Illinois Marriage License

An Illinois Marriage License is just a document that says you have permission to marry; it is not proof that you are already in a marriage. The document which will state that you are married is a Marriage Certificate. A Marriage License in Illinois is valid for only 60 days. It becomes valid after 1 day that you get it, but you can take it on the same day.

People, who can marry in Illinois

If you are living in Illinois and want to marry, you must meet the below-mentioned requirements:

• Firstly, if you are under 18 years old you can get married, but there is an exception. You can marry at 16 if you have your parental consent
• Secondly, you cannot already be legally married to someone else or each other
• Thirdly, you cannot be closely related to each other
• Lastly, you must be competent to make a civil contract

Steps to obtain Marriage License in Illinois

A Marriage License is one important step for you to do before the wedding ceremony and for that, there is nothing difficult. You have to do only two steps for that. Here they are:

• Your first step is going to the county clerk office
• Your second step is filling out the application.

You don’t need to wait for a Marriage License for a long time

In Illinois getting a Marriage License is a very quick process. You do not need to go, fill an application for that, then wait for some days in order to get your Marriage License. Getting a Marriage License in Illinois is done immediately. You go to the county clerk, do all the required parts and leave it with a Marriage License.

Required documents for Marriage License in Illinois

In order to obtain a Marriage License in Illinois, you need to provide some documents։

• First, you must provide a document to prove your identity and age. The identity documents are passport, driver’s license, military, and state identification cards.
• Then if you were divorced within the last six months, you must provide proof of divorce.

You don’t have to take a blood test to get a Marriage License in Illinois.

Required information to fill out the application

People who want to marry must fill out the following information in the application:

• Firstly, you must provide valid identification, which includes your age, first, middle and last name
• Secondly, you must provide your birthplace
• Thirdly, you have to provide the ending date and place of your last legal relationship within six months
• Fourthly, you must provide a Social Security number
• If you don’t speak English, you will need to have an interpreter
• Then you must provide your parental information
• You need to fill out your parents’ first, middle, and last names. What refers to mother you need to fill out her maiden’s name
• You need to fill out their current city and state of residency
• Lastly, you need to provide their birthplace

Fees for getting a Marriage License in Illinois

You need to pay for getting your Marriage License in Illinois։

• For getting a Marriage License you must pay $35
• And for a certified copy of the record, you must pay $10
• Then for an additional certified copy, you must pay $4

You can pay the fees by check, cash, and money order.

Name change after marriage in Illinois

If you are married and want to change your name, you have to follow these steps:

• Your first step is obtaining an application for having a new security number
• Your second step is gathering the necessary documents. You need to provide a document, which proves your identity
• Your third step is completing and signing your application.

Out-of-state couples can marry in Illinois

If you are an out-of-state couple and want to marry in Illinois, you can surely do it, unless you live there or want to continue living there. Not all states accept same-sex marriages and if you are from that state your marriage cannot take place. The clerk will ask you to sign a document, which will say that your state accepts same-sex marriages and will not announce it void.

Proxy marriages

There are states that allow people to have proxy marriages in the USA, but you cannot have proxy marriages in Illinois, as the law doesn’t allow it. Both of you must be present both in the process of license application and the wedding ceremony.

Cousin marriage

Cousin marriage differs from state to state. In Illinois, the law allows to marry only first cousins if your first cousin is older than the age of 50 and you cannot have children together.