How to get a marriage licence in North Carolina
What the law requires everywhere in the state, and what each county actually does about it — quoted from the statute and from the clerks.
What North Carolina law requires
- Waiting period
- None. North Carolina has no waiting period — the license is effective immediately on issuance and the couple may marry the same day. source
- How long it lasts
- 60 days from the date of issuance; the license authorizes the officiant to celebrate the marriage 'at any time within 60 days from the date hereof,' and it expires thereafter (solemnizing a marriage after expiration exposes the officiant to a $200 forfeiture and a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 51-7). source
- After the ceremony
- The officiant (the ordained/authorized minister, magistrate, or other person who solemnized the marriage) must return the license, with the certificate completed and signed, to the register of deeds who issued it within 10 days after the ceremony. source
Two things decide how a marriage licence works in North Carolina, and couples routinely get caught out by the difference between them. The state statute sets the rules that apply everywhere: how long you wait, how long the licence lasts, and who has to return it afterwards. Everything else — what it costs, where you go, what hours they keep, and whether you both have to turn up in person — is decided by the county, and it genuinely varies.
What each county requires
Every figure below is quoted from that county's own page, with a link to where we found it. Mecklenburg County and Wake County are the two we have researched in North Carolina so far.
| County | Fee | Where | Hours | In person? | Apply online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County Charlotte | $60.00 license issuance feesource | Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds, County & Courts Office Building, 720 E. 4th St., Charlotte, NC 28202 (marriage licences are issued in Room 106;source | Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; public record searching in the vault area is available 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during office hours.source | Yes — both parties must appear and present ID; after submitting the application, applicants must complete the in-person appearance.source | Yes — the county accepts an online marriage application (pre-application) before the in-person visit: https://meckrod.manatron.com/Marriage/MarriageAp…source |
| Wake County Raleigh | $60. At the downtown Raleigh Justice Center office, cash or credit cards are accepted. The four regional centers are cash only.source | Wake County Register of Deeds, 300 S. Salisbury St., Suite 1700, Raleigh, NC 27601 (1st floor of the Wake County Justice Center).source | Marriage licences: walk-in, no appointment needed, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.source | Yes — both parties must be present in person to apply. Wake County: "Both parties must be present in person to apply for a marriage license."source | https://vitalrecords.wake.gov/web/ — Wake County's Register of Deeds self-service portal, where you "apply for a Marriage License or obtain a certifie…source |
The county pages
Each of these covers one county in full — the office address, the documents to bring, the fee and how to pay it, and what happens after the ceremony.
- How to get a marriage licence in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte)
- How to get a marriage licence in Wake County (Raleigh)
Where this came from
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 51-16 (Form of license) — checked 2026-09-02
- N.C. Judicial Branch (state court website), 'Marriage' help topic; consistent with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 51-16 — checked 2026-09-02
- North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 161 (§ 161-10, Register of Deeds fees) — checked 2026-09-02
- Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds — Apply for a Marriage License — checked 2026-09-02
- Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds — Services (department hours) / About page — checked 2026-09-02
- N.C.G.S. 51-8.2 — Issuance of marriage license when applicant is unable to appear; Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds — checked 2026-09-02
- Mecklenburg NC ROD Web Access — Add Online Marriage Application — checked 2026-09-02
- Wake County Register of Deeds — Apply for a Marriage License — checked 2026-09-02
- Wake County Register of Deeds — Office Hours and Location — checked 2026-09-02
- Wake County Register of Deeds — Vital Records Self-Service — checked 2026-09-02
Fees and procedures change. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
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