Marriage License Requirements

HOW TO APPLY FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN NEW YORK STATE AT THE SODUS TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE:

Please fill out "MARRIAGE WORKSHEET" (ATTACHED BELOW) with full names and all information as it is listed EXACTLY on your documentation and bring in with you when you apply for your license. 

PROOF OF AGE AND IDENTITY:

1. Long Form Birth Certificate issued by the Vital Registrar or Dept. of Health 

or 

2. Baptismal Record 

or

3. Naturalization Record 

or

4.Census Record 

and 

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IDENTITY-RELATED DOCUMENTS:

1. Valid Drivers License or Non Drivers ID

or

2. Valid Passport

or

Valid Employment Picture ID

or 

Immigration Record 

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS:

1. Social Security Card

or

2. Past Income Tax Forms 

or 

3. Any document providing proof of your entire Social Security Number on the form 

NOTE: Social Security Numbers of the applicants are mandatory. They are required by NY State Domestic Relations Law Section 15 and 42 U.S.C. 666(a).  They may be used for child support enforcement purposes. 

PREVIOUS MARRIAGE(S) DOCUMENTATION:

1. All previous divorce decrees

or 

2. Certified Death Certificate 

(if applicable)

COST:

$40.00

Note: We accept Cash, Check's , Money Order's, Credit Cards, and Debit Cards

Note: Credit and Debit Cards will be charge $1.75 fee in addition to the $40.00

WAITING PERIOD:

Although the marriage license is issued immediately, the marriage ceremony may not take place within 24 hours from the exact time that the license was issued.

HOW LONG IS THE LICENSE VALID:

A marriage license is valid for 60 days, beginning the day after it is issued. 

AGE REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR MARRIAGE LICENSE:

The age of consent is now 18 years old, or 17 with either parental or judicial consent would be necessary.

(Please contact the Sodus Town Clerk's Office with questions)

WHO CAN PERFORM A MARRIAGE CEREMONY:

To be valid, a marriage ceremony must be performed by any of the individuals specified in Section 11 of the NY State Domestic Relations Law. These include:

• the mayor of a city or village;
• the former mayor, the city clerk or one of the deputy city clerks of a city of more than one million inhabitants;
• a marriage officer appointed by the town or village board or the city common council;
• a justice or judge of the following courts: the U.S. COURT of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern or Western Districts of the New York, the NYS Court of Appeals, the Appellate Division of the NYS Supreme Court, the NYS Supreme Court, the Court of Claims, the Family Court, a Surrogates' Court, the Civil and Criminal Courts of New York City (including Housing Judges of the Civil Court) and other courts of record;
• a village, town or county justice;
• a member of the clergy or minister who has been officially  ordained or granted authority to perform marriage ceremonies from a governing church body in accordance with the rules and regulations of the church body;
• a member of the clergy or minister who is not authorized by a governing church body in accordance with the rules and regulations of the church body;
• a member of the clergy or minister who is not authorized by a governing church body but who has been chose by a spiritual group to preside over the spiritual affairs;
• other officiants as specified by Section 11 of the Domestic Relations Law.

The person performing the ceremony must be registered with the City of New York in order to perform a ceremony within the New York City limits. The officiant does not have to be a resident of New York State. 

Ship Captains are not authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in New York Sate.