Arizona Wedding Laws

Written and updated for precision by the Arizona marriage law research team at GetOrdained™ on August 18, 2022

As far as wedding destinations go, Arizona offers some spectacular views. The Grand Canyon State may be picturesque, but there are still a number of important points a couple should be familiar with before tying the knot. From explaining the requirements for officiants to giving a clear picture of how to properly obtain a marriage license, this guide by the United Life Church Ministries covers all pertinent details related to the legal side of weddings in Arizona. Making a mistake when it comes to marriage license paperwork can cause some major setbacks for a couple. To feel confident that you’re covering all your bases, it can be wise to review the basics. Whether you’re an officiant with questions or a couple looking to be sure all of your affairs are in order, review this guide to learn more.

How to Become a Wedding Officiant in Arizona

Min. Age of Minister:: Age 18
Residency:: Not Required
Document(s) Required:: Varies by City/County
Online Ordination Recognized:: Yes
Relevant Office of Registration:: County Clerk
Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:: After Ceremony
Minister I.D. # Issued:: No

Become Ordained

In the state of Arizona, the specifics surrounding what an officiant must do varies between counties. The one restriction across all counties is that officiants must be at least 18 years of age in order to conduct the ceremony. To understand whether or not the county requires the minister to provide any official paperwork detailing his or her status, the officiant should reach out to the county clerk’s office. To guarantee you have all of the proper credentials handy, the Universal Life Church suggests taking a look at the Classic Wedding Package. This package includes everything an officiant needs to prove officiant status.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

25-124. Persons authorized to perform marriage ceremony; definition

A. The following are authorized to solemnize marriages between persons who are authorized to marry:

Duly licensed or ordained clergymen.
Judges of courts of record.
Municipal court judges.
Justices of the peace.
Justices of the United States supreme court.
Judges of courts of appeals, district courts and courts that are created by an act of Congress if the judges are entitled to hold office during good behavior.
Bankruptcy court and tax court judges.
United States magistrate judges.
Judges of the Arizona court of military appeals.

B. For the purposes of this section, "licensed or ordained clergymen" includes ministers, elders or other persons who by the customs, rules and regulations of a religious society or sect are authorized or permitted to solemnize marriages or to officiate at marriage ceremonies.

Getting Married in Arizona

Marriage By Proxy Allowed:: No
Minister Required to be Present:: Yes
Number of Witnesses Required:: 2
Min. Age of Witnesses:: 18 Years
Couple's Consent Required:: Yes
Pronouncement Required:: Yes

Arizona does not place any major restrictions on the wedding ceremony itself. This allows the couple to plan their event based on whatever personal rituals they’d like. However, it is mandatory that both members of the couple be physically present during the ceremony itself. The one major requirement in Arizona is that the couple must make a declaration of consent to the union. This must take place before the officiant and at least two other witnesses. The officiant and witnesses must then sign the marriage license along with the couple.

In most cases, the official declaration of consent occurs when both members of the couple state “I do” during the ceremony. If the couple is not having a traditional ceremony, it is important to remember to clearly consent in order for the marriage to be considered valid.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

25-125. Marriage ceremony; official; witnesses; marriage license; covenant marriages

A. A valid marriage is contracted by a male person and a female person with a proper marriage license who participate in a ceremony conducted by and in the presence of a person who is authorized to solemnize marriages and at which at least two witnesses who are at least eighteen years of age participate.

B. A marriage license shall be signed by both persons married, two of the witnesses to the marriage ceremony and the person who solemnized the marriage, who shall return the signed marriage license to the clerk of the superior court for recording.

How to Get an Arizona Marriage License

Who Picks Up License:: The Couple
Where License is Valid:: Any County in Arizona
Marriage License Pick-Up:: In Person Only
Cost of License:: $83.00
Accepted I.D. Types:: Photo ID
Proof of Divorce Required (If Applicable):: No
Blood Test Required:: No

To obtain an application for a marriage license in AZ, the couple is required to be physically present at the county clerk’s office. The couple must bring along documentation confirming their identities, including a photo ID or passport. Though an in-person request is preferred, certain counties will allow couples to apply by mail. Review the guidelines of the county in which you reside to confirm current protocols.

If you have been married before, the state does not require you bring along any paperwork proving that you are legally separated from your previous spouse. The current fee for a marriage license in Arizona is $83.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

25-121. Marriage license; application; affidavit

A. Persons shall not be joined in marriage in this state until a license has been obtained for that purpose from the clerk of the superior court in any county of this state. This subsection does not apply to the conversion of an existing marriage that is valid in this state to a covenant marriage pursuant to section 25-902.

B. Persons who wish to marry shall apply to the clerk of the superior court for a license and shall complete and sign under oath an affidavit provided by the clerk that states each applicant's name, age and residential address. The affidavit shall include a statement by the applicants that they understand that information on sexually transmitted diseases is available from the county health department on request and that these diseases may be transmitted to their unborn children. The applicants shall provide their social security numbers to the clerk separately from the affidavit. The affidavit shall be filed by the clerk who shall then issue to the applicants a license directed to the persons authorized by law to solemnize marriage and shall collect the fee prescribed by section 12-284. The license is sufficient authority for any authorized person to solemnize the marriage. The marriage license shall state that the marriage license expires one year from the date of issuance of the license.

C. Except for release to the department of economic security for the purpose of child support enforcement, the social security number provided to the clerk of the superior court pursuant to subsection B of this section for an applicant's marriage license shall not be released to any person or entity unless the applicant requests in writing that the information be released. The provisions of this subsection shall appear in each application for a marriage license.

25-127. Issuance of marriage license by a city or town; transfer of fees; handling fee

D. The local clerk shall collect the fee prescribed under section 12-284 and transmit it to the clerk of the superior court. The local clerk may retain one dollar fifty cents from the fee prescribed under section 12-284.

12-284. Fees

(L18, Ch. 232, sec. 1)

A. Except as otherwise provided by law, the clerk of the superior court shall receive fees classified as follows:

G Special fees

Marriage license and return of a marriage license $ 83.00

Applying For a Marriage License in Arizona

ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:: Religious
Mandatory Waiting Period:: None
License Valid For:: 1 Year
License Must Be Submitted:: Within 30 Days of Ceremony

In certain counties in Arizona, couples might be required to confirm whether the marriage license is for a religious or civil ceremony. The difference between the two comes down to the officiant. If you are using a priest, rabbi, or other officiant of a larger religious institution, then you will select religious ceremony. Similarly, using an officiant who has been registered through the Universal Life Church falls under the category of religious ceremony.

After receiving the license, the couple has a year to conduct the ceremony. There is no waiting period, either. This means the couple can get married as soon as they’d like once the license has been granted. As soon as the ceremony is conducted, there are 30 days until the license must be delivered back to the clerk’s office.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

25-121. Marriage license; application; affidavit

25-123. Recording licenses; endorsement of solemnization; recording return; lost licenses

A. The clerk of the superior court shall maintain a record of all marriage licenses issued.

B. The person solemnizing the rites of matrimony shall endorse the act of solemnization on the license and shall return the license to the clerk within thirty days after the solemnization. The returned marriage license shall be recorded by the clerk.

C. If a marriage license is lost before the endorsement of solemnization, the persons who wish to marry shall reapply to the clerk for a marriage license pursuant to section 25-121 and pay a fee pursuant to section 12-284.

D. If the license that bears the endorsement of solemnization is lost, the clerk shall issue a replacement license that must be signed by the person who solemnized the marriage, the persons married and two of the witnesses to the marriage ceremony. The signed replacement license shall be returned to the clerk who shall record the license. If the persons married are unable to obtain all of the required signatures, either of them or their representative may apply to the superior court for an order to authorize the issuance of a duplicate endorsed marriage license. The application shall be by a sworn statement that describes the circumstances of the marriage ceremony and that contains the notarized signatures of the applicant and, if possible, both persons married, the person who solemnized the marriage and at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony. If the application is submitted by a representative, the court shall determine if the representative is an appropriate requesting party. Pursuant to a court order, the clerk shall issue and record a duplicate endorsed marriage license. The court shall not charge a fee for the application or for issuing or recording the duplicate endorsed marriage license.

25-125. Marriage ceremony; official; witnesses; marriage license; covenant marriages

C. This section does not apply to the conversion of an existing marriage that is valid in this state to a covenant marriage that complies with the requirements of section 25-902.

Arizona Marriage Requirements

Min. Age of Couple:: Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
Residency:: Not Required
Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:: Second Cousins
Marriage Equality:: Yes

In order to marry in the state of Arizona, both members of the couple must be at least 18 years of age. However, individuals who are at least 16 may be allowed to wed as long as they are able to produce confirmation of consent from a legal guardian and provide all appropriate legal paperwork. Under no circumstances can anyone under the age of 16 marry in Arizona.

Same-sex couples are legally allowed to marry in the state. Additionally, the state does not have residency restrictions when it comes to weddings. Whether the couple is from AZ, another state, or another country, they are more than welcome to tie the knot anywhere in Arizona.

While relatives are not allowed to marry in Arizona, there are some exceptions to this law in the case of first cousins. Though the degree of kinship normally prevents first cousins from marrying, the couple can request permission from the Arizona Superior Court Judge. The restriction can also be waived when both members of the couple are older than 65.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-102. Consent required for marriage of minors

A. A person who is at least sixteen years of age and who is under eighteen years of age may marry only if one of the following is true:

The person has received an emancipation order pursuant to title 12, chapter 15 or from a court in another state and the person's prospective spouse is not more than three years older than the person.
The parent or guardian who has custody of the person consents to the marriage and the person's prospective spouse is not more than three years older than the person.

B. Persons who are under sixteen years of age shall not marry.

C. The clerk of the superior court may not issue a license to a person who is under eighteen years of age and who does not meet the requirements of subsection A of this section.

25-101. Void and prohibited marriages

A. Marriage between parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree, between brothers and sisters of the one-half as well as the whole blood, and between uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews and between first cousins, is prohibited and void.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A, first cousins may marry if both are sixty-five years of age or older or if one or both first cousins are under sixty-five years of age, upon approval of any superior court judge in the state if proof has been presented to the judge that one of the cousins is unable to reproduce.

C. Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited.

Finalizing the Union

Officiant's Title on Marriage License:: Minister
Church/Ordaining Body:: Universal Life Church Ministries
Address of Church:: Minister's Home Address

As mentioned, there are a few points the couple needs to hit before the marriage license can be considered complete. Once the ceremony has come to a close, the paperwork requires the signatures of the couple, the witnesses, and the officiant. The couple should review the license a final time to ensure all lines have been completed. The license must then be returned to the clerk’s office within 30 days of the wedding. Late or incomplete paperwork could be considered invalid and require the couple to apply for a new license.

Officiants from the Universal Life Church should state their titles as “minister,” if required. In some counties, the officiant might need to provide additional information, such as an address, in the event that the clerk needs to contact the minister to fix a discrepancy or verify information.

The best way to guarantee you have all proper paperwork ready to produce is by looking over the Classic Wedding Package offered through the ULC. This package provides an officiant with all of the documents a county clerk might require. As long as you have all of the right documents ready to go, you can rest easy and enjoy the beauty of a wedding conducted in the Grand Canyon State.

Show Relevant Legal Excerpt

25-128. Unlawful acts of person authorized to solemnize marriages; classification

A. It is unlawful for any person who is authorized to solemnize marriages to:

Knowingly participate in or by his presence sanction the marriage of a person under the age of eighteen years who obtained a marriage license without consent in writing of the parent or guardian lawfully entitled to give consent.
Solemnize a marriage without first being presented with a marriage license as required by the laws of this state.
Fail to file the marriage license with the act of solemnization endorsed on the marriage license within thirty days of the ceremony.
Knowingly make a false return of a marriage or pretended marriage to the clerk of the superior court.

B. A violation of this section is a class 2 misdemeanor.

Learn How to Perform a Wedding in Arizona

Perform a AZ Wedding

Are you Interested in Being an Ordained Minister in Arizona?

Learn About AZ Ordination

Become an Ordained Minister Today

Be Ordained Now