Marriage licenses in Massachusetts are handled locally, and the details that matter — the fee, the wait, how long the license lasts — are set by a mix of state law and local practice. This page collects the statewide rules from Massachusetts’s own official sources, then links every county guide we have verified so far.
The statewide rules
- Who issues the license: City or town clerk of any Massachusetts municipality (couple files a Notice of Intention of Marriage)
- License fee: Fee set by each municipality; varies by city/town
- Waiting period: Three days after filing the Notice of Intention before the license can be picked up; a probate or district court may waive the wait (Marriage Without Delay petition)
- License validity: 60 days
- Minimum age: 18 — you cannot get married until you are 18 or older; no exceptions
- Residency / where to apply: No residency requirement; the intention may be filed in any municipality, not just where the couple lives or will marry
- Who can officiate: In-state clergy; Governor-appointed justices of the peace; out-of-state clergy or justices of the peace holding a Secretary of the Commonwealth certificate; any person holding a Governor’s one-day marriage designation obtained through the Secretary of the Commonwealth
- Courthouse ceremonies: No standard clerk ceremony service; some city/town clerks who are also justices of the peace perform ceremonies at city or town hall for a locally set fee
Massachusetts counties in this directory
We have published 12 verified county guides for Massachusetts so far. License fees on the verified county pages currently run from $35 to $50. 2 of them publish a separate ceremony fee. Browse them all: Browse all Massachusetts county guides — and use the search on the homepage to jump straight to your county.
Source for the statewide rules: https://www.mass.gov/guides/getting-married-in-massachusetts-before-the-wedding (checked 2026-11-09). County figures are checked separately against each county’s own official page and carry their own verified dates. Always confirm with your county clerk before you go — this is not a government site.