applicant's information.

Provide copies of one primary and one secondary document or three secondary documents from the supporting document list (PDF). Documents must be in or translated to English and must:

• Be original certified copies issued by a government office, or a copy authenticated by the person issuing the document to you.
• Show the name exactly as it should appear on the marriage record.
• Be issued at, before or around the time of marriage with date clearly marked. Documents dated after the date of marriage application are not acceptable. Documents must show what your legal name was at or before time of application for marriage.

Print but do not sign the application.

Have the form notarized — e-notarization is acceptable.

Submit the completed application and check or money order:

• By mail to the address on the form, or
• Drop it off at one of our drop off locations. Walk-in services and wait time depend on staffing.

It takes up to two weeks for us to review your documentation and make a determination. If approved, we will process the information and mail you a paper record indicating what was changed and when the change happened. The original record on file will not be changed. If additional documentation is required, we will notify you.

Fee

$40. The fee is non-refundable.

Within five days after the marriage ceremony, the officiant who performed the marriage must file the marriage certificate with the county.

Instructions were included in the packet issued to the applicants when they applied for their marriage license.

What the officiant will do after the ceremony

• Print or type the names of the witnesses along with your name (the officiant) and credentials on the appropriate lines.
• The applicants, witnesses, and officiant must sign the certificate.
• Make sure the certificate is complete and return it in the pre-addressed envelope within FIVE (5) DAYS of the ceremony to the:

Director of licensing
Marriage license department
Hennepin County Government Center
300 S Sixth St, MC-026
Minneapolis, MN 55487-0026

Additional information

• Marriage officiant credentials filing