Getting married in New York

New York is another way to marry in the US, and unlike Utah it usually means being there in person. The upside: the process is simple and direct, there is no residency or citizenship requirement, and same-sex couples marry exactly like everyone else.

There are two routes through the online "Project Cupid" system — a video appointment or an in-person one. For a video appointment both partners must be physically inside New York State at that moment, so for most couples travelling from abroad this means coming to New York.

The process

Three stages: apply through Project Cupid, wait 24 hours, hold the ceremony.

Stage 1 — the application

Everything starts online at Project Cupid, the City Clerk's official portal. You cannot walk in without an appointment. After the form you book an appointment — video or in person — at which the licence is actually issued.

The licence costs $35, paid online. Licence appointments are released three weeks ahead, every Monday at 9:00 AM Eastern, and they go fast — book the moment they open.

The licence is valid for 60 days.

What to bring

• Valid photo ID for both partners — a passport is ideal. If it is not in English, a certified translation is required.
• If either of you was previously married, a divorce decree or death certificate.
• No residency requirement. No citizenship requirement.

Stage 2 — the waiting period

New York law requires a 24-hour wait between the licence being issued and the ceremony. A judge can waive it, but do not count on that — plan at least two days between licence and wedding.

Stage 3 — the ceremony

• At least one witness is required, 18 or over, with photo ID.
• You can marry in a civil ceremony at the City Clerk's office (also booked through Project Cupid, and they provide the officiant), or hire a private officiant and marry elsewhere in the state — Central Park, for instance.
• Marriage Bureau address: 141 Worth Street, Manhattan.
• After the ceremony the officiant, couple and witness sign the licence and it is filed. The marriage certificate follows.

Extended certificate and apostille

To register the marriage at home you will need an apostille from the New York Department of State.

Most foreign authorities want the extended (long-form) certificate rather than the short one — it includes parents' names. You can get it at the Marriage Bureau for $35, right after the ceremony or at a records appointment the next day via Project Cupid.

Tip: if you need the certificate quickly or with tracked delivery, you can visit the Bureau in person within five days of the ceremony — it is usually issued the same day. Regular international post is sent without tracking and can take a long time.

Congratulations.

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*Checked July 2026 against the NYC City Clerk's office. Fees and procedures change — verify against the source before relying on any figure here. This is a guide from experience, not legal advice.*