New Jersey Marriage License Requirements

How to Get a Marriage License in New Jersey | Simple Marriages
NJ Elopement Planning Guide

How to get a marriage license in New Jersey

Everything you need to know about New Jersey marriage license requirements — how to apply, wait out the clock, and get your license in hand before your ceremony, explained the way we explain it to our own couples.

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Reviewed against current New Jersey state and municipal registrar guidance · Last checked July 2026

The short version

Knowing the New Jersey marriage license requirements up front means no surprises at the registrar’s office. Licenses are issued by local municipal registrars, not the state, and the rules are the same everywhere in New Jersey — only the appointment process changes town to town.

New Jersey marriage license requirements
1

Apply

In person, up to 6 months before your ceremony

2

Wait 72 hours

Required by state law before the license can be issued

3

Pick up your license

Some registrars require a second appointment

4

Get married

License is valid for 30 days from issue date

Remarriage or civil-union reaffirmation? The 72-hour wait is waived — bring a certified copy of your existing marriage or civil union certificate instead.

New Jersey marriage license requirements: what you’ll need

To qualify

  • Both partners at least 18 years old
  • Not currently married or in a civil union with someone else
  • Applying in person before a local registrar

To bring

  • A completed Application for Marriage License (Form REG-77A) — fill it out ahead of time, but don’t sign it. It has to be signed in front of the registrar, under oath.
  • Valid photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or state/federal ID)
  • Proof of residency, if applying in your home municipality
  • Social Security number, required for U.S. citizens
  • One witness, age 18 or older
  • The $28 application fee — many offices are cash only
Documents in another language? New Jersey requires a certified English translation for any foreign-language document you submit with your application.

Where to file

New Jersey marriage license requirements also determine which municipality you file in:

At least one of you lives in New Jersey: file in that partner’s home municipality.

Neither of you lives in New Jersey: file in the municipality where the ceremony will actually take place. The license is only valid in the town that issues it.

Both of you live in New Jersey but in different towns: either partner’s municipality works.

Many registrars are appointment-only and some, like a few in Hudson and Bergen counties, ask couples to book weeks ahead. We build your license timeline into your planning call so this never becomes a last-minute scramble.

Common questions

Can we skip the 72-hour wait?

Not for a first marriage. New Jersey law requires the full 72 hours between filing and issuance, with no walk-in exceptions. Build it into your timeline — apply at least a few days before you plan to pick up your license.

How far in advance can we apply?

Up to six months before your wedding date. Under New Jersey marriage license requirements, the application itself stays valid for six months from the day it’s filed; some registrars will extend that to a year with prior approval.

What if our license expires before the ceremony?

Once issued, a license is only good for 30 days. If it lapses, you’ll need to reapply and pay the $28 fee again — so time your application to your actual wedding date, not just “sometime this year.”

Is our license valid outside the issuing town?

For New Jersey residents, the license is valid statewide. For nonresident couples who filed where the ceremony is happening, follow that municipality’s rules — the license generally can’t be used elsewhere.

Do we need an appointment to apply?

It depends on the town. Some registrars accept walk-ins during business hours; others, particularly in busier municipalities, are appointment-only. We’ll tell you exactly what your town requires when we build your ceremony plan.

We’ll help you get the timing right

Every Simple Marriages ceremony starts with a planning conversation that maps your license appointment to your wedding date — so nothing expires, and nothing gets rushed.

Start planning your elopement
Bilingual English & Spanish · Hudson, Bergen & Essex Counties · NYC

Sources

  1. New Jersey Department of Health — Application for Marriage License (Form REG-77A), nj.gov/health/forms/reg-77a.pdf
  2. New Jersey Department of Health — Marriage License Registration, nj.gov/health/vital/registration-vital/marriage-licenses
  3. New Jersey Department of Health — Marriage Application Requirements factsheet (REG-D30), nj.gov/health/vital/documents/factsheet/domestic_status/marriage_application_requirements.pdf
  4. Municipal registrar pages, various NJ boroughs and townships (Lincoln Park, Woodbury, Hamburg, West Orange, Passaic, North Bergen)