Marriage License Requirements


  1. Both applicants must be 18 years of age or older. If applicants are under 18 or are not legal residents of the U.S, they should contact the Register of Deeds for more information: 828-837-2613.
  2. Applicants MUST have valid government issued picture identification such as driver's license or ID card. Applicants MUST also have an original social security card that has not been laminated. These identifications must be legible, not broken or faded, or torn; otherwise, they will be rejected as essential proofs.
  3. If either applicant has previously been married, a copy of the divorce decree or death certificate is necessary to prove date last marriage ended.
  4. Both applicants will need to know county and state of birth. Each applicant will also need to know state of parents' birth.
  5. The Register of Deeds only issues marriage licenses between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. They are valid for 60 days from issuance, and must be returned by the officiant within 10 days from the date of the ceremony. Failure to return is a criminal misdemeanor offense and may require a $200 fine (G.S 51-7).
  7. Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony.
  8. The marriage license fee is $60 and only CASH is accepted. (No large bills please.) $30 of the collected fees are contributed to a state fund for domestic violence (G.S 161.11.2).

Both applicants must review the license before signing. Once signed, the applicants are making an oath that all information on the license is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.