Marriage Licenses
Marriage License Requirements
- Age – 18 and over
All individuals must provide either a valid government-issued form of identification with photo, name and date of birth, or a valid passport.
- Age – 16 and 17
A minor the age of sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years must provide a certified birth certificate from the state or country they were born in. Both parents if living who are shown on the minor's birth certificate, must sign a written consent allowing the minor to apply for the marriage license. A written consent may be provided in person at the Clerk's Office, or if not in person, through a notarized statement. If one parent is deceased, a certified copy of the death certificate must be provided. A parent signing the consent form in person must present current photo identification that shows their name as matching their name on the birth certificate. Unless a parent is deceased, if one parent is unable or unwilling to sign the consent form, then the minor must obtain an authorization to marry from the district court and provide a certified copy of the court order authorizing marriage to the County Clerk for filing.
- Age – Under 16
A district court order is required (no alternative) for individuals under the age of 16, along with the documents listed above.
- Other Requirements
Both applicants must be present at the time of the marriage license application process.
CASH ONLY FOR MARRIAGE LICENSES
Fee: $25.00 cash only (no checks) must be paid at the time the license is issued.
Certified Copies are $5.00
Information:
- No blood test is required.
- No waiting period prior to obtaining a marriage license.
- No expiration on license. (The license never expires!)
Marriage Arrangements
- Marriage ceremonies may be performed in any county in the State of New Mexico.
- Individuals are responsible for making their own marriage arrangements and must provide a valid license to the person performing the ceremony.
- For a civil ceremony in Santa Fe County, the following are court names and phone numbers that perform a marriage ceremony by appointment:
- Magistrate Court – (505) 984-9914
- Municipal Court – (505) 955-5070
- Probate Court – (505) 992-1636
The marriage license should be mailed or returned in person to the Santa Fe County Clerk’s office within 90 days of the ceremony. The Clerk’s office will record it upon receipt.
Marriage License FAQs
Click on questions to view answers
1. A marriage license costs $25.00 cash only.
2. Both people must be present at the same time to fill out the application.
3. Both people must show their driver's licenses, or other government issued photo ID (NMSA 40-1-10B).
A. The probate judge can perform wedding ceremonies by appointment only. You can call Judge Cordilia Montoya directly at (505) 992-1636 on Wednesdays or Fridays, or leave a message to her voicemail.
A. Yes (NMSA 40-1-10B).
A. Yes. Two witnesses over the age of 18 must be present at the marriage ceremony (NMSA 40-1-2).
A. No. We certify the marriage application, which is kept on file. The marriage license is not. You can research and purchase any marriage application by going to the online ClerkTrackWeb portal, logging in with username PUBLIC, password PUBLIC and clicking the marriage license section.
A. Call our main number (505) 986-6280 and we will transfer you to a staff member who can schedule you. You will have to contact a judge, ordained person, or other officiant to make arrangements for the ceremony separately. We can provide a list of judges’ phone numbers when you come in.
A. No, we are currently selling marriage licenses to couples from out-of-county or out-of-state.
A. It does not matter who brings the marriage license as long as it is brought in for recording within 90 days of the ceremony(NMSA 40-1-15A). Either spouse or both can bring it in person, or it can be mailed (we will provide an envelope with our address), or a friend, relative, etc. may bring it for recordation.
A. We do not require proof of ordination nor is the minister required to register his/her credentials. As long as the officiant is ordained in some religious organization or is a recognized tribal official empowered to perform a wedding ceremony. (NMSA 40-1-2).
A. No. We certify the marriage application, which is kept on file. The marriage license is not.
A. No, it does not expire, but we ask that you bring it back to record within 90 days of the marriage ceremony being performed. This will avoid the potential of the document getting damaged, lost or destroyed. If this information is lost, it may not be possible to reproduce it and this can lead to complications later.