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Marriage Information

Age Requirements

  • 18 years of age without parental consent.
  • Females 13 - 17 and Males - 14 - 17 need consent of parent or guardian and a Waiver. (See Waivers below)
  • Females under 13 and Males under 14 are prohibited from being married under any condition.

Residence Requirements

  • None; Couples wishing to be married in NH may complete application regardless of residence.

Application

  • Both parties must appear in person and sign the application. Armed forces personnel may forward an affidavit prepared by armed services or legal representatives to the town clerk if they can not appear in person. Falsification of any fact may make the applicant subject to criminal prosecution.

Marriage License Fees

  • $50.00 Certified copies of the marriage certificate can also be obtained for a fee of $15.00 from the town clerk where the license was filed.

Document Requirements

  • Proof of age;
  • Certified copy of a death certificate of former spouse, if applicable;
  • Certified copy of a final divorce decree, if applicable;
  • Certified copy of an annulment, if applicable.

License Validity Period

A license may be issued the same day of the application, provided all signatures and statutory requirements are met.

Waiver: Party Under Age

When either of the parties is under 18 but meets the minimum age requirements (Female 13-17 and male 14-17) he or she may request permission to marry from a justice of the superior court or a judge of probate of the county in which one of the applicants resides. The request shall be in writing and the parents or guardian of the applicant shall join in the request. No age waiver shall be granted to persons below the age of consent (18) if both parties are nonresident. See the town clerk for more details.

Solemnization

In NH, marriage may be performed by:

  • Justice of the Peace
  • Minister of the gospel in NH ordained according to the usage of his denomination, residing in NH, and is in regular standing with the denomination.
  • Minister within his parish, residing outside NH, but having a pastoral charge wholly or partly in NH
  • Jewish Rabbis who are citizens of the U.S. and resident in this state
  • Quakers;
  • Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church ordained according to the usage of his denomination:
  • Clergymen who are not ordained and non-resident ministers or Jewish Rabbis, after being licensed by the Secretary of State.

See the town clerk for other persons who may be permitted to perform marriages within the state after obtaining a special license from the Secretary of State.

Blood Test

New Hampshire does not require a blood test.

Marriage is not permitted in NH between people who are related by blood as first cousins or in any more direct lineage.

https://sos.nh.gov/media/grxfgtyh/vr142-marriage-in-nh.pdf