With the wedding season fast approaching, I wanted to spend this month talking about the marriage laws throughout the country. Yesterday, we tackled Maine and New Hampshire. Today, we’re going to continue our journey through New England to Massachusetts and Connecticut. I love New England in the fall; by the way, it’s a beautiful place to host a wedding with the spectacular color of the turning leaves and more. But we’ll save that for another blog, for now, let’s take a look at obtaining a wedding license and marriage laws in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is the single state in the union that allows for same-sex marriage as of May 17, 2004. There are still legal challenges and changes occurring within the state and how it is handling same-sex marriage applications and more. If you are a non-resident of the state, you should verify that you can apply and receive a license for a same-sex marriage there prior to making any plans to journey there.
All couples planning to marry must show proof of their residency. Though the residency requirement is only applicable to same-sex couples, all couples will be asked to show proof of residency when applying for a marriage license.
If you were married previously, there are no special requirements you need to meet. Some counties require that you wait a minimum of 90 days following the dissolution of one marriage before entering another. You should check the specifics of the local law in the county you wish to wed in.
Massachusetts has a 3-day waiting period after obtaining the marriage license before a wedding can be held. In cases where a woman is due to give birth at any moment or one of the prospective spouses is about to die, then a note from a clergyman or attending physician will often get the license issued immediately without benefit of court order.
A marriage license will cost you anywhere between $4 and $50 within the state as different counties can set their own fees. There is also no requirement for blood tests because the law requiring a blood test before marriage was repealed in 2004 and went into effect in 2005. Cousins may marry, but there is no option for covenant marriage, proxy marriage or common law marriage. If your prospective spouse is in prison or in the military, one of you may make the application for a license for both of you.
You are not required to have a witness at a wedding in Massachusetts. Also, Massachusetts has specific requirements of the officiants for marriage ceremonies:
- Ordained ministers, clergymen & justices of the peace may perform weddings
- Justices of the Peace may charge between $25-$75 for a wedding in their town; they may charge $75 to $125 if they wedding is out of town
- Out-of-state clergy are required to obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the Secretary of the Commonwealth before performing the wedding
- Individuals such as family members (non-ministers and the like) may receive the special permission of the Governor to perform the wedding for a $25 fee
You marriage license will be valid for 60 days and to obtain a copy of your Massachusetts’ marriage certificate:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
Department of Public Health
150 Mt. Vernon Street
Boston, MA 02125-3105
(617)740-2600
Connecticut
As we continue our travels in New England, the next stop on our marriage laws exploration will be Connecticut. A beautiful state to be sure, Connecticut is also the first of the states we have explored that does require certain tests to be met prior to obtaining a marriage license. If you are planning to get married in Connecticut, you should make an appointment with your physician the month before in order to get the following tests:
- A test for syphilis is required
- Women under the age of 50 and capable of bearing children must also have a Rubella susceptibility unless they can show proof of immunization
Be aware that your test results are only valid for 35 days after taking them in order to be applied to your marriage license. Once you have your test results, you return to the doctor to receive them and sign the Premarital Certificate. This must be signed in the presence of the doctor and have the signatures of both applicants on it as well.
Connecticut does not have a covenant marriage option. If you have been married previously, you will need to show a certified copy of the divorce decree. Fees for a marriage license vary from county to count, but they will run you about $30 to $35. Cousin marriages are allowed, but proxy and common marriages are not.
Your marriage license will be valid for 65 days. To obtain a copy of your Connecticut Marriage certificate, contact:
Department of Public Health
Vital Records Office
410 Capitol Ave. MS#11VRS
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134-0308
The above information should be taken as guidance only, legal requirements for state and county marriage licenses change often. Please verify the necessary paperwork and more with the office of the county clerk prior to making your wedding plans
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