Apply together at any Minnesota county, show proof of age, pay $125 for the licence, or $50 if you have done 12 hours of premarital education, and you can marry the same day. There is no waiting period. The licence is good for six months and works only inside Minnesota.
That is the whole answer. What trips couples up is the county-by-county machinery underneath it: which office, which hours, whether you both have to stand at the counter, and how the signed certificate finds its way back to you afterwards. I checked the statutes and four county pages in September 2026. Counties change forms, hours and payment rules, so ring the office before you drive there. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which county do you apply in?
Any of them. Minn. Stat. 517.07 says a licence "shall be obtained from the local registrar of any county within Minnesota" and that "the civil marriage need not take place in the county where the licence is obtained but must take place within the geographical borders of Minnesota". Residency is irrelevant: Hennepin County says outright that you do not have to be a Minnesota resident.
So choose on convenience, not on where the venue sits. Minneapolis and the west-metro suburbs are Hennepin; Saint Paul, Roseville and Shoreview are Ramsey; Apple Valley and Rosemount are Dakota; Blaine is Anoka. If you are getting married at a courthouse rather than just licensing there, my Minneapolis courthouse wedding guide and St. Paul courthouse wedding guide cover the ceremony side, and the Dakota County courthouse guide covers the third busiest option in the metro.
Do both of you have to show up in person?
It depends on the county, and this is the single biggest procedural difference between them.
- Ramsey County is the strictest of the four. Ramsey says licences must be requested in person and both parties must be present. If one cannot be, that person must provide a notarised Supplemental Marriage License Application plus a completed, notarised application.
- Anoka County lets you start online but says the process is not complete until both parties appear in person together within 10 days of submitting the application online.
- Hennepin County publishes three routes: both of you in person, one of you in person with the absent party's notarised forms, or a fully remote option in which neither of you visits a service centre and everything goes by post.
The statute itself is permissive. Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1b lets the local registrar examine the parties in person, by telephone or by web conference, and lets the registrar accept applications by mail, fax or electronic filing. Counties then narrow that down in practice, which is why the county page beats a general article every time.
What do you need to bring?
Proof of age for both of you, and enough detail to fill the form. Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1d accepts an original or certified copy of a birth certificate or birth record, a driver's licence or other government- or school-issued identification card, or another government record showing the date of birth. Hennepin lists a driver's licence, state ID or birth certificate as examples.
Subdivision 1a sets out what the application itself asks for: your full names; addresses and county and state of residence; ages and dates of birth; if either of you was married before, your married name from that marriage and the date, place and court where it ended, or the date and place of a former spouse's death; whether you are related; the address the registrar should send the certified certificate to; the names you will each use after the marriage; and your Social Security numbers, which are collected but do not appear on the licence. Ramsey asks for the same list at the counter.
Two things to settle before you go, because they are awkward to fix afterwards. First, the names you will use after the marriage are chosen on this form. Second, a party with a felony conviction cannot change their name through the marriage application and must use the separate court process in section 259.13.
How much does a Minnesota marriage licence cost?
Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1b sets the fee at $125, and $50 for parties who have completed at least 12 hours of premarital education. Because it is set in statute it is identical in every county; Hennepin and Anoka both publish the same two numbers.
To get the reduced fee you have to bring the paperwork on the day. The statute requires a statement from the educator, on their letterhead, signed, dated and either notarised or marked with a church seal, confirming that the education included a premarital inventory and the teaching of communication and conflict management skills. The educator must be a licensed or ordained minister or the minister's designee, or a person licensed to practise marriage and family therapy. The statute also prescribes the exact wording of that statement, and the names on it must match the names on the application exactly.
Watch the payment method. Dakota County adds a 2.49 percent convenience fee for credit and debit cards. Fees are non-refundable, so confirm the spelling of every name before you pay.
Is there a waiting period in Minnesota?
No. Chapter 517 sets no waiting period, and Anoka County states that the marriage packet is issued immediately and the marriage may occur the same day. That is unusual, and it is the reason Minnesota courthouse weddings can be arranged so quickly. It is also the biggest practical difference from Wisconsin, which is worth knowing if your venue sits over the river.
The licence is valid for six months from the day it is issued. If illness or another extenuating circumstance means you do not use it in time, the statute lets you surrender it to the local registrar for cancellation and get a replacement without a further fee. Six months sounds generous, but I would not collect it more than about three months out; a licence issued too early is a licence that expires while you are rescheduling.
Who has to be there, and what happens at the ceremony?
Two witnesses and an authorised officiant. Minn. Stat. 517.10 requires the certificate to carry the signatures of the parties in their legal names after marriage and of at least two of the witnesses present, who must be at least 16 years old. Who may legally stand at the front is a separate question with a specific answer: since 2025 every officiant, clergy included, has to register with a Minnesota county registrar first. The Minnesota elopement laws page sets that out section by section.
Age for the couple is straightforward: Minn. Stat. 517.02 makes a person capable of contracting a civil marriage at 18. If you are marrying at a county service centre rather than a venue, my Minneapolis courthouse wedding photography guide shows how those rooms and time slots actually work, and my guide to eloping in the Twin Cities covers the same day built around a licence and two witnesses.
How does the signed licence get back to you?
Your officiant handles the first step and the deadline is short. Minn. Stat. 517.10 requires the person who solemnised the marriage to complete and sign the certificate and file it with the local registrar of the county that issued the licence within five days of the ceremony. Hennepin puts a pre-addressed envelope in the packet for exactly this.
Then the county records it. Minn. Stat. 517.101 requires the local registrar, within ten days of receiving the certificate and after recording it, to prepare a certified copy and post it to the married parties, at the address you gave on the application. Hennepin says it will return your certified marriage certificate once it has been recorded. One certified copy is rarely enough if you are changing names, so order extras from the issuing county.
A timeline I would actually use
- Six months out: decide the names you will each use afterwards, and book premarital education if you want the reduced fee.
- Three months out: check your chosen county's page for hours, appointments and whether both of you must appear.
- Six to ten weeks out: apply. Book an appointment if the county offers one; Hennepin recommends it to avoid long waits.
- Two weeks out: give the licence packet to whoever is holding it on the day, usually the officiant or the planner, not the couple.
- Wedding day: two witnesses aged 16 or over sign, the officiant signs, and the packet goes straight back into someone's bag.
- Within five days: the officiant files. Set a calendar reminder to chase it.
Where that sits against everything else is in my Minnesota wedding day timeline template, and if you are still assembling your vendor list, when to book a wedding photographer in Minnesota covers the booking order. For a small ceremony built around the licence rather than a reception, see my courthouse wedding page and my work as a Minnesota elopement photographer.
Frequently asked questions
Can we get a Minnesota marriage licence in a different county from our venue?
Yes. Minn. Stat. 517.07 lets you obtain a licence from the local registrar of any county in Minnesota, and the ceremony does not have to happen in that county. The only geographic limit is that the marriage must take place inside Minnesota. Pick the county office that is easiest for both of you to reach on a weekday.
How long does a Minnesota marriage licence last?
Six months from the date it is issued, under Minn. Stat. 517.08, subd. 1b. If illness or another extenuating circumstance stops you using it in time, you may surrender it to the local registrar for cancellation and a new licence is issued on request without another fee. I would collect yours around two to three months before the wedding.
Do both of us have to go to the county office?
That depends on the county. Ramsey County requires both parties present unless the absent party supplies a notarised supplemental application. Anoka requires both of you in person together within 10 days of applying online. Hennepin publishes three routes including a fully remote option by post. Check the specific county page before you plan the trip.
How do we get the $50 marriage licence fee instead of $125?
Complete at least 12 hours of premarital education and bring the educator's statement when you apply. Minn. Stat. 517.08 requires that statement to be on the educator's letterhead, signed, dated and notarised or marked with a church seal, and the education must include a premarital inventory and teaching on communication and conflict management. The names must match your application exactly.
When do we get the certified marriage certificate?
After the ceremony the officiant files the signed certificate with the local registrar of the issuing county within five days. Minn. Stat. 517.101 then requires the registrar, within ten days of receiving it and after recording it, to prepare a certified copy and mail it to you at the address you listed on the application. Order additional certified copies from that county.
Sources
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 517.02, Persons capable of contracting
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 517.07, License
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 517.08, Application for license
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 517.10, Certificate; witnesses
- Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 517.101, Certified copies of civil marriage certificate
- Hennepin County: Marriage license
- Ramsey County: Marriage Licenses
- Anoka County: Marriage License Applications
- Dakota County: Marriage Officiant Registration
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