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Marriage in NH

Age requirements

  • 18 years of age without parental consent.
  • Females (16 – 17) and Males (16 – 17) need consent of parent or guardian and a Waiver. (See Waivers below)
  • Females under 16 and Males under 16 are prohibited from being married under any condition.

Residence Requirements

None - Couples wishing to be married in NH may complete application regardless of residence.

Application

Both parties must appear in person and sign the application. Armed forces personnel may forward an affidavit prepared by armed services or legal representatives to the Town Clerk if they can not appear in person. Falsification of any fact may make the applicant subject to criminal prosecution.

Marriage License Fees -$50

Certified copies of the marriage certificate can also be obtained for a fee from the Town Clerk where the license was filed.

Document Requirements

  • Proof of age; such as driver’s license or non-driver’s license
  • Certified copy of a death certificate of former spouse, if applicable;
  • Certified copy of a final divorce decree, if applicable;
  • Certified copy of an annulment, if applicable.

License Validity Period

A license may be issued the same day of the application, provided all signatures and statutory requirements are met. The license is valid for not more than 90 days from the date of filing.

The couple cannot retroactively use the license. •Example: Were married on Saturday but apply for the license the following Monday. New “ceremony” is needed that follows after the license date.

Marriage officiant has 6 days to return a Marriage license. Can go over the 90 days as long as the ceremony happened before. The couple has a 90 day period to use the Marriage license.

Waiver - Party Under Age

When either of the parties is under 18 but meets the minimum age requirements (female 16 – 17 and male 16 – 17), he or she may request permission to marry from a Justice of the Superior Court or a Judge of the Probate Court of the county in which one of the applicants resides. The request shall be in writing and the parents or guardian of the applicant shall join in the request. The Town Clerk must see the court-issued age waiver before issuing the marriage license to a couple if at least one of the parties is below the age of consent.  

No age waiver shall be granted to persons below the age of consent (18) if both parties are nonresidents. See the Town Clerk for more details.

Solemnization

In NH marriage may be perform by -

1-A Justice of the Peace commissioned in N.H. (RSA 457:31)

2-Ordained Clergy residing in N.H. (RSA 457:31)

3-Unordained Clergy residing in N.H. and have obtained a license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:31-a)

4-Non-Resident Ordained or Non-Ordained Minister and have obtained a license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:32)

5-Non-Resident Ordained Minister and have a Pastoral Charge in N.H. City/Town: ____________ (RSA 457:31)

6-Quakers/Religious Society of Friends and Jewish Rabbis residing in N.H. (RSA 457:31-b)

8-Non-Resident Justice of the Peace or other individuals who are qualified in their state of residence to perform marriages and have obtained a license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:32)

9-Non-Resident Jewish Rabbi and have obtained a license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:31-b)

10-U.S. Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge residing in NH, or N.H. Supreme Court Justice, N.H. Superior Court Judge, N.H. Circuit Court Judge and have obtained license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:32-a)

11-Special Marriage Officiant/Any Individual and have obtained a license from the N.H. Secretary of State (RSA 457:32-b)

The link below, has information on any of the following that need something extra done with the Secretary of State to be legally able to solemnize a marriage. Numbers 3,4,8,10 and 11 all fall under this category. 

NH-SOS - Special Marriage license

Choosing Your Married Name

Effective January 1, 2015 any couple who applies for a marriage license, must choose how they would like their married name to appear on their marriage license. There are a few things to keep in mind when filling out this portion of your application.

1-If you don’t wish to change your name, you must still print your name in the boxes. They may not be left blank.

2-If you change your mind after your marriage and don’t want to use the married name you selected, you will be required to go through the Legal Name Change process with the court system.

3-Both parties are permitted to change their names, with the following restrictions:

a.Surname: One of you may take the other’s surname; one or both of you may take both full surnames as a hyphenated last name; no other surname may be selected.

b.Middle Name: If you are changing your surname, you may take your current surname as your middle name or keep your current middle name. You may not keep your current middle name and take your current surname as a second middle name. No other middle name can be selected.

c.First Name: You cannot change your first name using your marriage license.

See the Town Clerk for other persons who may be permitted to perform marriages within the state after obtaining a special license from the Secretary of State.

Blood Test

  • New Hampshire does not require a blood test.
  • Marriage is not permitted in NH between people who are related by blood as first cousins or in anymore direct lineage.