Marriage Licenses, Ceremonies, & Certificates

Marriage License:

A couple who intends to be married in New York State must apply in person for a marriage license to any town or city clerk in the state. Couples can obtain their marriage license in this office. No appointment is necessary.  The application for a license must be signed by both applicants in the presence of the Town Clerk. The marriage license will be issued immediately upon application. The couple must fulfill all requirements by New York State which will be listed below.

The requirements to obtain a marriage license in the Town of Rye are as follows:

• Both parties must provide an original or certified copy of their birth certificate. A baptismal record or naturalization record may be used in place of a birth certificate if it shows full name, date of birth and place of birth. Documents in Spanish do not have to be translated, although it would be helpful. Documents in any other language must be translated.
• Both parties must also provide a valid photo ID. This may include a driver's license, passport or government-issued identification card.
• If either were previously married, a certified copy of the Decree of Divorce, a Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage, or a death certificate must be presented.
• The fee for the marriage license is $40.00. We accept cash, check or money order made out to "Town of Rye".

Once the license is issued, you must wait 24 hours to get married, but the license is valid for 60 days from the date issued. With this license you are authorized to be married anywhere in the State of New York.

The application for a marriage license in English can be found here. For Spanish click here.

Marriage Ceremony:

In New York State it is required to have one witness, although there is space for two witnesses to sign. To get married in the Town of Rye you must call to make an appointment. A list of Marriage Officiants is available upon request.

Marriage Certificates & Copies:

After the ceremony the couple will receive one Certificate of Marriage Registration, one Certified Transcript of Marriage and one certified copy of the completed Marriage License (The original is sent to New York State Department of Health). Extra copies of the Certified Transcript or Marriage License will have to be requested either in person or by mail. The records will always be held where the original license was obtained. To request extra copies, a copy of a valid photo ID of either spouse must be presented and each copy costs $10.00 in cash, check or money order made out to "Town of Rye". It must be filled out completely in order to receive the copies.

Marriage Record Corrections:

If in any case an error is found on the marriage license or certificate the couple may request to have it corrected. The document required for correction of name, date of birth, place of birth and parent shown on the marriage record must be an original birth certificate or certified copy of one. The document required for correction to change date of marriage and/or place of marriage must be a letter from the officiant or a certified copy of the officiant's record or, for a religious ceremony, a Church Certificate with a Seal. The Affidavit for Correction of Marriage Record can be found here.

If you have any more questions, please contact the Town Clerk at (914) 939-3570.