Marriage License

Both Alaska residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply for a marriage license.

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.

If either party is 16 or 17 years old, they must provide a court order and their legal parents or guardians must provide written consent. A birth certificate must be provided to show age of the party(ies) under 18 years. If one party is 16 or 17, there may not be more than a 3-year age difference between parties. No one younger than 16 years of age may be married in Alaska.

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.

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.

• The Marriage License Application Fee is $60.00.
• There is an additional fee to have your Marriage License mailed to you (fees may vary, see Marriage License Application for current postal fees).
• Paying in person: If you apply in person you may pay by cash, check, money order, or credit card.
• Paying by mail: If you apply for a marriage license by mail you may pay by check or money order.
• Checks: Checks may be made out to “State of Alaska”. Acceptable checks include cashiers’ checks or personal checks that are preprinted with the customer’s information.

• 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 your marriage license will be available for pickup or can be mailed to you three business days after a completed application is received.
• The application is valid for one year, however once the license is issued and picked up, it is only valid for 90 days. If you do not get married within that time frame, the license will be void and you must reapply, including another $60.00 fee. There are no refunds or extensions.

• Your signed marriage license must be returned to Health Analytics and Vital Records so that your marriage can be registered.
• 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.