Marriage licenses in Virginia 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 Virginia’s own official sources, then links every county guide we have verified so far.
The statewide rules
- Who issues the license: Clerk (or deputy clerk) of the Circuit Court of any county or city (Code 20-14)
- License fee: State base + county additions
- Waiting period: None – license is authority from date of issuance (20-14.1)
- License validity: 60 days from issuance (20-14.1)
- Who can officiate: Ministers authorized by a circuit court order after proof of ordination/regular communion (20-23); persons authorized by clerk-issued order, bond up to $500 (20-25); judges/justices incl. retired and federal resident judges, current/former members of the General Assembly, Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, VA members of Congress, and circuit court clerks (20-25); religious societies without ministers (20-26)
- Courthouse ceremonies: Circuit court clerks are authorized officiants under 20-25 and courts appoint civil marriage celebrants (ceremony fee capped at $75 under 20-27), but clerk offices generally do not perform ceremonies – couples use appointed celebrants
Virginia counties in this directory
We have published 36 verified county guides for Virginia so far. License fees on the verified county pages currently run from $30 to $33.50. 4 of them publish a separate ceremony fee. Browse them all: Browse all Virginia county guides — and use the search on the homepage to jump straight to your county.
Source for the statewide rules: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title20/chapter2/ (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.