Start with the country where you’ll marry.
Ask the office arranging your wedding whether it accepts this certificate, how recent it must be, and whether it needs authentication or translation. A document from NYC is not a universal eligibility certificate for every destination or traveler.
The Clerk issues it based on your sworn statement. The destination’s rules still matter.
Your checklist
Check that this NYC service applies to you.
You must live in New York City and not currently be married. Your intended ceremony date or month must be within six months of the certificate being issued.
Arrange a Manhattan appointment.
Completion is in person at the Manhattan City Clerk, 141 Worth Street. No walk-in service is listed. Starting online gives you a confirmation number, not a certificate or an appointment. The online application expires after 21 days unless you complete it in person.
Request a Manhattan appointment ↗
Start the official online application ↗Prepare your details and payment.
Bring valid ID, proof of NYC residence, your future spouse’s full name, the ceremony’s city and country, and its date or month. Bring the online confirmation number if you started there. The fee is $15; published payment options include accepted credit/debit cards or a money order to the City Clerk.
Finish the destination’s document steps.
The certificate lasts six months. The City Clerk describes a County Clerk check of its signature ($3), then State authentication ($10). Confirm the destination’s exact authentication and translation requirements. For the State counter, follow its current instructions: 123 William Street, 2nd Floor, weekdays 9 AM to 4 PM for apostille service, no cash.
Planning an NYC wedding instead?
This certificate is for an NYC resident preparing to marry abroad. A visitor getting married in New York needs a marriage license before the ceremony. A certificate proving a completed NYC marriage is another document, requested after the wedding.
Use the NYC City Hall Wedding Trip Planner ↗