If you've just set a date for your wedding, this can be an ...
If you've just set a date for your wedding, this can be an exciting time for the two of you! Don't let the marriage
license laws of Michigan put a dent in your wedding plans.
Here's what you need to know and what documents to bring with you before you apply for a Michigan marriage
license. We recommend getting this legal aspect of your wedding out of the way about a month before your
wedding date.Congratulations and much happiness as you begin your lifetime journey together!
Residency Requirement in Michigan:
You do not have to be a resident of Michigan, but the fee is $10 more for non-residents.
Residents need to apply for their marriage license in the county in which one of them lives. Non-residents
need to apply
for their marriage license in the county where they plan on getting married.
"Even though you apply for your marriage license in the county you live in, you can get married any place
in Michigan." Source: Macomb County Web Site
Previous Marriage:
You need to know the date (mm/dd/yy) and how the last marriage ended. If it was within the last 6
months, you will need to bring proof of the divorce that can be left with the Clerk.
One reader noted: "At least in Muskegon County, regardless of when the divorce was finalized, a copy of the divorce
degree needs to be presented. (found out the hard way.)"
ID Requirement in Michigan:
Picture id such as Drivers License. You can also use Military ID, DD 214, You must also have a certified
copy of your birth certificates. You will also need to know your parents’ addresses, and your mothers' maiden names.
Foreign birth certificates need to be translated into English, and be notarized.
Waiting Period:
There is a three (3) day waiting period in Michigan. The waiting period does not include the application day. The
waiting period may be waived by the county clerk for "good and sufficient cause shown." Fees in Michigan:
$20 if you are a resident of Michigan. $30 for non-residents. Some counties may charge more. Bring cash.
Most counties do not accept checks.
Requirements and fees may vary as each county in Michigan could have their own requirements.
Other Tests:
None.
Cousin Marriages:
No.
Common Law Marriages:
No, unless entered into the relationship prior to January 1, 1957.
Same Sex Marriages:
No. In November, 2004, voters passed a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.
Under 18:
If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can get married with parental consent. Your parents must appear with their own
identification and if a custodial parent, proof of their custody. If you are 15 or younger, you will need both parental
consent and the approval of the probate court.
Secret Marriages:
Back in 1897, secret marriages were approved. If a couple requests a secret marriage, if permitted by a judge, after the
ceremony is solemnized, the officiant returns the certificate, but the judge may seal the file and allow no publicity
about the marriage.
What Qualifies One for a Secret Marriage?
Witnesses:
Witnesses do not have to be 18 years of age, but they do need to be able to understand what they are witnessing, and
o be able to sign their legal signature.
Officiants:
Marriages may be performed by federal, probate, district, and municipal judges, and district court magistrates,
in their court area; mayors, in their city; County clerks; ministers and pastors of the gospel, both resident and
non-resident. The Michigan Statutes also have a provision that allows for marriages to "be solemnized in
the manner heretofore used and practiced in their respective societies or denominations."
PLEASE NOTE:
State and county marriage license requirements often change. The above information is for guidance only and should
not be regarded as legal advice. It is important that you verify all information with your local marriage
license office or county clerk before making any wedding or travel plans.
|Grounds for |Underage; insanity; idiocy; physical incapacity to consummate; force or fraud |
|Annulment | |
|Time Limits for Obtaining Annulment |Underage: Unless they freely cohabit upon reaching majority; Incapacity: 2 years from marriage; Lunatic: |
| |Unless upon restoration of reason, they freely cohabit; Force or fraud: Unless there is voluntary |
| |cohabitation prior to commencement of suit |
|Legitimacy of |Issue of marriage void for nonage or bigamy or insanity are legitimate. |
|Children | |
|Prohibited |Bigamous; those with syphilis or gonorrhea (felony); same sex; marriage between ancestors or descendants, |
|Marriages |brother and sister (blood or affinity), aunt and nephew, uncle and niece, first cousins |
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