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The Marriage License

  • Prior to your wedding day, you will both need to get your marriage license from any Town/City Clerk in New Hampshire. There is no waiting period but the license will expire after 90 days. Witnesses and blood tests are not needed in NH. The application will ask for my name and address which you can find on my contact page. You may not marry with a marriage license from out-of-state but your marriage will be recognized in your own state. 
  • You will need to go together and bring proof of age as well as proof of your most recent marriage ended by divorce or death if applicable. Some towns require birth certificates, some don't; check with your chosen town before showing up.
  • On the day of your wedding or at the rehearsal, you will turn the marriage license over to the officiant and they will return it to the town it came from. Often the Town Clerk includes an addressed envelope to help ensure it goes back to the right Town Hall. Please give this to the officiant as well.
  • You should discuss with the Town Clerk how to obtain copies of the certificate, once your license has been turned in by the Justice of the Peace. Or you can fill out this form and mail it back to the State of New Hampshire after the wedding has taken place.
  • The State of NH is the one who generates the final formal document, not the Justice of the Peace. A town/city clerk or the state will need you to formally request those copies and yes, you'll need to pay for them too.

Note: If you have found information on line that says there "is a three day waiting period" or that you "need to obtain the license in the town that you intend to marry in," this is false and well-out of date information. Both requirements were dropped because they put a burden on the couple. Additionally, many locations in NH are within unincorporated townships and therefore, there is no town hall to go to.
Sometimes couples want to return the marriage license themselves but for the most part, this is not allowed by the Town Clerks. 

In NH, a marriage may be performed by :

  • A Justice of the Peace commissioned in N.H.
  • Ordained Clergy residing in N.H.
  • Unordained clergy residing in N.H. and have obtained a license from the Secretary of State
  • Non-resident Ordained Minister and have obtained a license from the Secretary of State
  • Non-resident Ordained Minister and have a Pastoral charge in N.H.
  • Friends/Quaker
  • Bahai
  • Non-resident Justice of the Peace and have obtained a license from the Secretary of State
  • Non-resident Jewish Rabbi US Citizen and have obtained a license from the Secretary of State
  • US Judge or Magistrate residing in N.H. and have obtained a license from the Secretary of State

The application for the special license is on the NH Secretary of State Web site. Reference this web site for additional information and clarification on other persons permitted to perform marriages within the state.
A license may be issued the same day of the application, provided all signatures and statutory requirements are met.

You can use ANY town hall in the State of New Hampshire but here are some links to ones near where I do most of my ceremonies:

Jackson
Bartlett/Intervale/Glen Located in Intervale
Conway Now located in Conway Village
Wakefield May have some weekend hours

And some on the border of Massachusetts and NH which have proven helpful to my clients from outside New Hampshire:

Salem 
Manchester
Pelham
Plaistow
Derry 

And for those getting married in Maine I am able to perform weddings in Maine as an online ordained minister with the Universal Life Church Monastery

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Name Changes

When you obtain the marriage license you will be expected to put your future name on the marriage license application (the groom as well) whether or not you are changing your name. The final legal document will be issued with your new name.

Once the Justice of the Peace has returned your marriage license to the town you received it from, you can ask any Town Clerk for a copy of the license or fill out this form and mail it to the State of NH. Once you have that, then you can call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and follow the automated instructions. Then they will send you a new social security card.

Once you have that, you can go to your state's DMV/RMV with your new social security card and the official copy of the marriage license. It's best to wait until after the honeymoon if you intend to change your passport, as you might need that for travel.

For New Hampshire residents: Per RSA 263:9 Notice of Change of Licensee's Name or Address, you are required to perform your name change with the DMV within 30 days of your marriage. Failure to do so will result in having to take court means to change your name legally. That means it will cost you money, so do it as soon as you can and avoid the hassle and the fees.