Most marriage licenses are issued at the county clerk’s office. New York is one of a few states that issues their marriage licenses at the city and town clerk’s office.  During our research, we picked the most populated town/city in each county and found out all the information you will need! If you do not see your town/city clerk information, make sure to search your town/city clerk instead of the county clerk’s office. To get started, the general rule in New York is there is a 24 hour waiting period for a marriage license and that marriage license will expire in 60 days. The fee for a marriage license in New York City is $35 and $40 in the municipalities.