MARRIAGE INTENTIONS
Can apply Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Restrictions are: Party A and Party B must appear and apply
together. There is a three-day waiting period, not counting the
day you apply, but weekends are included in this time period.
In cases where Party A and Party B want to be married on the
same day they apply for a marriage license, Party A and Party
B would need to appear before a Judge at the Wareham Fourth
District Court and apply for a waiver. The fee for this Court
waiver is $195, payable to the Court. This waiver does not
include the fee for filing a marriage intention, which is $25.00.
Should Party A or Party B decide to withdraw within the
three (3) day waiting period, they would have to submit a
notarized letter to the Town Clerk in making this request.
EFFECTIVE January 28, 2005, blood tests are no longer
required in order to marry in the State of Massachusetts. For
more information, call the Town Clerk's Office at 508-291-3140.
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES
Public record, with the exception of restricted records (Party
A's or Party B's parents were not married at the time of birth).
Copies only to Party A or Party B with a valid Mass Picture
Identification. Otherwise, copies can be obtained once the
certificate is received from the Clergy or Justice of the Peace
and recorded with the town. Marriage license should not be
returned to the Clerk's Office by anyone other than Clergy
or Justices of the Peace. All copies of the marriage license
contain the True Copy Attest and the Town Seal to
authenticate the document.
Marriage certificates are valid for 60 days (including the day
you apply). Copies of the marriage license are not included
in the filing fee.
FYI: THE EXPIRATION DATE IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND
CORNER OF THE MARRIAGE LICENSE INDICATES THE
VALIDATION DATE OF THE LICENSE FOR PARTY A AND
PARTY B TO BE MARRIED (SIXTY DAYS FROM THE DAY
YOU APPLY, YOU MUST MARRY). ONCE MARRIED,
THERE IS NO EXPIRATION DATE TO THE LICENSE,
IT THEN BECOMES A PERMANENT DOCUMENT OF THE
STATE AND TOWN.
REMINDER
You can apply for a marriage intention and license anywhere
and be married anywhere in the Commonwealth. However, the
city or town where you file your intention will be the only place you
can obtain copies of the marriage license once it is recorded on
a local level. Once the license is recorded with the Department
of Vital Records in Dorchester, you can also obtain a copy from
them. Fees change from area to area, so please make sure to
check with that city, town or state.
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