The City Clerk issues marriage licenses on behalf of New York State.
Information and Requirements
- Blood tests are no longer required.
- State law does not permit the issuance of marriage licenses to same sex couples.
- To obtain a marriage license, you must bring a certified birth certificate with a raised seal and a current state-issued photo identification.
- If you are divorced, you must provide a copy of your most recent divorce decree. If you have been divorced more than once, you must provide the date(s) of earlier divorce(s).
- If a marriage ended due to death, a "certified death certificate" is required.
- Once issued, the marriage license cannot be used for 24 hours and must be used within sixty days.
- For information on how to research an existing marriage license purchased at City Hall from 1910 through the present, please click here.
Fee
$40; a duplicate copy of the license can be provided to authorized persons for a $10 fee if the original was issued by the City of Rochester. If the exact marriage date is not known, a search can be undertaken for an additional fee, and will require one to two days to be completed.
Getting Married at City Hall
For information on civil marriage ceremonies at City Hall, please click here.
Questions?
For additional information, call the Clerk's Office at (585) 428-6617 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.