Self-Help Section

1. Complete the Marriage License Application Packet.  If completed by hand please print legibly and include a phone number and/or email address where both of the applicants can be contacted.  The confirmed date of wedding and the name title and phone number of the authorized officiant who has agreed to perform the wedding on that date must  be included at the bottom of the application. 
2. Complete the Application for in Person Interview Appointment
• Neither walk-in applications nor virtual interviews are available.
3. At least 20 business days before your scheduled wedding date, submit ALL OF THE FOLLOWING by email to marriagelicense@lehighcounty.org:
1. Completed Marriage License Application Packet
2. Completed Application For In-Person Interview Appointment
3. Legible copy of current photo ID for both applicants NOTE: if the address on the photo ID is different from the address on the ML application, also include driver's license/State I.D. update card.
4. Legible copies of divorce decree or death certificate regarding most recent former spouse of either applicant. Certified copies of divorce decrees are required for decress issued by counties/state other the Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
4. In-person interviews will be scheduled according to availability at the time of receipt and review of sufficiently documented applications from couples with confirmed wedding dates and officiants.
5. Applicants will be notified by email of the date and time of their in-person interview and  be provided further instructions regarding what original, hard copy documentation to bring to the in-person interview.
6. Ineligible applicants will be so notified by explanatory email. 
7. A Marriage License remains valid for 60 days from the date it is issued.  Applications should not be submitted more than 60 days in advance of scheduled wedding dates.

Marriage license applications and all supporting documentation submitted by email (perfered) to schedule an appointment for in-person interviews at Marriage License Office, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Scheduling preference is given to couples with a confirmed wedding date and authorized officiant to perform the ceremony.

Judges in the Courthouse do not perform marriage ceremonies. If you would like a non-denominational or civil ceremony, you will need to contact a Magisterial District Justice to schedule a wedding date. You will find contact information for the Lehigh County MDJ offices here: Find my MDJ

Due to unusually high volume of requests, you can expect your certified copy to be mailed within one to six weeks of our receipt of your request. If your request is time-sensitive, please be advised that marriage records are public information: You or someone on your behalf may come to Room 123 of the Lehigh County Courthouse, 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 18101 to request a certified copy of the marriage record during regular business hours.

Certified copies of marriage licenses issued by the Lehigh County Marriage License Office must be ordered by completion and submission of an Order Form (paper copies available outside the Marriage License Office at the Courthouse) with payment:

1. Complete and Submit the Order Form by:

   1. Email to marriagelicense@lehighcounty.org, payment will be processed by credit card.

   OR

   2. Regular mail with a money order, personal checks are NOT accepted to:

   Marriage License Office

   Clerk of Orphans' Court

   Lehigh County Courthouse

   455 West Hamilton Street

   Room 123.5

   Allentown, PA 18101-1614

   OR

   3. In person appearance at Marriage License Department (Room 123.5 of the Courthouse). Payment is accepted via cash, money order or credit card (MC, Visa or Discover) with a 2.9% service fee.

2. The cost is $10.00/certified copy, plus $10.10 charge if the certified copy is sent to requesting party by priority mail. *Cost is determined by the prevailing USPS price, which may change without prior notice. The Marriage License Office cannot be responsible for priority mail delivery that exceeds the expected 2-3 day delivery period.

• Cost and form of payment
• The cost of the marriage license application is $100.00, which includes two certified copies, due at the time of the in-person appointment.
• Payment by credit or debit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover cards) is preferred; payment by cash is permitted.
• Certified copies of the marriage license record can be pre-ordered at the time of application at a cost of $10.00 each.

No. Your marriage will never be registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or by a County of the Commonwealth. You should be certain to get multiple certified copies of your marriage license from the state or country where it took place. This will be necessary for Social Security purposes and other entities needing proof of your marriage.

Yes, Pennsylvania has a provision in the Marriage Act that recognizes a marriage performed without officiating clergy. This is referred to as a self-uniting license. Two witnesses are required. The procedure and cost to apply for a self-uniting marriage license is the same procedure and directions found here: Self-Help Section

The only exception to the directions is in reference to the In-person Application form, you will write "Self-Uniting" where the form asks for the name of your officiant. The date you anticipate performing your wedding is required for scheduling purposes.

After January 1, 2005, Pennsylvania does not recognize common-law marriages. If you believe you were married by common-law before this date, please contact an attorney.

No. In Pennsylvania records of marriage licenses are maintained in the county where you applied for the license. This is true even if you applied in Lehigh County but were married in another county of the Commonwealth.

Marriage license applicants who have been previously married and divorced must have a certified copy of the Decree of Divorce dissolving the marriage. A divorce decree/decree stating you have retaken your maiden name, issued by Lehigh County, does not need to be certified. If your name has been changed back to your maiden name, we must see a certified copy of the decree stating that you have retaken your surname. Certified copies of divorce/name change decrees may be obtained by contacting the Prothonotary Office of the county in which the decree was granted. A widow or widower must provide documentation to show proof of the date of death of their former spouse (ex. Obituary card printed by the funeral home, newspaper clipping, or death certificate). Foreign divorce decrees must be translated by an official translator on their official letterhead; the original decree must be presented with the translation.

Age 18. Effective July 2020, applicants for a marriage license must be at least 18 years of age.

• Required supporting documentation
• Valid ID (US citizens: 1 of any of the following; non-US citizens; any 2 of any of the following);
• birth certificate, valid driver's license; valid state issued photo-ID; valid passport; valid visa; or valid green card. (Additional proof of identity may be required if circumstances so warrant)
• Any previously married applicant must supply either a copy of divorce decree that is at least 30 days old as of the date of application, or a death certificate or published obituary.
• At the in-person appointment, every applicant who has a Social Security Number will be required to produce their Social Security Card or other acceptable proof of their SS# (e.g. W-2; Medicare ID card showing the FULL 9 DIGIT NUMBER).
• Why do you need my social security number to apply for a marriage license?

The 1996 Federal Welfare Reform Act and the Commonwealth of PA Act 98-127 require the Social Security number of an individual, who has one. You will be required to produce the original social security card at the time of in-person appointment. A W-2 or other government issued document, containing the complete 9 digit social security number may be accepted upon inspection by the marriage license clerk.

• What happens if I do not have a social security number?

Determination will be made on a case by case basis.

• I do not want my social security number given out to the public.

The social security number is available only to this office. It does not appear on the application or any public documents in this office.

• What if I have a social security number but refuse to provide it?

Your application will not be accepted.

• I live in Lehigh County but my marriage is taking place in another county in Pennsylvania.

The laws of Pennsylvania state that you can apply in any county of the Commonwealth and use the license in any other county of the Commonwealth.

• We are getting married on an island or in another state.

You must get your license in the State or country where the marriage will take place. Travel agents might be able to provide you more information based on your travel. We recommend you request multiple, translated certified copies before you leave the location.

The officiate performing the marriage ceremony must file the Duplicate Certificate with the Marriage License Office that issued the license, within 10 days of the date of the ceremony. Certified copies of a marriage license cannot be issued until the duplicate certificate is recorded in the Marriage License Office.