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Marriage license validity and waiting periods: official rules checked for 9 states

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There is no single nationwide rule for a Marriage License in the US. Waiting periods, validity and the number of witnesses are set by each state's law, and fees, appointments and ID are then set by each county. The table below lists only the 9 states whose official pages we opened and checked, and every cell notes which county or agency it comes from.

If a state isn't in the table, that doesn't mean its rules match any state that is. The last section explains how to find the official page for the county where you will marry.

The 9 states compared

State (county or agency checked)Waiting periodValidityWitnesses
California (San Francisco County, Orange County, San Mateo County)Not stated on the pages checked90 days from issue, usable anywhere in CaliforniaPublic: at least 1 and at most 2 sign; Confidential: none needed
Nevada (Clark County)NoneNot stated on the official page1 for a county civil ceremony
Washington State (Clark County, King County)3 days, set by state law, cannot be waived60 days after the waiting period ends (Clark County)2 (King County)
Hawaii (State Department of Health)NoneCeremony within 30 days of getting the license, valid only in HawaiiNot stated on the official page
Texas (Fort Bend County)72 hours, with exceptions90 days, counting the day of purchaseNot stated on the official page
Florida (Duval County)3 days for Florida residents, waived with a premarital course; none for non-residents60 days from issue, usable anywhere in FloridaNot stated on the official page
Illinois (Cook County)Takes effect the day after issue60 days, usable only in Chicago and suburban Cook CountyNot stated on the official page
Colorado (Jefferson County)Not stated on the official page35 days from issueCouples can solemnize their own marriage, no officiant needed
Utah (Utah County)Go by the county websiteGo by the county websiteA video ceremony needs 2 witnesses aged 18 or older with photo ID

Dates checked: 2026-10-22 for Nevada (Clark County) and 2026-10-14 for the other states, with San Francisco County and Orange County in California rechecked on 2026-10-22. "Not stated on the official page" means the page we checked doesn't say, not that there is no rule.

Details and exceptions by state

California: a Public license is a public record and needs at least 1 witness; a Confidential license requires that the two of you already live together, and the record is open only to the couple. The license must be returned to the issuing county within 10 days after the ceremony (San Mateo County, checked 2026-10-22). For the full process, see a California marriage license: hold the ceremony within 90 days.

Nevada: Clark County's license fee is US$102 with no waiting period, and both of you appear with original photo ID; after the ceremony the officiant has 10 calendar days to return it (checked 2026-10-22). See a Las Vegas marriage can be registered in Taiwan.

Washington State: the 3-day waiting period comes from state law, RCW 26.04.180, counts from when the application is completed and paid for, and can't be waived; Clark County's example is that if you apply on a Monday, you can marry on Thursday. King County's fee is US$169, the officiant returns the license within 30 days after the ceremony, and the marriage certificate must carry the signatures of 2 witnesses.

Hawaii: licenses are handled centrally by the State Department of Health, and the fee is US$65 (US$60 for the application plus US$5 for the online platform, non-refundable). Apply online first, then both of you go together in person to pick up the license in front of a license agent; no one can do it on your behalf. If a previous marriage ended within 30 days before you get the license, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate.

Texas: in Fort Bend County, exceptions to the 72-hour waiting period include active-duty military, Department of Defense employees and contractors, a judge's waiver, and couples who both took a state-approved premarital course within the past year. The fee is US$71, or US$11 with a premarital course certificate. You can't remarry within 30 days after a divorce decree becomes final unless you get a waiver. The officiant returns the license within 30 days after the ceremony.

Florida: Duval County's fee is US$86, or US$61 with a premarital course certificate. The premarital course must be taken by both of you together, within the past year, from a registered provider, and you bring the certificate when you apply.

Illinois: Cook County's fee is US$60; bring ID that proves your age. To marry elsewhere in Illinois outside Cook County, apply in that county.

Colorado: Jefferson County states that couples can officiate their own marriage (self-solemnization), simply by both signing the license; the signed license must be returned within 63 days.

Utah: Utah County accepts video ceremonies; everyone must be able to see and hear one another, and the officiant must be physically in Utah. The county also warns that a marriage by video may not be recognized in the country where you live. On the Taiwan side, for certificates from Utah County video marriages, TECO in San Francisco authenticates only the form of the document, and its substantive validity is determined by the competent authorities in Taiwan (checked 2026-10-14).

Why the rules are set by the county, not the state

In most states, licenses are issued by county governments. State law sets the framework, such as waiting periods and validity, while each county decides its own fees, appointments, which IDs it accepts and whether you have to apply online first. That is why, within California, a Public license is US$91 in Los Angeles County but US$61 in Orange County (checked 2026-10-22). Look up the rules for "the county where you will marry", not the county where you live. For the full explanation, see getting a marriage license: the rules are the county's, not the state's.

How to find your county's official page

If you need to register the marriage in Taiwan after the wedding, the certificate goes to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) that covers the issuing state for authentication; see which TECO office to send your marriage certificate to.

Common questions

In which states can we marry on the day we get the license?

Among the states we checked, the official pages for Nevada (Clark County) and Hawaii state that there is no waiting period. A Cook County license in Illinois takes effect the day after it is issued.

What if the marriage license expires?

Once it is past its validity, it can't be used, and you have to apply and pay again. Orange County states that expired licenses are not refunded.

Can we get a license in one state and marry in another?

Not in any of the states we checked: Hawaii states that its license is valid only in Hawaii, California and Florida say theirs can be used anywhere in the state, and Cook County's license in Illinois is limited further, to Cook County only. For other states, go by the county website.

Once you have chosen your state and county, the My Wedding Plan checklist has the timeline laid out from applying for the license to registering in Taiwan: confirming the recording is item 9, certified copies item 10, and registering in Taiwan item 15. The checklist has a free version, and you can start without giving an email address; once you select both partners' status, the relevant items are added to the checklist.

Sources (checked 2026-10-22)

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