|
|
Here's what you need to know and what documents to bring with you before you apply for a Worcester, Massachusetts marriage license. We recommend getting this legal aspect of your wedding out of the way about a month before your ceremony date.
Worcester County Marriage License Office
Worcester City Clerk
455 Main Street
Room 206
Worcester, MA 01608
(508) 799-1121
8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. / M - F
Closed for holidays Observed by Worcester County
ID Requirement:
Proper identification is necessary in Massachusetts. You may be required to show a certified birth certificate.
Same Sex Marriages:
Yes, same-sex couples can get married in Worcester County.
Residency Requirement:
No.
Previous Marriages:
No special requirements. However, some county Websites state no restriction, others state that you must wait 90 days after your divorce is final before remarrying.
Covenant Marriage Option:
No.
Waiting Period:
Worcester County has a three-day (3) waiting period. You may go to court and obtain a court order to waive the three-day waiting period.
If either of you are close to death, or if the bride is near the end of her pregnancy, a request by your attending physician or clergyperson would suffice and the clerk can issue the license immediately without a court order.
Fees:
It will cost you between $4 and $50 to get married in Worcester County. Each Massachusetts community can set their own fees.
Other Tests:
None. Massachusetts state lawmakers repealed the law requiring blood tests late in 2004. It went into effect on January 28, 2005.
Proxy Marriages:
No. However, if one of you is in the military, or is incarcerated, the other may make application for the marriage license for both of you.
Cousin Marriages:
Yes.
Common Law Marriages:
No.
Under 18:
If you are under 18 years old, you will need a court order from either a probate court or district court in the locale where you live in order to apply for a marriage license.
Officiants:
Any ordained ministers or clergymen, and justices of the peace may perform weddings in Massachusetts. By state law, Justices of the Peace may charge $25 to $75 for a marriage in a town they live in. They may charge $75 to $125 if the wedding will be out of town.
Out-of-state clergy need to obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth before the wedding ceremony.
A non-minister or non-justice of the peace (such as a relative of family friend) may receive from the Governor, for a $25 fee, special one-time permission to perform a marriage.
Witnesses:
Witnesses are not required in Worcester County.
Miscellaneous:
License is valid for sixty (60) days.
