Marriage Information : Civil Court : Arlington, Virginia

Residents

Visitors

Businesses

County Government

Online Services

Información en Español

Circuit Court – 17th Judicial District

Marriage Information

Marriage License

A marriage license is issued by the Circuit Court Clerk of any city or county in the State of Virginia. Out-of-state-residents may apply at any Clerk's Office throughout the State of Virginia.

The Arlington County Circuit Court Clerk's Office is located at:

Clerk of the Circuit Court
1425 N. Courthouse Road, Suite 6700
Arlington, VA 22201
Please Call 703-228-4372 with any questions.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no new license applications taken after 3:30 p.m. weekdays to allow sufficient time to prepare the license.

You should plan to arrive in our office by 3:30 P.M. to allow sufficient time for the Clerk's staff to prepare your marriage license.

No blood tests or witnesses are required.
The license must be used within 60 days of the date of issuance or it will expire.
Both parties must be present to obtain a marriage license.
The Clerk's Office requires some form of identification from each person (Driver's Licenses, Passport, or Military I.D.).
The fee for the license is $30.00. Cash and credit cards accepted (Mastercard and Visa only; a service charge of four (4) percent of the amount paid will be collected on credit card payments).
Decree of Divorce: If either the bride or groom were previously married, a certified copy of a Decree of Divorce issued by a court must be presented to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office before a marriage license will be issued. If the Decree is in a language other than English, you must present a certified translation of the document signed and dated by a translator attesting to the accuracy of the document. For divorced persons there is no statutory waiting period before remarriage after the divorce is final, unless remarriage is specifically prohibited by a court.

The minimum age is 16 years of age for the bride or groom; however; anyone under the age of 18 must bring their parents to sign a consent form or call us for further information.

Certified Copy of Marriage License

You may obtain a certified copy of a marriage license from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office that issued the marriage license. You may make the request in person or by mail.

Be certain to include the following when submitting a request to the Clerk's Office:

The full name of the groom
The full name of the bride
The date of the marriage
The place of marriage
A fee of $2.50 by cash, money order, certified check, or in-state personal check made payable to the "Clerk of the Circuit Court", or by credit card (Mastercard and Visa only; a service charge of four (4) percent of the amount paid will be collected on credit card payments). Please do not send cash through the mail.
A self-addressed stamped envelope

Who May Perform a Marriage Ceremony?

The clergy, minister or other person performing the marriage must be authorized by a Circuit Court of this Commonwealth to celebrate the rites of matrimony.

The clergy, minister or other person officiating at the marriage ceremony must complete and sign both forms of marriage license and forward both forms to the Clerk of the Court who issued the license within 5 days after the ceremony is performed.

A commemorative certificate of marriage may be prepared by the officiant and given to the newly wedded couple upon request.

Qualifications of Minister to Perform Marriages in Virginia

Clergy must have an active congregation.
Congregation must be recognized as tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the United States Code.
Celebrant must appear in person between the hours of 8 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., Monday through Friday, with the following:
- Proof of #1 and #2 above.
- Certificate of Ordination and identification.
- Payment of $29.00 by cash or credit card (Mastercard and Visa only; a service charge of four (4) percent of the amount paid will be collected on credit card payments).
When #3 above has been completed the celebrant can perform a marriage ceremony anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The certification is valid for life.

Marriage Celebrants

Marriages are performed Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. When you leave the courthouse, you will be facing Courthouse Rd. Turn right to go to 15th Street.

Fee: $50.00 cash only

Civil Celebrants

Gerald Williams 2045 N. 15th Street, B-4 Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 524-7774	Weekdays: walk-ins or appointments Weekends: by appointment only
Carla F. Ward 2007 N. 15th Street, Suite 201 Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 522-2116 CFWardLawOffice (at) yahoo (dot) com	Available evenings and weekend with advance notice.
Fitzhugh Lee Godwin, Jr. 2045 N. 15th Street Suite #1 Arlington, VA 22201 (Beside Jerry's Sub) (703) 528-9800 flgodwin_law (at) verizon (dot) net	Each weekday after 6 p.m. or call for an appointment.