Getting married in Hawaii: hold the ceremony within 30 days of getting the license, and officiants must register with the state
In Hawaii, the Marriage License is handled statewide by the Department of Health, not by each county. The fee is US$65: you apply online first, then the two of you go together in person to a license agent to get the license. There is no waiting period, but the ceremony must take place within 30 days of getting the license, and the license is valid only in Hawaii. Whoever officiates must first register with the Department of Health and get a license, which differs from both California and Texas.
If you need to register the marriage in Taiwan, a certificate issued in Hawaii is authenticated by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Honolulu. The steps follow in order below.
Apply online, pick up the license together
The Hawaii State Department of Health's rules (checked 2026-10-23):
- Fee: US$65: a US$60 application fee plus a US$5 portal fee, neither refundable.
- First fill in the application and pay in the state's online system (emrs.ehawaii.gov), and note down or print the Authorization Code / Locator ID.
- The two of you must go together, in person, to a license agent to get the license; proxies are not accepted.
- Bring valid government-issued photo ID, such as a passport, driver's license or state ID; the agent may ask for other documents depending on your situation.
- You do not need to be a Hawaii resident or a US citizen, and no blood test is required.
On age, this page is inconsistent in two places (one says 18, another says anyone under 19 must show a certified birth certificate), so if you are under 19, check with the Department of Health before applying.
No waiting period, but you must marry within 30 days
- There is no waiting period after you get the license; you can hold the ceremony the same day.
- The ceremony must take place within 30 days of getting the license, or the license expires. You also cannot meet the agent to get the license more than 30 days before the ceremony date.
- The license is valid only within the State of Hawaii and cannot be used in another state.
If you are flying to Hawaii to marry from Taiwan or the US mainland, schedule the license pickup after you arrive and before the ceremony, and plan the 30-day window together with your flights. For a comparison across states, see the official rules checked for 9 states.
Planning it when you fly in from Taiwan or the mainland
- Before you leave, complete the online application at home, pay the US$65 and get the Locator ID.
- If the officiant is a friend or relative you've asked, have them register with the Department of Health before you leave, and wait for the approval email.
- After arriving in Hawaii, the two of you take your passports and go together to a license agent; the license pickup date cannot be more than 30 days before the ceremony date.
- Hold the ceremony within 30 days of getting the license; there is no waiting period.
- Once home, request certified copies, send one to TECO in Honolulu for authentication, then register in Taiwan.
If you were married before
If your previous marriage ended (by divorce or a spouse's death) within 30 days before you get the license, bring a certified divorce decree or death certificate; documents not in English need a certified translation (Hawaii State Department of Health, checked 2026-10-23). For how to translate Taiwanese divorce documents, see the Chinese-to-English section of translating the marriage certificate into Chinese.
Officiants must register with the state first
Hawaii requires anyone who performs a marriage or civil union to register with the Department of Health first and get a license (marriage.ehawaii.gov); approval is sent by email. If you want a friend or relative to fly in from Taiwan or the mainland to officiate, start early.
The pages we checked this time don't cover the number of witnesses, how the license is returned after the ceremony, or how to request certified copies and what they cost, so go by the Department of Health's website. Once you have certified copies, authentication uses up one, so order several at once (see item 10 of the checklist).
Registering in Taiwan and TECO in Honolulu
- Documents issued in Hawaii and American Samoa are authenticated by TECO in Honolulu (jurisdiction table from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, checked 2026-10-22).
- TECO in Honolulu: authentication is US$15 per document, and each additional notarized or authenticated copy is US$7.5; cash, money order or cashier's check payable to TECO in Honolulu, no personal checks or credit cards (checked 2026-10-22). The page doesn't give processing times or translation rules, so check with the office.
For the full steps to register in Taiwan and the 30-day deadline, see registering a US marriage in Taiwan in five steps; for a comparison of offices, see which TECO office to send your marriage certificate to.
Common questions
Can non-Americans marry in Hawaii?
Yes. The Hawaii State Department of Health states that there is no residency requirement and no US citizenship requirement; the two of you just bring valid photo ID and get the license together in person.
How long is a Hawaii marriage license valid?
The ceremony must take place within 30 days of getting the license, after which it expires; the license is valid only within the State of Hawaii.
Can a friend officiate our Hawaii wedding?
Yes, but the officiant must first register with the Hawaii State Department of Health and get a license, and can officiate only after approval.
A destination wedding runs on a tighter schedule than most, and the My Wedding Plan checklist puts the license, certified copies (item 10) and registering in Taiwan (item 15) on the timeline. The checklist has a free version, and you can start without giving an email address.
Sources (checked 2026-10-23)
- Hawaii State Department of Health: Marriage Licenses (checked 2026-10-23)
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu: Document Authentication (checked 2026-10-22)
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States: Office jurisdictions (checked 2026-10-22)