How to Obtain a Marriage License

If you are getting married in the State of New Hampshire, in order to obtain a license, please remember that both parties need to be present at the Town Clerk's office.

• It takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to process.
• As a result, no marriage licenses are issued after 3:30 p.m.
• Once issued, there is no longer any waiting period before the license is valid in any New Hampshire city or town provided all signatures and statutory requirements are met.
• There is a 90-day expiration date on each license.
• The State of New Hampshire does not require any blood tests.

Necessary Documentation & Information:

• Proof of age/picture ID
• a certified copy of the death certificate of a former spouse, if the applicant is widowed;
• a certified copy of the divorce or dissolution decree, if the applicant is divorced; and/or
• a certified copy of annulment, if the applicant' s previous marriage was annulled.
• Both parties need to provide the following information:
• • Full Name
  • Address
  • Social Security Number
  • Race (optional)
  • Ancestry (optional)
  • Years of Education (optional)
  • Date of Birth
  • State of Birth
  • Father's Full Name and State of Birth
  • Mother's Full Name (Maiden) and State of Birth
  • Officiant contact information

Fees:  $50.00

After the Ceremony

Once the officiant has filed the license with this office after the ceremony, certified copies of the certificate are available for $15 for the first copy and $10 for subsequent copies issued at the same time. These copies are not automatically generated, one of the participants must return to a Town Clerk's office to apply for the certified copy. If name changes are preferred after the ceremony, you should present certified copies of the certificate to any agency where the name changes are to be recorded (DMV, Social Security Office, etc.). Bow Town Clerk's office can provide certified copies of certificates for marriages that occurred in Bow, NH as well as for marriages that occurred in any city or town in the State of NH after 1990.