Requirements and Steps to Marry Civilly in the United States

If you have decided to say yes to a justice of the peace, you must know the requirements of the civil wedding. Let’s find out what it takes to get married civilly in the United States!

Today we cover the previous procedures, vouchers, and necessary identifications so that you arrive calm and orderly to the day of your marriage. Because not everything is glamor and celebration!

It does not matter if you marry a civil wedding or a religious ceremony, all marriage to be legal requires some paperwork and administrative steps to be finalized. Application for marriage, birth certificates and address, medical analysis, a course and waiting periods are just some of the requirements. Everything you need to know in this note!

Is a religious marriage legal?

Marriage is a public event so the Church recognizes the role of civil law in marriage. Although the law of the different States differs, in general, the priest or deacon is recognized by them as Justice of the Peace in the context of a religious ceremony. Therefore, the couple is obliged to give the priest a marriage license before the wedding. After the ceremony, the priest signs it and the couple is validly married by the Church and recognized by the State.

Some couples ask the Church to do the religious ceremony and not the civil one. In this case, they will be validly married in the Church, but the State has no record of this. Therefore, the couple could not claim any civil right that would correspond to marry before the State,

What do you need to get married civilly? Steps to follow to finalize your marriage

If you are about to say yes, in addition to a nice dress and the preparations for your party, you will need certain papers and vouchers to get married civilly. This step is important, because it registers the union before the law and this will guarantee you and your partner the rights of marriage. Before there was a Civil Registry, weddings were recognized only by religious institutions. The new spouses had no right as such before the law. Therefore, if you have decided to enjoy them, take note of these requirements of the civil wedding and get ready in advance.

Before going into detail, these are the general steps to follow to get married civilly.

• Search for your and your partner’s documentation such as driver’s license, departure or birth certificate, social security numbers, etc.
• You must have at least proof of your identity when applying for a marriage license. In most cases, you must also provide your Social Security number. If your original documents are in a foreign language, you must usually submit a certified translation into English, along with the original copy.
• Armate the phone number of the civil registry near where you will celebrate your civil wedding to apply for the marriage license.
• Call them to find out everything you need to obtain the license and start the process for your application in person or online (if available)!
• Contact the local civil registry and find out what you need to marry civilly before a Justice of the Peace and reserve the date.

Requirements to Apply for a Marriage License

First of all, the requirements to marry by civilians in the United States vary from one State to another. Not only that, but they change over time. Always check with the county civil registry before organizing the rest of your wedding as the requirements change frequently and are not the same for all counties.

Although there are differences between the requirements in the various States, a marriage between two spouses made in one State is recognized by all other States under the Constitution of the United States.

Age of Majority

To be able to marry you and your partner must be over 18 years of age or have the consent of a parent or a judge. In Mississippi, parental consent is necessary for children under 21 years of age. In Nebraska, you can get married at 19.

Civil status

Obviously, this must be single or single. If any of you (or both) are divorced, bring copies of the divorce decree. In Pennsylvania, widowed applicants must bring a copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse.

What last name will you use?

Since there is no obligation to change the name of anyone but if they wish, take advantage. The best time to change your legal surname is when you apply for a marriage license. Once the marriage is celebrated, the name that appears on the license application becomes your legal surname!