Marriage and divorce
Courthouse wedding cost: license plus ceremony
Pick a county: the tool adds the license and the civil ceremony fee published by its clerk or court. Certified copies of the certificate come later.
Courthouse wedding: license plus ceremony
License + ceremony
$68.50
| License | $68.50 |
| Civil ceremony | $0 |
A courthouse wedding is a civil ceremony performed by a judge, a clerk or a deputy commissioner of civil marriages, usually at the county clerk's or recorder's office, sometimes at the courthouse itself. It is the least expensive way to marry legally: you pay the marriage license, then a ceremony fee set by the county, and later the certified copies of the marriage certificate. In the large counties read for this site that publish both figures, a license and ceremony together cost from $60 to $280; some offices perform the ceremony for free for couples who bought their license there. Most offices require an appointment, limit the number of guests, and ask for one or two witnesses, who may have to be brought by the couple. The license must be valid on the day, so the state's waiting period and validity apply as for any wedding: in Nevada, for example, there is no wait, while in Texas the license can only be used 3 days after it was issued. Ceremony slots fill up around popular dates, so book as soon as the date is known, and check whether the office accepts cards or only exact cash for the ceremony fee.
License waiting period and validity
Waiting period · Nevada
none
| Valid for | 1 year |
| Rule | Fee set by each county; no waiting period; valid one year. |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
License and ceremony in large counties
Figures published by each county's clerk or court. “Not published” means the office does not state a ceremony fee online or does not perform ceremonies. “Not confirmed” means the official page refused to be read and no dated archived copy of it exists, so no figure is shown.
| County | License | Ceremony | Total | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County (Atlanta), GA | $68.50 | Free | $68.50 | official page |
| Cook County (Chicago), IL | $60 | $10 | $70 | official page |
| Los Angeles County, CA | $91 | $35 | $126 | official page |
| New York City, NY | $35 | $25 | $60 | official page |
| Clark County (Las Vegas), NV | $102 | $75 | $177 | official page |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | $86 | $30 | $116 | official page |
| Harris County (Houston), TX | $81 | not published | – | official page |
| Travis County (Austin), TX | $80 | $200 | $280 | official page |
| Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ | $98 | not published | – | official page |
| King County (Seattle), WA | $169 | not published | – | official page |
| Franklin County (Columbus), OH | $65 | $25 | $90 | official page |
| Davidson County (Nashville), TN | not confirmed | not published | – | official page |
| Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC | $60 | $50 | $110 | official page (archived copy of January 24, 2026) |
Booking, step by step
- Buy the license from the office that will perform the ceremony, or any office of the state.
- Book a ceremony slot online or by phone, often weeks ahead for Fridays and popular dates.
- Check the waiting period and the license expiry against the date.
- Arrive early with IDs, the license, witnesses and payment.
- After the ceremony, order certified copies of the marriage certificate once it is recorded.
License waiting period and validity
Waiting period · Nevada
none
| Valid for | 1 year |
| Rule | Fee set by each county; no waiting period; valid one year. |
Beyond the courthouse
In Las Vegas, the county runs a civil marriage office next to the license bureau: see the Las Vegas page. In California, couples can choose a public or a confidential license, which changes the witnesses: California marriage license. After the wedding, the name change checklist gives the order of the next steps.