You will receive your license the day you apply for it, but there is a three-day waiting period before you can get married. The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and is only valid in the state of Pennsylvania.
"It typically takes 3-6 days from filing your application to getting your license approved. In general, a couple should apply about one week before their ceremony," recommends Micaela Beltran, Co-Founder and CEO of Courtly, which helps couples get their marriage licenses online.
You can do a self uniting marriage in PA, no officiant required at all. You just goto the county office and apply for a marriage certificate. Then you and your spouse sign it, and turn it in.
Once the application is processed, there is a mandatory three-day waiting period required by Pennsylvania law. After this period ends, the marriage license will be mailed to the address provided by the applicants. A completed marriage license can also be picked up in person at the Marriage License office.
Pennsylvania law requires a three-day waiting period between the date applicants apply for a Marriage License and when the license may be issued. If applying on Monday, the license will be ready on Thursday. If applying on Tuesday, the license will be ready on Friday.
Applicants must be at least 18-years-old in order to apply for the license. Each person must present photo identification, Social Security card (or passport if you do not have a Social Security Number), and a divorce decree, if previously married.
There are two ways to complete a marriage license application, filed either online or in person. Online filing requires a valid email address, and applicants will receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted for processing.
An officiant is to write non-denominational on the marriage license until the marriage ceremony is performed per a particular religious rite. As a couple, it will be your duty to inform the officiant in advance if you are performing any traditions or rituals from your religion.
Filing Marriage Returns The officiant performing the marriage ceremony must file the marriage return with the Marriage License Office which issued the license, within 10 days of the date of the ceremony. A marriage record will not exist if the officiant who performs the marriage fails to file this document.
The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue and is only valid in the state of Pennsylvania.