Obtaining a Marriage License

Please Note: Due to Covid, we are doing Marriage Intentions by Appointment Only. Appointments are for Thursdays only. If you have any questions, please contact the Town Clerk's office at 781-341-1300, ext. 9215, or x9103. Thank you!

To get married in the state of Massachusetts, you will need to file for a Certificate of Marriage with a Town Clerk's office. You may file with any town regardless of where in Massachusetts you are planning on getting married. The town in which you file will have the permanent record of your marriage license.

This is a state marriage license that may be obtained in any city or town in Massachusetts as long as the marriage takes place in Massachusetts.

• Both people must both be present to apply for the marriage license.
• Persons under 18 years of age must obtain parental and court permission with the court age waiver filed with this office.
• If you are in need of a translator, you must bring your own translator with you. The requirement for translators is they must be over the age of 18.
• There is a mandatory three-day waiting period not including the day of filing. If you wish to waive the three-day waiting period, a court waiver is necessary.
• The marriage license is valid and must be used within sixty (60) days of the date the marriage intentions were filed. If the license is not used, it becomes void and it will be necessary to begin the entire process again.
• The filing fee is $40 in the Town of Stoughton. Cash, check, or money order is accepted. We are unable to accept credit or debit cards.
• Divorced individuals do not need to show documentation of a previous marriage but should be certain that the previous marriage is finalized before filing for a new marriage.
• As of January 28, 2005, pre-martial blood tests are no longer required in Massachusetts.
• If you wish to have an out-of-state member of the clergy perform your wedding they need to get a "Certificate of Authorization" form from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth prior to the ceremony. This can take a few weeks so plan accordingly. The application can be found on the Massachusetts State website.
• If you wish to have a non-minister or non-justice of the peace (such as a friend, relative, or family friend) they need to obtain special permission to perform the ceremony from the Governor's office. This process may require a few weeks so plan accordingly. We recommend that you apply between 1 and 3 months before the wedding to ensure the designation is received in time. The application can be found on the Massachusetts State website.
• The town where you apply for the marriage license, also called filing your Marriage Intentions, is the town that will have the record of your marriage regardless of where the wedding takes place.
• After you are married you will not automatically receive a certified copy of your marriage certificate. Certified copies are $10 each and may be obtained in person at the Town Clerk's Office, or by mail. Please visit the Birth, Marriage, and Death Records page for information on how to obtain a certified copy of your marriage certificate.
• Reasons you may need a certified copy of your marriage include a name change with the Social Security Administration and registry of motor vehicles, health insurance, bank accounts, property or deeds, and any other important documents and accounts