By state
Arizona marriage license: superior court clerk, fee and one year
In Arizona the license and the certified copy both come from the clerk of the superior court of a county. What the clerk charges, why the license lasts so long, and how it compares with other states that set no wait.
License fee · Arizona
$98
| Waiting period | none |
| Earliest ceremony | October 24, 2026 |
| License expires | October 24, 2027 |
Your wedding day fits the license.
Fee set by each county clerk of the superior court; no waiting period; the license is valid one year. Official page
In Arizona the marriage license is issued by the clerk of the superior court in each county, and the clerk sets the fee: the pages read for this site range $98, with Pima, Coconino $98, and most counties sit at the top of that range. Arizona sets no waiting period and requires no blood test, so the license can serve for a ceremony on the very day it is issued. Once issued, it remains valid for 1 year, which lets couples apply well ahead of the wedding instead of racing a short deadline. After the ceremony, the signed license is returned to the clerk's office that issued it, where the marriage is recorded. Certified copies of the marriage record are sold by that same clerk of the superior court: the Bureau of Vital Records of the Arizona Department of Health Services does not issue marriage records, so a couple married with a Pima County license orders the copy from the Pima County clerk, and likewise in every other county. Fees and rules were read on the county pages on October 24, 2026; this site is not a government office.
Marriage license fee in your state
License · Arizona
$98
| Who sets the fee | each county or town |
| Course discount | none |
| Example | Pima, Coconino $98 |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
The clerk of the superior court
Arizona routes marriage licenses through its court system. The clerk of the superior court of each county issues them and sets the price, which explains the spread of $98 read for this site. Most counties charge the higher figure, Pima, Coconino $98. The clerk is also the office that keeps the marriage record once the ceremony is done, so a couple deals with a single counter from application to certified copy.
Between the lowest and the highest county fee read for this site, the gap is $0. Since the copy is ordered later from the clerk who issued the license, it is practical to apply at an office that will be easy to reach again.
A year to use it, nothing to wait for
Two features set Arizona apart from most states: no waiting period and a validity of 1 year. Arizona gives a full year, longer than the other no-wait states in the table below. A couple living in Phoenix can apply during a free afternoon in spring for an autumn wedding. Arizona also requires no blood test, as the Pima County clerk points out.
| State | License fee | Waiting period | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $98 | no waiting period | 1 year |
| Nevada | $85 to $102 | no waiting period | 1 year |
| North Carolina | $60 | no waiting period | 60 days |
| Tennessee | $97.50 to $107.50 | no waiting period | 30 days |
Reading the table, Arizona's fee sits close to Nevada's, North Carolina's single statewide fee is lower, and Tennessee's resident range is higher before its course discount.
Nevada matches Arizona on both points, which makes the two states easy to compare for a destination wedding: see the Las Vegas marriage license page. Tennessee and North Carolina also impose no wait but give far less time to marry.
Copies come from the clerk, not the state
The Bureau of Vital Records of the Arizona Department of Health Services issues birth and death certificates, but it does not issue marriage records. Every certified copy is ordered from the clerk of the superior court of the county that issued the license. The calculator below shows where to order and what the state office can or cannot provide.
Certified copy of a marriage certificate
2 copies from the state office
county issues it
| Where to order | county clerk |
| First copy (state) | – |
| Note | ADHS Vital Records does not issue marriage records; copies from the Clerk of the Superior Court of the county of the license. |
Remember that the license and the certificate are different papers: the license and certificate page explains which one agencies ask for. With a certified copy, the name change checklist gives the order of the steps, and the marriage certificate copies page covers the other states. For a civil ceremony at a courthouse, the courthouse wedding page adds up the costs.