Wisconsin Marriage License

If you are living in Wisconsin and have decided to marry, you must know Wisconsin Marriage Law. According to it, before getting married in the State of Wisconsin you must obtain a Wisconsin Marriage License.

Here we will cover all the details on getting legally married in Wisconsin. So, if you are interested, stay with us, and let’s start!

How to get a Wisconsin Marriage License?

For getting a marriage license in Wisconsin, the applicants may apply to any County Clerk’s office of the state. However, in this case, one of the applicants must be living in Wisconsin for at least 30 days. If none of them is living here, they must apply to the county where they will perform their marriage.

Waiting Period

The applicants must apply for the marriage license minimum of six calendar days before actually getting the license. However, they do not need to apply for it more than 30 days before the wedding ceremony.

After getting the license, the couple must solemnize the wedding ceremony within 30 days. If the wedding does not take place within 30 days, the couple must apply for the license again and pay the same fee. In case of several circumstances, the applicants may extend the waiting period with an extra fee of $25.

Requirements for the Wisconsin Marriage License

• For the people who had a divorce, it is a must to wait 6 months after getting their divorce decree. Regardless of the location of the divorce, they may apply for a new marriage license only after this period of time.
• People who were previously married and had an annulment or a divorce must provide some additional documents.

This includes:

1. a filed copy of the final judgment of divorce
2. a certified divorce certificate
3. legal annulment
4. or certified death certificate (if the previous marriage ended this way)

• In case of any foreign document, there must be a certified and notarized translation attached to it. Both parties must be present while getting the license, as well as they must be able to speak and read English. If necessary, the parties must provide a non-relative translator, as they may not translate for each other. Neither the parties nor their relatives may translate foreign documents. For that, they may hire a certified translator.

Age Requirements

The minimum age of marrying in the State of Wisconsin is 16 years of age. Of course, it is better when both parties are 18 years old and older. However, people who are at least 16 years old may marry in several circumstances.

Applicants who are less than 18, but at least 16 years old may get a Wisconsin marriage license with the consent of their parents or guardians. The parents or guardians must be present at the County Clerk’s office while preparing the license. They also must provide a photo ID to submit a consent form.

Kinship Requirements

In Wisconsin, cousin marriages are not accepted. Parties who are nearer than second cousins may not get married.

However, here also we have exceptions. Marriages between first cousins where the woman is more than 55 years old may be accepted by the Court. As well as, first-cousin marriages where both parties have recorded proof of sterilization may be granted.

Required Documents

When applying for a marriage license in Wisconsin, the applicants must bring with them several documents to prove their identity and age. All the documents must be valid and must contain accurate and checked information.

Here is the list of the required documents:

• ID and Photo ID
• Certified Birth Certificate
• Social Security Number
• Driver’s License
• State ID
• Military ID
• Proof of Residence
• Previous Marriage Documents or Divorce Decree (if any)

Personal Information in the Application Form

Except for the mentioned documents, there must be accurate information in the application provided by the applicants. Both parties must fill out their full names, addresses, ages, and current residence. It is important to mention that the full names of the applicants’ parents must be written, as well (including mother’s maiden names).

The applicants must also mention the date of their marriage. They must also include the place where the marriage will take place. And also, they must include personal information on the person who will perform the wedding ceremony (including the name, address, and phone number).

As we have already mentioned, people who were previously married or divorced must include that information in the application. So, they must show proof of how their last marriage ended and include documents of a legal annulment or divorce/death certificate.

The Fee for the Marriage License

Depending on different counties in the State of Wisconsin, the fee for the marriage license varies. It costs $110-$120.

The counties accept cash, as well as credit or debit cards. The payment is non-refundable.

How to apply for the Wisconsin Marriage License Online?

The State of Wisconsin gives an opportunity to apply for a marriage license online.

After filling out the application form online, the applicants must make an appointment for a virtual meeting. They both must join in on the online meeting. However, they may join from two different locations, if necessary.

The applicants may schedule the day of their appointment only 30 days in advance. If they try to make it earlier, the calendar will show that an appointment is not available.

After doing the scheduling and choosing the day of the appointment, the applicants get a confirmation email. There will be a link which they will use and connect to the online meeting on the scheduled day.

How to get a copy of the marriage license in Wisconsin?

A certified copy of a Wisconsin marriage license, as well as, birth, death, and divorce records are issued by the Wisconsin Vital Records Office.

These copies are also available in the County where the event happened. So, for obtaining the required copy of a marriage license, contact the County where the marriage took place or the Wisconsin Vital Records Office. Both offices may have the required information.

After providing accurate personal information on the spouses, as well as, the date and the place of the wedding, the County may give you the certified copy. The applicants may also pay the fee of $20-$40 to do the research. The payment is non-refundable, even if the research was unsuccessful.

For more information, contact:

Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
General phone: 608-266-1865
TTY: 711 or 800-947-3529