Popular Courthouse Wedding Locations
Each city has its own process for marriage licenses and civil ceremonies.
Our guides walk you through the details.
Atlanta
Get married for as little as $28.50 at Fulton County Probate Court, where the Forever Fridays program offers free walk-in ceremonies every week.
Austin
Five Justice of the Peace precincts, no residency requirement, and total costs from $180 to $280 for a Travis County courthouse wedding.
Boston
Boston City Hall offers two ceremony rooms, a $125 total cost, and a short walk to some of the best photo backdrops in the Northeast.
Charlotte
Same-day courthouse weddings at Mecklenburg County with no waiting period, no residency requirement, and a total cost of just $80.
Chicago
Chicago offers a $70 total cost for a civil ceremony at the Richard J. Daley Center, one of the most affordable courthouse weddings in any major U.S. city.
Columbus
Columbus courthouse weddings cost just $90 at Franklin County Municipal Court, no waiting period, no residency, and free ceremonies by volunteer judges.
Dallas
Dallas County has five Justice of the Peace courts with different schedules, no residency or witness requirements, and total costs from $181 to $481.
Denver
Denver allows self-solemnization with no officiant or witnesses, no waiting period, and a $30 license, one of the easiest states to get legally married.
Detroit
Detroit has two courthouse wedding paths: a $10 ceremony at the 36th District Court or a $150 private ceremony at the Wayne County Clerk's Office.
Honolulu
Honolulu has no waiting period, no witnesses, no residency requirement, and beach ceremony options across Oahu, with total costs from $165 to $365.
Houston
Three courthouse venues, a $60 savings with an online premarital course, and total costs from $121, plus free ceremonies for military families.
Las Vegas
Get legally married for about $180 with no waiting period, no residency requirement, and a marriage bureau open 365 days a year until midnight.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County has seven courthouse locations for civil ceremonies, no waiting period, no residency requirement, and same-day appointments available.
Miami
Get married in Miami-Dade County for just $116, no residency requirement, no waiting period for non-residents, and same-day license-and-ceremony available.
Minneapolis
Minneapolis has two venues, the Hennepin County Government Center and City Hall Rotunda, with no residency requirement and total costs from $85 to $170.
Nashville
Nashville courthouse weddings cost under $105 total, no waiting period, no residency requirement, and free ceremonies by General Sessions Court judges.
New Orleans
New Orleans has one of the cheapest marriage licenses at $27.50, no residency requirement, and a 24-hour wait that can be waived for all couples.
New York City
Get married at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau for just $70 total, with same-day appointments via Project Cupid and no residency requirement.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia courthouse weddings cost just $90, and Pennsylvania's self-uniting (Quaker) license lets couples marry without any officiant.
Phoenix
Phoenix has no waiting period, no residency requirement, a 12-month license validity, and same-day courthouse weddings with total costs of $198 to $218.
Portland
Portland offers courthouse weddings with Mount Hood views, a $5 waiver for Oregon's three-day waiting period, and total costs under $200.
Sacramento
Sacramento County has two Clerk/Recorder locations for civil ceremonies, no waiting period, no residency requirement, and costs starting at $120.
San Antonio
Get a Bexar County marriage license for $81, save $60 with Twogether in Texas, and book a Justice of the Peace ceremony with no residency requirement.
San Diego
San Diego has a waterfront courthouse with a bougainvillea-covered outdoor ceremony area, no waiting period, four locations, and costs starting at $253.
San Francisco
Get married in a Beaux-Arts landmark for just $238, with no residency requirement, no waiting period, and a rotunda that photographs like a $50,000 venue.
Seattle
Seattle has two downtown courthouse venues, weekend ceremony availability, and a marriage license valid statewide, with total costs from $249 to $469.
Tampa
Tampa courthouse weddings start at $91 with a premarital course discount, walk-ins welcome at three Hillsborough County locations, no residency required.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has no residency, no waiting period, no witnesses needed, and a license that never expires, all for $45 plus a free civil ceremony.