Marriages

How to Obtain a Marriage License
Civil Ceremonies
Information on Marriage Transcripts
Apostilles
Frequently Asked Questions

We are currently issuing marriage licenses in-person BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
^{NOTE: The Town of Henrietta is not issuing marriage licenses virtually.}

What is a Marriage License?

In order for a wedding ceremony to be considered a legal marriage, one must apply for and be issued a marriage license prior to the ceremony.  A marriage license is issued on the same day a couple applies (please see below for information on how to obtain a marriage license), but a marriage license is NOT proof of marriage. 

Following your wedding ceremony, the officiant will complete the bottom portion of the marriage license indicating who they are, where and when the ceremony took place, and the witness(es) will sign.  New York State’s Domestic Relations Law §14 states that the entire marriage license should be returned to us within five (5) days of the wedding ceremony. 

Once the ENTIRE completed license is returned to the Town Clerk’s Office, we will issue a Marriage Certificate.  The Marriage Certificate is the legal document required to prove that you are legally married.  The Marriage Certificate will be automatically mailed within five (5) business days after the completed license is returned by the marriage officiant. Couples who do not receive a Marriage Certificate within four (4) weeks of the wedding should contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (585) 359-7035.

How to Obtain a Marriage License

It is not necessary to obtain a Marriage License in the municipality in which the applicants are being married and you do not need to be a resident of Henrietta in order to apply in our office.  Marriage Licenses applied for in our office are valid for ceremonies held within New York State, except for the five (5) boroughs of New York City. Please note that per Domestic Relations Law §15-a, marriages are prohibited if either party is under the age of 18.

For more information on getting married in New York State, including who can perform a marriage ceremony, please visit the New York State Department of Health’s website.

Hours
Marriage Licenses are currently issued BY APPOINTMENT ONLY on Tuesdays between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays between 12:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.  Please call us at (585) 359-7035 to set up an appointment. 

Marriage License Validity / Waiting Period
Marriage Licenses must be obtained at least 24 hours before the ceremony, and the license is valid for sixty (60) days following the 24 hour waiting period.

Required Documentation / Fees
The following list will guide you on what each person will need to bring with them in order to obtain a license from the Henrietta Town Clerk’s Office.  Please note that both applicants must be present in order to apply for a Marriage License.

• Proof of Age:
  Each applicant must be 18 years of age or older and supply two of the following documents listed in Domestic Relations Law §15. However, when selecting documents to bring with you to the appointment, you must ensure that at least one document serves as photo identification and at least one document includes your date of birth.
  • Original or certified copy of a birth record;
  • Certification of birth issued by the State Department of Health, a local registrar of vital statistics, or other public officer charged with similar duties by the laws of any other state, territory or country;
  • Baptismal record;
  • Passport;
  • Automobile driver's license;
  • Any government or school issued identification card that contains a photograph of the applicant;
  • Life insurance policy;
  • Employment certificate;
  • School record;
  • Immigration record;
  • Naturalization record;
  • Court record or any other document or record issued by a governmental entity, showing the date of birth of such parties.

     

• Previous Marriage Information:
  If this is not the first marriage for either party, a time-stamped copy of the Divorce Decree or Death Certificate (with raised seal) for each previous marriage must be presented.
   
• Fee:
  The fee is $40.00* and includes the issuance of one (1) Marriage Certificate. We accept cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Please note that there is 2.45% service fee or a minimum of $1.55 service fee for credit and debit card payments.  This fee is not charged nor collected by the Town of Henrietta, but the payment processor.
   
• Name Changes:
  It is important for applicants to be prepared to indicate whether they would like to change their name upon marriage when applying for a Marriage License. Please note that a person's name does not automatically change upon marriage, neither party must change their name, and parties to a marriage do not need to have the same last name.
   
  • Last name (surname) options are as follows:
    • the surname of the other spouse; or
    • any former surname of either spouse; or
    • a name combining into a single surname all or a segment of the premarriage surname or any former surname of each spouse; or
    • a combination name separated by a hyphen or space, provided that each part of such combination surname is the premarriage surname, or any former surname, of each of the spouses.
       
  • Middle name options are as follows:
    As of December 20, 2020, New York State Domestic Relations Law §15 was changed to allow one or both parties to a marriage elect to change not only their last name (surname), but also their middle name on their marriage license.
    • the current surname of the spouse electing to change his or her name; or
    • any former surname of the spouse electing to change his or her name; or
    • the surname of the other spouse.

Although plenty of married couples have changed their middle name prior to this law change, by now allowing couples to identify a changed middle name on the marriage license, the resulting marriage certificate serves as a record of the name change and proof that the use of the new name, or retention of the former name, is lawful.

*Note for Active Duty Military
If either party applying for a marriage license is a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty, there is no fee for the marriage license per Domestic Relations Law §14-A and Henrietta Town Board Resolution #24-305/2019. New York State Executive Law §354-D also extends the solemnization period for marriage licenses issued to active duty military, so it would be valid for 180 days following the 24-hour waiting period. If you are active duty, please bring your military ID card with you to the marriage license appointment.  

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Civil Ceremonies

The Town of Henrietta offers the following options for civil ceremonies:

• Marriage Officer
  To schedule an appointment with our Marriage Officer, Janet Howland, please email jhowland@henrietta.org or call (585) 359-7035 so we can put you in touch with her. Please note that our Marriage Officer is only able to perform civil ceremonies at Town Hall and within Veterans Memorial Park.

• Town Justice
  To schedule an appointment with one of the Town Justices, please call (585) 359-2640 or email court@henrietta.org and the Court Clerks will put you in touch with one of the Town Justices.

• One-Day Marriage Officiant
  Effective March 28, 2023, individuals can apply for a One-Day Marriage Officiant License in order to solemnize a marriage ceremony on a single occasion, allowing an opportunity for individuals to perform civil ceremonies for their friends and family. The One-Day Marriage Officiant License would be valid for only the specific couple listed on the application and would therefore expire either following the couple’s ceremony or upon expiration of the couple’s marriage license.

  ​​​​More information about applying for the One-Day Marriage Officiant License:

  • Must be 18 years of age or older.
  • Do not have to be a resident of the city, town, or state in which the marriage is being performed.
  • Do not have to be in person to apply.
  • Must submit application to the same municipality that issues the couple's marriage license.
  • $25 fee

One-Day Marriage Officiant License Application

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Information on Marriage Transcripts

If you originally obtained your Marriage License from the Town of Henrietta and need an additional transcript, the Town Clerk’s Office can provide a Certified Transcript of Marriage. A Certified Transcript of Marriage is an abstract from the marriage record issued with a Town seal. It includes the names of the contracting parties, their residence at the time the license was issued, date and place of marriage as well as date and place of birth of both parties. A Certified Transcript of Marriage may be used as proof that a marriage occurred.

Marriage Records are not public information, therefore they are only released to a party listed on the record or an individual authorized by one of the listed parties. If you are able to visit our office during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), you can request a Certified Transcript of Marriage right at the Town Clerk’s Office counter as long as you have valid identification and are a party listed on the Marriage Record. If you are not able to stop by the Town Clerk’s Office in person, you would need to complete the Application for Copy of Marriage Record.

Fees
Each Certified Transcript of Marriage Record is $10.00.  If you need your Certified Transcript of Marriage Record(s) mailed to you, in order to expedite the turnaround time, you can now pay online. Please note that there is a $1.55 service fee for online credit/debit payments and a $2.00 service fee for e-Checks; this fee is not charged nor collected by the Town of Henrietta, but the payment processor. To pay online, contact us at townclerk@henrietta.org or (585) 359-7035 and we'll send you the link.

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Apostilles

In order to use your Marriage Certificate or Certified Transcript of Marriage Record in a foreign country, you will most likely need an Apostille from New York State in order to authenticate the document. 

• In order to receive an Apostille for a Marriage Certificate or Certified Transcript of Marriage Record, you will need to first take that document to the Monroe County Clerk’s Office to obtain an “Oath of Office Certificate” for a $5.00 fee.  Please note that you do NOT need to be listed on the marriage record in order to receive the “Oath of Office Certificate” from Monroe County.

Monroe County Clerk
Attn: Oath of Office
39 West Main Street
Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 753-1600

• You will then need to send the Marriage Certificate or Certified Transcript of Marriage, “Oath of Office Certificate”, and a $10.00 fee to New York State for the Apostille.

New York Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
Apostille and Authentication Unit
PO Box 22001
Albany, NY 12201-2001

For more information on Apostilles, please visit the Department of State’s website at: https://dos.ny.gov/apostille-or-certificate-authentication.