Quick Answer: To get married in Michigan, apply for a marriage license at the county clerk’s office in the county where you live (non-residents apply where the ceremony will happen), bring valid ID, a certified birth certificate or passport, and your Social Security number, and pay the fee, which is $20 in most counties and $30 in Wayne County. Wait 3 days for the license to become valid, hold your ceremony with an authorized officiant and two witnesses within 33 days, and your officiant files the signed license to make it official.
Figuring out how to get married in Michigan should not require opening eight different county websites, and that is exactly what most couples end up doing. The rules are set by state law, but the fees, locations, and application systems change from county to county, and nobody puts it all in one place.
So we did. Our team at Bash Entertainment works weddings across Metro Detroit every weekend, and we wrote this guide with the current details from the Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county clerks, verified directly from their official pages. Here is the whole process, start to finish.
How Do You Get Married in Michigan?
Getting married in Michigan takes five steps, and the entire process can fit inside a single month:
- Apply for a marriage license at the county clerk’s office in the Michigan county where you or your partner lives. If you live in different Michigan counties, either county works. If you both live out of state, apply in the county where your ceremony will take place.
- Bring your documents and pay the fee. You will need valid ID, a certified birth certificate or valid passport, and your Social Security number.
- Wait 3 days. Michigan has a statutory waiting period before your license becomes valid. Most counties let you pay a small fee to waive it.
- Hold the ceremony within 33 days of your application, with an authorized officiant and two witnesses who are 18 or older.
- Your officiant signs and files the license with the county clerk. Once recorded, you are legally married, and you can order certified copies for name changes and records.
The sections below cover every step in detail, including the exact fees and locations for Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Michigan Marriage License Requirements
Michigan sets the same core requirements statewide, and every county clerk enforces them:
- Both parties must be 18 or older.
- Valid identification. A current driver’s license or state ID.
- A certified birth certificate or valid passport. Wayne County specifically requires a certified copy of your birth certificate with parental information, and hospital or baptismal certificates will not be accepted. A valid, signed US passport works as an alternative.
- Social Security numbers for both parties.
- Proof of how a prior marriage ended, such as a divorce judgment or death certificate, if either of you was married before.
Only one applicant is required to appear in most counties, though bringing both people and both sets of documents avoids the most common delays.
How Much Is a Marriage License in Michigan?
A Michigan marriage license costs $20 in most counties for Michigan residents, and $30 in Wayne County if one or both applicants live there. Out-of-state couples pay more: $30 in most counties, and $40 in Wayne County if both applicants live outside Michigan.
A few other costs worth budgeting:
- Waiting period waiver: about $5 in Oakland County and $10 in Macomb County, if you need the license valid sooner than 3 days.
- Certified copies: roughly $15 to $24 for the first copy depending on the county. You will need at least one certified copy for a name change.
- Clerk ceremonies: Wayne County offers private marriage ceremonies performed at the clerk’s office for $150.
Bring cash or a card. Wayne County does not accept personal checks.
The 3-Day Wait and the 33-Day Deadline
Michigan marriage licenses run on two clocks, and both start on your application day. First, the license is not valid for 3 days after you apply, not counting the application day itself. Second, the license expires 33 days after application, and it must be used within Michigan.
Those two clocks create a simple planning rule: apply 2 to 4 weeks before your wedding date. Applying earlier than 33 days out means your license expires before the ceremony. Applying later than 3 days out means paying for a waiver or rescheduling. For most couples, the sweet spot is right around three weeks before the big day.
Marriage License in Wayne County and Detroit
Wayne County residents, including everyone in Detroit, apply through the Wayne County Clerk’s office in downtown Detroit. The current process runs in three steps: complete the eVitals application online, schedule an appointment, and appear at the Vital Statistics office at 400 Monroe St., Suite 610, with your documents.
Wayne County details verified from the clerk’s official page:
- Fee: $30 if one or both applicants is a Wayne County resident, $40 if both applicants live out of state
- Documents: valid ID, certified birth certificate with parental information or a valid signed US passport, and Social Security numbers for both parties
- Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8 AM to 4 PM, Thursday until 7 PM, closed for lunch from noon to 1
- Certified copies: $24 for the first, $7 for each additional copy purchased at the same time
Wayne County also performs private marriage ceremonies at the 400 Monroe location on Thursdays and Fridays for $150, which is the fastest route to legally married in Detroit.
Marriage License in Oakland County
Oakland County runs its application online through the Oakland County Clerk, then you pick up the license in person with documentation for both parties. The clerk’s office in Pontiac takes walk-ins Monday through Friday, and the Troy location works by appointment.
The county applies the standard state rules: a 3-day waiting period, a license that expires 33 days from application, and a $20 fee for Michigan residents or $30 for out-of-state applicants. Oakland County also offers one of the cheapest waiting-period waivers in the region at about $5 if your timeline is tight.
Marriage License in Macomb County
Macomb County couples apply online through the Macomb County Clerk, then book an appointment at 120 N. Main in Mount Clemens for notarization, payment, and license pickup. You pay at the office, not online.
Macomb’s verified details: the license costs $20 ($30 if both applicants are from out of state), you leave the office with the license the same day, but it is not valid for the first 3 days unless you pay the $10 waiver fee. Once valid, the license works anywhere in Michigan for 33 days. Apply 30 days or less before your wedding date, and note that at least one applicant needs to be a Macomb County resident with proof of residency.
Who Can Marry You in Michigan?
Michigan law authorizes specific people to perform marriages, including judges, mayors, county clerks in the largest counties, and ministers of any religious denomination. Wayne and Oakland counties are large enough that their clerks can designate staff to perform ceremonies, which is how courthouse-style weddings happen there. Many Michigan couples also have a friend or family member perform the ceremony after getting ordained through an online ministry, a practice county clerks across the state routinely accept.
Two witnesses who are at least 18 years old must also sign the license at the ceremony. Choose them before the big day, and make sure your officiant has the correct legal spelling of their own name, title, and street address, because the clerk will reject filings with missing officiant details.
Lawmakers in Lansing have also considered legislation to expand who can legally officiate weddings, so this list may grow. When in doubt, confirm your officiant qualifies before the ceremony rather than after.
Courthouse Weddings and Eloping in Michigan
A Michigan courthouse wedding is the simplest version of the whole process: get your license, then book a civil ceremony with the county. Wayne County’s $150 private ceremonies at 400 Monroe run on Thursdays and Fridays, and district courts across Metro Detroit offer similar options with a judge. Bring your valid license and two adult witnesses, and you can be married in under fifteen minutes.
Eloping in Michigan follows the exact same license process, just with a smaller guest list and a better backdrop. Belle Isle, the Detroit riverfront, a Lake Michigan beach, or a northern Michigan overlook all work, as long as your officiant and two witnesses are present. Plenty of eloping couples still invest in the moments that last: our wedding photography team shoots intimate ceremonies and elopements across Metro Detroit, because a ten-person wedding deserves the same quality photos as a two-hundred-person one.
After the Ceremony: Filing, Copies, and Name Changes
Your officiant completes and files the signed license with the county clerk after the ceremony, and the county records your marriage. From there:
- Order a certified copy of your marriage license from the clerk. In Wayne County, completed licenses returned by mail take about ten days before copies are available.
- Take the certified copy to the Social Security office to update your name, if you are changing it.
- Update your driver’s license at the Secretary of State, then banks, insurance, and everything else. The certified copy is the key that unlocks each step.
The License Is the Easy Part. Now Plan the Party.
The paperwork of getting married in Michigan takes an afternoon and costs less than dinner for two. The celebration is where the real planning lives, and that is our whole job.
Bash Entertainment brings the DJ and emcee, photography, video, photo booth, and lighting to weddings across Metro Detroit, from full ballroom receptions to backyard parties after a courthouse ceremony. Once your license is in hand, build your day with our wedding day timeline guide, then reach out and check your date here. The county makes it legal. We make it a party.
