Marriage Licenses

Requirements & Fees

Both applicants must be 18 years of age, unless emancipated by a court order (Virginia Code § 20-48)
Both applicants must appear and present a valid government-issued photo identification, including foreign identification legible in English
Fee for a marriage license is $30 (payable by cash or credit card (PDF))
Loudoun County residency, proof of divorce, witnesses or blood tests are not required to obtain a marriage license from Loudoun County Clerk of Circuit Court

Parties are encouraged to complete and submit an Application Online prior to arriving to the courthouse; alternatively, application can be completed upon arrival
Once application is submitted, applicants should schedule In-Office Appointment or Virtual Appearance Appointment
Marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and is to be used for a marriage ceremony in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Marriage license can’t be issued retroactively
Marriage license/certificate can’t be issued to document a marriage that had taken place outside the United States; legal marriages that take place overseas are recognized as legal and documentation supplied by a foreign agency will serve as proof of marriage
Unused/expired marriage licenses must be returned back to the Clerk’s Office (Virginia Code § 20-21)

Couple is responsible for making arrangements for the ceremony and marriage officiant
Clerk's office does not have anyone on staff to perform marriage ceremonies
Clerk's office does not have a venue to hold ceremonies
List of Civil Celebrants (PDF) qualified by Loudoun County Circuit Court; person performing the ceremony is permitted to charge fees (Virginia Code § 20-27)
Officiant will retain both copies of the marriage license and shall file it with the Clerk of the Circuit Court within 5 days following the ceremony (Virginia Code §32.1-267 (C))
Celebrants are encouraged to review Notice and Instructions for Celebrants (PDF) prior to performing a ceremony

Clerk’s Office (for licenses issued by Loudoun County Clerk of Circuit Court); fee is $2.50 per copy:
- Complete request and submit payment via online request system. Certified copies are mailed to address you provide, or
- Complete and mail in request form (PDF), or
- Request copies in person by visiting the courthouse.
Copy of a license under a "triple seal" (required for an Apostille/Great Seal to be presented at foreign agencies) can be obtained at the issuing Clerk’s Office; fee is $5 per copy
Virginia Department of Health-Division of Vital Records and DMV issue copies of marriage records for ceremonies that took place anywhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Authentications (issued as either a Great Seal or an Apostille) are done by the Secretary of the Commonwealth; contact Authentication Office directly for details
Single Status Certificates are issued by the Virginia Department of Health-Division of Vital Records

Appointment is preferred
Fee to amend a marriage license after the marriage has been performed is $10
Party amending the information shall present proof of the requested change-original document with certified translation if applicable; please contact our division regarding specific documentation required for your specific circumstances
Customers requesting amendment to their marriage license should arrive no later than 3:30pm to allow sufficient time for processing