A Bucks County marriage license costs $85, takes a three-day waiting period, and is valid for 60 calendar days. You apply online through the county portal, then both of you attend a video appointment to show ID and sign. No blood test, no residency requirement, and Pennsylvania is one of the few states where you can legally marry with no officiant at all.
| License cost | $85 (includes one certified certificate) |
| How to apply | Online, then a virtual meeting with a clerk |
| Waiting period | 3 days from application |
| Valid for | 60 calendar days |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Blood test | Not required |
| Residency | Not required |
| Officiant | Optional — self-uniting licenses available |
| Where usable | Anywhere in Pennsylvania |
What do you need to get married in Bucks County?
A Pennsylvania marriage license and, optionally, someone qualified to officiate. That's it.
The sequence:
- Apply online through the Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court portal
- Attend a virtual meeting — both of you together, with photo ID, to sign
- Wait three days from application
- Hold your ceremony anywhere in Pennsylvania, within 60 days
- Sign the license — your officiant, or you and two witnesses with a self-uniting license
- File the marriage return with the county within 10 days
- Order certified copies as needed
Pennsylvania is genuinely one of the easier states to marry in. No waiting on blood work, no residency rules, and no requirement that the ceremony happen in the county that issued your license.
How do you apply for a marriage license in Bucks County?
Online. Bucks County has moved to a portal-based application followed by a video appointment, so you don't need to take a day off to stand at a counter.
Start at the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Online Services portal. Choose "Login as Guest," then "e-file Marriage Application." After you submit, both applicants appear together in a virtual meeting where you'll show identification and sign.
The online application accepts credit or debit cards only. If you want to pay another way, you'll need to apply in person at one of the county offices.
In-person locations:
Doylestown (main office) Bucks County Administration Building 55 E. Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 215-348-6000
Levittown Lower Bucks County Government Services Center 7321 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19055 267-580-3585
Call ahead for hours — marriage license desks often close earlier than the building.
What do you need to bring or provide?
Government-issued photo ID for both of you, and documentation if either of you was married before.
- Photo ID — driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID. Both applicants.
- Proof the last marriage ended, if applicable:
- Divorce decree — photocopy accepted
- Civil annulment — photocopy accepted
- Death certificate — must be the original
- Payment — $85 by card online, or other methods in person
- An interpreter, if either applicant doesn't speak English. They must be over 18 with photo ID, and you can't interpret for each other. Bucks County Court Administration provides free interpreters in several languages if you schedule ahead.
- Foreign documents require the original plus an English translation with a notarized affidavit of accuracy
Who can't apply: anyone under 18, anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of application, and couples related more closely than second cousins.
If you believe you've been unfairly denied a license, you have a right of appeal to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas under 23 Pa. C.S.A. § 1308.
How long is the waiting period?
Three days. Your license is issued after a three-day waiting period, so the earliest you can marry is the fourth day after you apply.
This is the detail that derails plans, and it's worth building real margin around. County offices are closed weekends, so a Thursday application doesn't leave much room if a document turns out to be wrong.
Apply two to four weeks before your ceremony. Far enough ahead to absorb a problem, close enough that the 60-day validity won't lapse.
Emergency waivers exist but cost money. A Petition for Emergency Waiver of the three-day wait is $95, and it's free for active-duty military.
How long is the license valid?
60 calendar days from issuance. If your ceremony doesn't happen inside that window, you have to apply and pay again.
This is why applying six months early is as much a mistake as applying three days early. Count backward from your date: apply no earlier than about eight weeks out, no later than about two weeks out, and you're comfortably inside the window on both ends.
Your Pennsylvania license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in Pennsylvania — not just Bucks County. It is not valid outside the state.
Who can legally officiate a wedding in Pennsylvania?
Qualification is set by 23 Pa. C.S. § 1503 and covers ordained clergy, judges, magisterial district judges, and mayors of Pennsylvania cities and boroughs.
One thing to understand clearly: the Bucks County Orphans' Court explicitly does not determine who may officiate, will not recommend anyone, and will not confirm or deny whether a particular person is qualified. Ensuring your officiant is valid is your responsibility, not theirs.
That matters most if you're planning to have a friend ordain online and officiate. Pennsylvania has had cases where marriages performed by internet-ordained ministers were found invalid because the officiant had no regularly established church or congregation. It's less settled ground here than in most states.
The clean solution is a self-uniting license. Your friend leads the ceremony exactly as planned, says everything they were going to say, and has no legal role — you and two witnesses sign. Identical ceremony, no legal ambiguity.
More detail: who can legally officiate a wedding in Pennsylvania.
Can you get married without an officiant?
Yes. Bucks County issues self-uniting marriage licenses under 23 Pa. C.S. § 1502 — the county states this plainly on its own site.
With a self-uniting license, you marry each other. Two witnesses sign the certificate, and the marriage is fully legal and recognized everywhere. Only a handful of states offer this, and it traces back to Pennsylvania's Quaker founding.
You don't have to be Quaker. A 2007 federal case, Knelly v. Huggins-Daines, brought by the ACLU of Pennsylvania after a couple was refused on religious grounds, established that these licenses can't be denied based on religion.
Tell the clerk you want a self-uniting license when you apply — the standard license is the default.
Full explanation: Pennsylvania self-uniting marriage licenses.
How many witnesses do you need?
For a self-uniting license, two witnesses must sign the certificate — this is a statutory requirement, not a formality.
For an officiated ceremony, the officiant signs. Bringing two adults who can sign is good practice regardless, and if you're having any kind of ceremony with guests, it takes care of itself.
What happens after the ceremony?
The marriage return — the bottom portion of your license — must be filed with the issuing office within 10 days of the ceremony. With an officiated wedding that's usually the officiant's job. With a self-uniting license it's yours.
This step is not optional. If the return isn't filed, no marriage record exists, regardless of what happened at your ceremony.
Certified copies: your $85 includes one. Additional copies are $25 each, and free for first responders with ID. If you showed military ID at application, two are issued automatically.
Order two or three extras. You'll need them for name changes, insurance, financial accounts, and immigration paperwork, and getting them later means another transaction.
Do you need a permit for an outdoor wedding?
Not at a private venue — the venue handles permits and inspections. You would need one for a ceremony in a public park or on public land, and requirements vary by municipality and park system.
State parks, county parks, and township properties each have their own rules. Some require permits, some require insurance, some cap guest counts, some prohibit amplified music, and the good dates book early.
What does it cost to get married in Bucks County?
The legal portion is $85, plus $25 per extra certified copy. Everything after that is up to you.
A courthouse-style ceremony can cost essentially nothing beyond the license. A full 150-guest wedding in Bucks County runs into the tens of thousands. We've broken the real numbers down in our Bucks County wedding cost guide.
If you're planning something small, micro weddings and elopements have become a genuine choice rather than a compromise — and with a self-uniting license, the legal cost is $85 and nothing else.
A realistic timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 12–18 months out | Book venue for a peak-season Saturday |
| 6–9 months | Photographer, caterer, music |
| 2–3 months | Final guest count, attire |
| 2–4 weeks | Apply for the license online |
| 3 days after applying | License valid |
| Within 60 days | Ceremony |
| Within 10 days after | File the marriage return |
| 1–2 weeks later | Order certified copies |
Frequently asked questions
How much is a marriage license in Bucks County? $85 total. That covers the $50 application fee, a $10 ACP fee, and one certified Certificate of Marriage worth $25. Additional certified copies are $25 each, free for first responders with ID.
Do we have to apply in person? No. Bucks County offers an online application followed by a virtual meeting where both of you show ID and sign. In-person applications are available in Doylestown and Levittown if you'd rather, or if you want to pay by something other than a card.
How long does a Bucks County marriage license last? 60 calendar days from issuance. If you don't marry within that window, you'll need to reapply and pay again.
Can we get married the same day we apply? No. The three-day waiting period applies to everyone. An emergency waiver petition costs $95, and it's free for active-duty military.
Do we need to live in Pennsylvania? No. There's no residency requirement. However, a Pennsylvania license is only valid for a ceremony held within Pennsylvania.
Do we need an officiant? No. Bucks County issues self-uniting marriage licenses under 23 Pa. C.S. § 1502, which let you marry each other with two witnesses signing. You don't need to belong to any religion to get one.
What if one of us was married before? Bring proof the most recent marriage ended. A divorce decree or civil annulment can be a photocopy. A death certificate must be the original.
What happens if we don't file the license after the wedding? No marriage record will exist. The marriage return must be filed with the issuing office within 10 days of the ceremony.
Is there a blood test requirement? No. Pennsylvania eliminated the blood test requirement, and nothing medical is needed.
Getting married in Bucks County
The Arbor at The Bucks Club is a wedding venue in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania — about ten minutes from the Doylestown county offices. We host weddings from small weekday ceremonies up to 240 guests, with a waterfront ceremony site, a covered deck overlooking the golf course, and an on-site restaurant.
Happy to answer questions about the process whether or not you're considering us.
Details confirmed against Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court published requirements and fee schedule, August 2026. County fees and procedures change — verify current details at buckscounty.gov or by calling 215-348-6000.
Last updated: August 2026