Marriage License Laws Vary from Place to Place
Marriage license laws vary from state to state and country to country so it is always advisable to find out in advance what the marriage license law as and requirements are in the country where you plan to marry.
If you are a couple living in England who has dreamt of a Hawaiian wedding or vice versa, always make sure what the country in question requires you to have as far as documentation and other requirements are concerned. Here are some of the things that you need to know regarding getting a marriage license.
Time Frame
Many states require a waiting period for you to get a marriage license so that it is not a spur of the moment drunk move that you may regret when you have sobered down. Some states require a 24 hr or longer waiting period while others as notorious as Nevada is for drive thru weddings, have no waiting period
Documents
Some states are happy with the basic identification requirements like a driver's license and social security card but if these are not available, then a passport or translated birth certificate may be able to suffice too. Always make sure so that you are not turned down when you are all geared to sign the dotted line.
Payment
Most US states only accept cash as the form of payment and charges are pretty nominal, usually in the ball park of around $40 or so. Don't expect the marriage license office to accept Discover so keep cash handy when you go in for your marriage license.
Requirements
Again, these marriage license laws vary from location to location but first cousins for instance cannot get married in several states whereas in others they can as long as they are over an age limit or cannot have children. Second cousins are allowed to get married in all states. Similarly, same sex marriages are allowed in only a handful of states and hence you need to check for sure before your partner and you have very high hopes of getting married in a normal manner.
Most people advice that you should get your marriage license before getting married in a church or synagogue so that you have all your paperwork under control before the lavish ceremony. This way you have a window that in case something goes wrong, you have time to fix it or get proper documents before the big day.
