Marriage License

Review information on the updated Marriage Statute.

Both parties must be 18 years of age or older to marry without parental consent and a court order. A birth certificate may be required to show proof of age.

No one under age 16 can marry in Alaska.

Persons ages 16 and 17 will be required to get a court order as well as submit a parental consent form signed by both parents with their application. If either party is 16-17, the person you are marrying can be no more than 3 years older. 

If either party is under eighteen, contact the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics at (907) 465-3391 for additional instructions before completing the application.

An Alaskan marriage license is valid only for marriages performed in Alaska or in Alaska State waters.

There is a three (3) day waiting period that begins once a mailed or in-person application is received by the issuing office. This means that you must wait at least three full business days after the application is submitted before you can pick up the license and the marriage ceremony can be performed.

If you need to receive your marriage license quickly, and cannot pick up in person, please include $10.00 for Priority Mail with tracking.  Regular mail can take up to 4 weeks or longer and cannot be tracked. Your total for the Marriage License Application and Priority Shipping would be $70.

Please make checks or money orders payable to Alaska Vital Records and be sure to include payment when mailing in your Marriage License Application.

The license is valid for three (3) months from the date of issuance. The marriage must be performed before the three-month expiration of the license or the license will no longer be valid. Refunds and extensions cannot be granted.

Proxy marriages (where someone stands in for the other party) are not permitted in Alaska. The two parties must be present before the one witness and the officiant in order for the ceremony to be performed. The officiant cannot be the witness.

All divorces must be final and filed with the courts in the state granted. If either party has been married previously, the beginning and ending dates of all previous marriages must be listed on the application. Submitting a copy of a divorce decree is only required if the divorce or dissolution occurred less than sixty days prior to applying for the marriage license.

No Refunds or Extensions: Once issued, the marriage license is valid for three months. No refunds or extensions are allowed.

Your Certificate of Marriage, which shows that your marriage is registered with the state (needed for things like insurance or name changes), costs an extra $30. You can order this certificate after you return your signed Marriage License