By state
North Carolina marriage license: Register of Deeds, fee and dates
North Carolina hands marriage licenses to the county Register of Deeds and charges the same price everywhere. What to bring to the counter, how long the license lasts and which office is quicker for the certified copy.
License fee · North Carolina
$60
| Waiting period | none |
| Earliest ceremony | October 24, 2026 |
| License expires | December 23, 2026 |
Your wedding day fits the license.
Issued by the county Register of Deeds; no waiting period; valid 60 days. Official page
A North Carolina marriage license is issued by the Register of Deeds of a county, and the price does not move from one county to another: it is $60 everywhere in the state. The license can be used as soon as it is handed over, since North Carolina sets no waiting period, and the ceremony must take place in North Carolina within 60 days of issue. Both partners appear in person at the Register of Deeds with a valid government ID and proof of a Social Security number or an ITIN; applicants aged 16 to 20 also bring a certified birth certificate, and anyone divorced within the last 30 days brings a certified copy of the decree, as the Wake County office lists. After the wedding, the officiant returns the completed license to the Register of Deeds that issued it, within 10 days according to Nash County, and the marriage is recorded there. Certified copies can then be bought from that county office or from NC Vital Records, which holds marriages since 1962 but was taking about nine months to process requests in October 2026. Data read on October 24, 2026.
Certified copy of a marriage certificate
2 copies from the state office
$39
| Where to order | state or county |
| First copy (state) | $24 |
| Note | State has marriages since 1962; county Register of Deeds also issues; state processing about 9 months (Oct 2026). |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
One price for the whole state
Many states leave license fees to their counties: in Ohio, for example, probate courts ask $60 to $65, as the Ohio marriage license page shows. North Carolina does the opposite. The fee is $60 at every Register of Deeds, from the coast to the mountains, so couples can apply at whichever office is most convenient. The Register of Deeds is the county office that also records land deeds, which is why weddings and property records share a counter.
The flat fee also simplifies budgeting. The license line is $60 whichever office the couple chooses, so the only amounts that change are the ceremony and the number of certified copies ordered afterward. At the state office, three copies would come to $54.
What to bring to the Register of Deeds
- Both partners, in person, to apply and again to receive the license.
- A valid government-issued ID for each applicant.
- Proof of a Social Security number or of an ITIN.
- A certified birth certificate for any applicant aged 16 to 20.
- A certified copy of the decree if a divorce was finalized within the last 30 days.
Use it today, marry within 60 days
With no waiting period, North Carolina is one of the states where a license bought in the morning can serve the same afternoon. The limit is on the other side: the ceremony must take place in North Carolina within 60 days. After it, the officiant has a short window to return the completed license; Nash County gives 10 days. The waiting periods page compares these dates across the states.
License waiting period and validity
Waiting period · North Carolina
none
| Valid for | 60 days |
| Rule | Issued by the county Register of Deeds; no waiting period; valid 60 days. |
Getting the certificate: county or state
| Office | Certified copy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| County Register of Deeds | Fee on the county page | Records the license; the quick option |
| NC Vital Records (state) | $24, then $15 | Marriages since 1962; about nine months of processing (October 2026) |
For a recent wedding, the county is almost always faster, because it holds the recorded license from the start. The state office suits older marriages or couples who no longer live near the county. Either copy works for the name change steps; the marriage certificate copies page compares the other states. Tennessee, just west, also issues licenses with no wait but at county prices: see the Tennessee marriage license page.