Marriages

Once you have decided to marry in Vermont, the next step is getting a marriage license. To get a marriage license, visit a Vermont Town Clerk. The Clerk will ask the couple to fill out an Application for Vermont License of Civil Marriage. In Brattleboro you can finish your application at home and bring it to our office pre-filled or fill it out in our office. A printable application form is available online.

The Clerk will use the application information to create a license. After the Town Clerk issues the license and the couple pays the $80 fee, they are free to marry within 60 days in the state of Vermont. The couple’s chosen officiant will complete the license and then the license is mailed or given back to the Town Clerk for finalization. At its final stage, the marriage license becomes a marriage certificate. Detailed FAQs about the application questions can be found in the Application section at the end of this FAQ.

No. Vermont has ended the practice of blood testing for disease before issuing a marriage license.

No. Vermont does not require any I.D. to take out a marriage license. However, providing false information about your identity on a marriage license is perjury. The act of signing the form is an oath to the information the couple has provided.

Not in Brattleboro. Our office has regular hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with exceptions for certain holidays and elections. We operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You can walk in during our normal hours and leave with a marriage license the same day if the application and the fee are complete and at least one of the applicants is present.

Both people must sign and date the application, but only one person needs to be present to turn in the application and take out the marriage license at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s Office. Both people are welcome to be present. In some cases, officiants will join the couple in our office to receive instructions for finishing the license.

Not in Vermont. A marriage license can be used on the same day that it is purchased. In Brattleboro, it’s common for couples to take out a marriage license, marry, and return the license on the same day. Some towns may have waiting periods for various reasons, but Brattleboro does not.   

No witnesses are required to take out a marriage license in Vermont. Marriage by a Vermont Justice of the Peace, court authority, or a Temporary Officiant also do not require a witness. However, some religious organizations do require a witness to be present. Check with your religious officiant to be sure. If witnesses are present, they do not sign the Vermont marriage license.

The application does not, but the license has a time limit once the Town Clerk issues it. Have an estimated date in mind for the marriage because an incomplete marriage license expires 60 days after it’s been issued. Once a marriage license expires, a new one will have to be purchased. An officiant cannot sign and complete a marriage license if more than 60 days have passed since the license was issued.

A signed and completed marriage license does not expire, but it should be returned to us within 2 weeks of the officiant signing it so that we can register it with the State authority.

No, the license is not returned to the couple. The license is kept with the Town Clerk who issued it. The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office has a large, secured vault where every marriage license from Brattleboro is stored. An exact copy is sent to the State of Vermont Vital Records Office and to the town of residence if one of the applicants resides in a different Vermont town.

We recommend requesting a certified copy of the marriage license. The fee is $10, and the certificate is valid proof of marriage. To request a certified copy, fill out the bottom section of the marriage application.

Friends and Family: Vermont allows friends and family members to officiate weddings if they use the Vermont Secretary of State authorization portal to apply. The fee is $100 for a one-time authorization. Use the portal before your marriage date. You do not need a marriage license to apply for a Temporary Officiant Authorization, but you will need a specific marriage date. When the officiant is approved, they will receive an authorization page by email. Please send this authorization confirmation to our office with your marriage license, bring it with you when you apply for your license, or forward the authorization to us via email: [email protected].

Visit the portal here or call the Vermont Secretary of State’s office: 802-828-2363.

Religious officiants: The use of clergy and religious officiants is also allowed if the officiant lives in Vermont, or they serve as the religious official of a Vermont congregation. For example, an officiant who lives in New Hampshire can officiate a Vermont marriage if their congregation is in Vermont. Religious officiants who do not reside in Vermont or work for a religious institution in Vermont will need separate authorization from probate court in the county where the marriage will take place. See here for Vermont probate court contact information. Click here for Vermont probate court contact information.

Online ministry: This is treated as a religious officiant and the officiant must be a Vermont resident with a Vermont address to be authorized to perform a marriage through an online ministry. Non-Vermont residents will need approval from the probate court in the county where the marriage will take place. A ministry needs to have a Vermont address where the congregation meets if the officiant is not a Vermont resident. Most online ministries lack this component. 

Friends or family members living outside of Vermont looking to officiate a wedding in Vermont may prefer to use the Secretary of State’s portal rather than an online ministry. Online ministries can delay a marriage from being filed if the officiant does not meet Vermont’s requirements to solemnize a marriage.

Justice of the Peace: Any Vermont Justice of the Peace in their current term is authorized to officiate Vermont marriages. A list of Brattleboro Justices of the Peace is available on our website.

Judge, Assistant Judge, or a Justice of a Vermont court: A Supreme Court Justice, Superior Court Judge, District Judge, Judge of Probate, or Assistant Judge can also solemnize marriages.

The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office will provide a self-addressed envelope with the marriage license so that the officiant or couple can mail the license back to our office. The license can also be dropped off in person by the couple or the officiant. It cannot be faxed or emailed because we require the original document that was issued.

Our office does not perform marriages or officiate. We can provide a list of elected Justices of the Peace and county court contacts. The Town Clerk issues a license to a couple once they have turned in their application and an $80 fee. After the marriage, the license is returned to the Town Clerk who issued it. If the couple lives in another Vermont town, we suggest using the Town Clerk in your town of residence if possible, though we are always happy to help.

The Town Clerk’s office will store the original license permanently and send a copy to the State of Vermont and the Vermont residence town when applicable. If a couple would like copies of their marriage license, they can request them at the time they take out their license. There is no limit to how many copies can be requested.

Copies after the marriage is registered can be requested by contacting our office or the State Department of Vital Records. The fee is $10 per copy.

The form asks for each applicant’s birthplace, full legal name, birth name, date of birth and information about parents and prior marriages. The information from this form is what we will put on your final license. There is space on the application to request copies of the final license. See the following FAQs about how to answer the application questions.

What name should I use on my marriage license?

Section 1a./8a. Legal names: Use your current name, not your future name if you plan to take your spouse’s name. Vermont does not ask for your future name. Instead, use your current legal name and request a certified copy as documentation of your reason for requesting a name change.

Use your full legal name rather than nicknames or gender-affirming chosen names. If you have had a name change through a legal proceeding or prior marriage, use your current legally changed name.

Section 1b./8b. Birth names: Use the given name on your birth record. If you were adopted and your name was changed on your birth record, or you believe your name was changed, use your adopted name. If you don’t know, use the name you use on your other records, like your driver’s license or school enrollment forms.

Using a cohesive legal name and birth name will help to document your identity. Your marriage certificate is a permanent record, lasting beyond death or dissolution of marriage. Using accurate information is important.

Sex/Gender:

Section 2: Use a male/female binary, or if non-binary use “X” to mark this section rather than leaving it blank.

Parent’s Names:

Sections 6-7 and Sections 13-14 Parent Names: The application is looking for the birth names of your mother and father, not their married names.  If you do not know both of your parents’ names, it will be helpful to have at least one parent or guardian fully named on your marriage license. If you were born in Vermont, we can look up your birth record at your request. If you were not born in Vermont, you can request this information from the Town or City Clerk where you were born. For any unknown information write “Unknown.”

If I was adopted, who should I list as my parents on my marriage license application?

Use whoever is listed on your birth certificate. If you are unsure, list your adopted parents. Adopted persons may not know if their records were updated, and we do not investigate records when we file and register marriage certificates.

Prior marriage or Civil Union:

Section 22/26: Both Applicants A and B will fill out if they were previously married or if this is their first marriage. If this is your first marriage use the number 1. If this is not your first marriage, add the number 1 to your prior marriages to count this marriage in your total.

Couples currently under a Civil Union can choose to dissolve the Civil Union for a Civil Marriage on the marriage license. In other words, you can marry your Civil Union partner.

Legal Guardian:

Minors under 18 years of age cannot marry in Vermont. Adults over 18 years of age who have a legal guardian will need the guardian to provide written permission consenting to marriage.