Marriage Licenses

Couples wishing to obtain a marriage license can do so in-person at City Hall, 30 Church Street, Room 100A, Monday - Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Civil marriage ceremonies can be scheduled in person by visiting the City Clerk's Office at City Hall, 30 Church Street, Room 300A, or by calling (585) 428-7421, Monday - Friday, between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Information and Requirements

Blood tests are no longer required.
To obtain a marriage license, you must bring a certified birth certificate with a raised seal and a current government issued photo identification. If your birth certificate is in another language other than English or Spanish, a certified translation is required.
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 your divorce decree is in another language other than English or Spanish, a certified translation is required.
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.
Witnesses must be at least 18 years of age.
For information on how to research an existing marriage license purchased at City Hall from 1910 through the present, please click here.

Age Requirements

If either applicant is under 17 years of age, a marriage license cannot be issued.
If either applicant is 17 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents and a justice of Supreme Court or a judge of the Family Court having jurisdiction over the town or city in which the application is made.
If both applicants are 18 years of age or older, no consents are required.

Marriage of minors

One parent alone may consent to a minor's marriage if:

the other parent has been missing for one year preceding the application;
the parents are divorced and the consenting parent was given sole custody of the child when the divorce decree was awarded;
the other parent has been judged incompetent; or
the other parent is deceased.

Parents, guardians or other people consenting to the marriage of a minor must personally appear and acknowledge or execute their consent before the town or city clerk or some other authorized official. If the notarized affidavit is made before an official outside of the State of New York, it must be accompanied by a certificate of authentication when the consent is filed in New York State.

Fees

There is a $40 fee for a marriage license; 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.

As of July 1, 2018, there is a $75 fee for a civil marriage ceremony.

Getting Married at City Hall

Learn more about having your civil marriage ceremony at City Hall.

Questions?

For additional information, call the Clerk's Licensing Office at (585) 428-6617 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.