Getting married online in Utah

Being married helps a great deal in a US surrogacy journey — for the legal side, and because some states allow surrogacy only for married couples. The question is how you marry in the US when you cannot travel.

The answer is Utah, which lets couples marry legally over the internet without leaving home.

Important update — May 2026

Utah law changed. Since 6 May 2026 the county must display a warning on its website, and the officiant must read it aloud before the ceremony:

A marriage solemnized according to the laws of the State of Utah through online remote appearance may be invalid in the country where the parties to the marriage reside.

The warning does not invalidate anything and does not stop the ceremony — it is a disclosure requirement. But it did not come from nowhere: a bill (SB 110) proposed ending remote marriage entirely this year, and was ultimately replaced by this warning. The route exists, but its future is not guaranteed. If you are considering it, do not put it off.

Within the United States the marriage is recognised in all fifty states under the Full Faith and Credit Clause. Recognition in your own country is a separate question, and usually needs an apostille.

The process

Three stages: the marriage licence, booking an officiant, and the ceremony.

Stage 1 — the licence

Valid for 30 days from issue, usable immediately — there is no waiting period. Apply about seven to ten days before your intended date so it does not expire if the ceremony slips.

Cost (July 2026): $50 for the licence, of which $10 goes to the children's defense fund. Online applications add $20 for the State Marriage Commission — not charged if you apply in person, and waivable if you have completed premarital education. Around $70 in total.

Start at marriage.utahcounty.gov: identity verification online, payment by card. An approval email follows; read it carefully regarding use of the licence and choosing an officiant.

Before you fill in the form

• Both partners need an email address. The system sends the form link to whoever starts; the second partner does not get a separate email, because it is the same link.
• You do not need to be in the same place, but you do need to go in sequence — the second cannot start until the first has finished.
• You can stop and come back, even on a different device.
• When photographing your ID, turn off flash, live photo and 3D capture.
• Temporary paper documents are not accepted. A US ID or driver's licence is ideal; otherwise a foreign driver's licence or passport works.
• Some fields autofill from the scan of your document. If a name comes through wrong, finish the application and then email marriage@utahcounty.gov with your confirmation number. Corrections are free until the officiant submits the form; once the licence is issued each correction costs $10.
• With no US address, use the office's own: 111 S University Ave, Provo, UT 84601. Then email with your licence number and your real address. If someone in the US can receive the certificate and courier it on, that is faster than international post.

Stage 2 — booking the ceremony

Once your documents are approved, book a date through the Utah County ceremony page. The ceremony costs $35.

Ceremonies use generic statutory text — do not expect anything personalised. They run during US business hours, Monday to Friday roughly 9:00 to 16:00 Mountain Time, and are closed on federal holidays.

At booking you upload the worksheet from your approval email.

Stage 3 — the ceremony

• Both of you plus two witnesses, all live on video.
• Identities are verified against photo ID before the ceremony begins.
• The officiant reads the warning described above. It is required by law, not a sign of a problem.
• If the licence was issued online, witnesses do not have to be physically with you.
• Witnesses must be over 18 and carry photo ID.
• Bring two rings. Vows are optional but recommended.
• Print the officiant voucher from your original approval email.

Afterwards the officiant files everything in the portal and you receive a digitally signed certificate by email. The original follows by regular post — around seven to ten days within the US, considerably longer internationally.

Apostille

If your home country needs to register the marriage, you will need an apostille on the certificate. Around $44 from the Utah Lieutenant Governor's office.

Once you have the certificate by email you can order a Certified Copy online, where an apostille service is offered: they print a copy, send it by registered post to the issuing authority, and it is forwarded to your address. The site explains the process and the forms in detail.

Congratulations.

---

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