Q: Do We Need A Marriage License To Be Married In Vermont?
A: Yes, you will need to purchase a Vermont marriage license, which must be presented to the officiate presiding over your ceremony before your marriage ceremony is performed. While your license may be purchased up to two months before your ceremony, keep in mind that per V.S.A. 18 - 5131(b), the license "becomes void sixty days from date of issue if the proposed marriage is not solemnized." A Vermont marriage license costs $20.00.
Q: Where Do We Get A Vermont Marriage License?
A: If one or both of the bride and groom are Vermont residents, your residence town clerk will provide your license. If you are both out-of-state residents, you must first decide where in Vermont you wish to be married, then visit a town clerk in the Vermont county where your wedding will be held. Any town clerk in that county can issue your license.
Q: What Information Do We Need To Purchase A Marriage License In Vermont?
A: You must know your legal town of residence, and your place and date of birth. You will also need to know your parents' names, including your mother's maiden name, and the states where your parents were born. (A certified copy of your birth certificate can supply most of this information.) Vermont law requires that at least one of you sign in the presence of the town clerk certifying that all facts are correct. However, most town clerks prefer that you both appear in person, as they must agree you are both free to marry under Vermont law. Per V.S.A. 18 - 5141, town clerks are permitted to ask for documented proof of your statements; i.e., birth certificates, divorce decrees, etc.
Q: What Additional Information Will We Need To Provide?
A: You will need to provide information about your race, the highest grade you completed in school, the number of times you have been married, and how your previous marriage(s) (if any), ended. This information is not included on the marriage certificate, but must be disclosed to the town clerk.
Q: What Is Required If We Have Been Married Before?
A: If you are a widow or widower, you are free to remarry at any time, and will only be asked the date of your previous spouse's death. If you are divorced, you will be asked the date of dissolution of the previous marriage. You may only remarry after the date on which your previous marriage was dissolved.
Q: Do We Need Blood Tests?
A: No, you do not need a blood test to be married in Vermont.
Q: Can a Vermont Marriage License Be Issued Through The Mail?
A: No, you must appear in person to purchase a Vermont marriage license.
Q: Can We Be Married By Proxy In Vermont?
A: No, both the bride and groom must be present to marry in Vermont.
Q: Who May Be Married In Vermont?
A: A man and a woman 18 years of age or older may marry in Vermont. If either is at least 16 years of age but under age 18, you will need the consent of a parent or guardian to marry in Vermont. Your parent or guardian should accompany you to the town clerk's office to sign an affidavit giving you permission to marry. The affidavit is on the back of the marriage license and is a legally binding part of the license.
If either the bride or groom is under the age of 16 and is a Vermont resident, you must first furnish the town clerk with a certificate from a probate, district, or superior court judge of the district or county in which you reside. If the under-age person is not a Vermont resident, you must furnish the town clerk with a certificate from a judge of the district or county in which the marriage will take place.
Per V.S.A. 18 - 5142, Vermont law prohibits the marriage of anyone under the age of 14.
Q: Is There a Waiting Period To Be Married In Vermont?
A: No, you may marry anytime after purchasing your Vermont marriage license.
Q: Who Is Permitted To Officiate Marriage Ceremonies Vermont?
A: Vermont marriage ceremonies may be officiated by a judge, supreme court justice, assistant judge, justice of the peace, or an ordained or licensed minister, rabbi or priest residing in Vermont and authorized by their diocese to perform Vermont marriage ceremonies. An out-of-state priest, rabbi, or minister may perform your ceremony, but must first obtain special authorization from a probate court in the district where the marriage will take place.
Q: What Do We Do With The Marriage License?
A: You must deliver the license to the officiate who will preside over your ceremony before the marriage can be performed in Vermont.
Q: Do We Need Witnesses At Our Vermont Wedding?
A: Vermont law does not require witnesses, but your church or synagogue may.
Q: What Happens To The Marriage License After The Ceremony?
A: Immediately following the wedding ceremony, the officiate will complete the sections pertaining to date, place, and officiate information, and will then authorize your license with their signature. Within 10 days of the ceremony, the officiate is required to register the signed license with the Vermont town clerk's office where it was issued. The marriage license is not a legitimate legal document until it has been recorded in the town clerk's office where it was purchased.
Q: How Do We Get A Copy Of Our Vermont Marriage Certificate?
A: There are three ways to obtain a copy of your marriage certificate:
1. When you purchase your license, you can arrange with the town clerk to mail you a certified copy of your certificate as soon as your marriage license is recorded. The cost will then be $25 ($20 for the license and $5 for the certified copy); or
2. Two weeks or more after the ceremony, and for a $5.00 fee, you may request in person or in writing, a copy of the certificate from the town clerk's office where you purchased your license; or
3. Six or more weeks after your ceremony, and for a $5.00 fee, you may request in person or in writing, a copy of the certificate from the Vermont Department of Health, Vital Records Unit, 108 Cherry Street, P.O. Box 70, Burlington, Vermont 05402.
In all cases, you will receive a copy of the original certificate, embossed with the town and/or state seal, signed and dated by the appropriate official. These certified copies are accepted for all legal purposes.
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