Can I Get Married Without a Marriage License?

So you have found your one true love, and you want to marry him or her and spend the rest of your lives together. Awesome! Now comes the technical stuff. What legal paperwork do you need? Do you have to have that paperwork before your wedding? Well, there is a short answer, but you also need to know the reasons behind it so you can make the best decision for you and your loved one.

The short answer is, yes, you can have a marriage ceremony without a marriage license – technically. You don’t have to have a marriage license in order to have a ceremony to mark your big occasion. You don’t have to have a marriage license to hold a celebration or book an event. But – and this is very important – there are lots of important reasons why you want to have this piece in place first.

First, a marriage license conveys certain legal benefits that are really important. In the eyes of the law, you are not really considered to be a legally married couple without applying for a marriage license. (Check your county marriage license requirements for some important exceptions.) These legal benefits include tax benefits and breaks when you file taxes jointly (which you cannot do without a marriage certificate which is issued after you file for your marriage license) as well as allowing your spouse to be the recipient of your federal benefits, like Social Security or disability payments. There are also automatic rights your legal spouse will have to your estate, life insurance, etc. in case you pass away without any other legal paperwork in place.

Bottom line, if you want to be legally married in the United States you need to file for a marriage license. For all of your county’s marriage license information check out MarriageLicenseNow.com.