What Are the Requirements to Obtain a Marriage License?

by katie on October 29, 2009

You found out that you needed to obtain a marriage license but you have no idea about what you would need and you need to get it fast.  You start searching the internet to find the marriage license requirements.

Searching the Net

  • You search the internet and you realize that every state has different marriage license requirements.
  • You notice however that some general requirements are universal among all states.  One such requirement is that the people getting married are at least 18 years old which makes them legally able to consent to getting married.
  • Another one of the general marriage license requirements is that neither party can already be married to someone else.
  • Considering that polygamy is illegal in the United States, this is one of the obvious marriage license requirements.  Also if you are married to more than one person in the United States it would be in your marriage license records.
  • If someone was married before then marriage license requirements would require them to prove that they were previously divorced or that the spouse has died.
  • In order to do this they would need to show divorce papers or a death certificate.
  • If they can’t produce these items then they won’t be allowed to get married until these items are produced.

Some of the marriage license requirements in some states also require a blood test to make sure that neither person is carrying any sexually transmitted diseases at the time.  This is to protect them as well as the community.  A lot of the marriage license requirements are there to protect the couple as well as the community on the basis that the state has a right to the citizens to keep them protected.  There might also be a waiting period as one of the marriage license requirements to help the couple make sure they are ready for marriage and have covered everything they need so that the marriage can go smoothly.  The only exception to the marriage license requirements are that of common law marriages.  This means that a couple that have lived together as a married couple for a certain period of time is considered to be married without having to obtain a marriage license.  Common law marriages are only recognized in a small percentage of the United States and it is best to look those states up and see how many years they require you to live together if you are thinking about choosing this alternative.

What Are the Requirements to Obtain a Marriage License?, From The Love Shop

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