Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! King County wants to make obtaining your marriage license quick and easy.
Washington state law requires a three-day waiting period before a marriage license can be used. The three-day waiting period begins when the license is issued, not when the marriage application is submitted. Licenses are valid for 60 days after the three-day waiting period.
A license issued today would be valid for use between and .
In this section expand_moreYou can use our Online Marriage Kiosk to get your license. Click the button below to begin.
You can apply for a marriage license in person at our office in the King County Customer Service Center, 201 S. Jackson St, second floor, in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.
Save time by downloading and completing a Marriage License Application before coming to our office. Do not sign the application - both applicants will do so when you come to our office.
Be sure to bring a form of payment with you. There is a fee of $69 to apply for a marriage license. We accept cash, checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards at our office.
Do not sign the application yet - you will do that in person in front of a notary.
Print the application, then sign it in front of a notary. Have the notary sign the application and attach their seal.
Submit the application, along with a check, money order, or cashier's check payable to King County Recorder for $69 to:
King County Recorder's Office
RE: Marriage Application
201 S. Jackson St., Ste. 204
Seattle, WA 98104
The Recorder's Office will process your application and mail your license, a Certificate of Marriage to be completed by your officiant and witnesses, and an information packet to the address you indicate in your application.
Clergy from any state may perform marriage ceremonies in Washington State, provided they are permitted by their religious organization to perform ceremonies outside of their state. However, the ceremony itself must be performed in the state of Washington. Neither person getting married may perform the ceremony.
A judge performing your ceremony can be active or retired. Washington state law specifies who can perform a marriage ceremony. To have a judge perform your ceremony, contact them directly. A fee may apply.
Immediately following the ceremony, the couple, the officiant, and two witnesses must sign the Certificate of Marriage. It is the officiant's responsibility to complete and return the certificate to King County within 30 days after the ceremony.
The person who performs your ceremony, called the officiant, has 30 days from the date of the ceremony to return the Certificate of Marriage. If your license was issued by King County, it must be returned to our office even if the ceremony took place in another county. Officiants should send the completed marriage certificate to: King County Recorder's Office
RE: Marriage Certificate
201 S. Jackson St., Ste. 204
Seattle, WA 98104 Officiants may also return completed certificates in person at our office in the King County Customer Service Center at the address above. Once received, we will verify and record the marriage certificate. Once this process is complete, you may request certified copies of your certificate to be used as proof of your marriage. Certified copies are not automatically sent to married couples, and there is a fee of $3 for each copy.
After your wedding ceremony, you can check if your certificate has been processed and recorded by searching online records. If your record shows a "Marriage Certificate" document type, then you can request copies. Each copy is $3.
Washington state law does not impose a time limit after the wedding by which a name change must be accomplished. However, if you are making the change more than a year after your wedding, check with each agency to determine if a certified copy of your marriage license will suffice to change your name with them.
The contents of this webpage are not intended as a comprehensive digest on marriage licensing and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any questions or concerns about your legal rights or obligations, we encourage you to seek the advice of an attorney.
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For property tax information, visit King County Treasury Operations
To search statewide land boundary information, visit the Public Land Survey Office
206-477-6620
TTY Relay 711
Phone Hours: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. weekdays