Pennsylvania is one of a small number of states that lets couples marry without an officiant. With a self-uniting marriage license, you marry each other, two witnesses sign the certificate, and the marriage is fully legal. Bucks County issues these licenses under 23 Pa. C.S. § 1502.
What is a self-uniting marriage license?
A marriage license that requires no officiant. Instead of a minister, judge, or magistrate solemnizing your marriage, you solemnize it yourselves and two witnesses sign to attest that it happened.
The marriage is legally identical to any other. You're just as married, the certificate is the same, and nothing about name changes, taxes, insurance, or immigration works differently. No document you present later indicates the marriage was self-uniting.
Pennsylvania sets this out at 23 Pa. C.S. §§ 1502–1504. When the marriage is solemnized by the parties themselves, the original certificate is signed by the couple and attested by two witnesses.
Does Bucks County issue them?
Yes. The Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court states on its own website that the office will issue a self-uniting marriage license as provided by the Marriage Law, 23 Pa. C.S. § 1502.
Request it when you apply — the standard license is the default, so you need to say so. If you're applying through the county's online portal, indicate it before you complete the process rather than after.
Do you have to be Quaker?
No. This is the part worth knowing, because it used to be different.
The self-uniting license exists because of Pennsylvania's Quaker founding. Members of the Religious Society of Friends marry without clergy — the couple exchanges vows before the meeting, and the gathered community signs the certificate. Pennsylvania wrote its marriage law to accommodate that, which is why clerks sometimes still call it a "Quaker license."
For a period, some Pennsylvania counties required proof of membership in a clergy-less faith such as the Quakers or the Bahá'í. That changed in 2007, when the ACLU of Pennsylvania brought suit on behalf of an Allegheny County couple who had been refused. In Knelly v. Huggins-Daines, a federal judge ordered the license issued, establishing that self-uniting licenses cannot be denied on the basis of religion.
You do not have to be Quaker, name a faith, or belong to any religion. If a clerk pushes back, the Knelly ruling settled the question.
How much does it cost?
Bucks County's published fee schedule lists a single marriage license application fee of $85 — which includes one certified Certificate of Marriage — and does not show a separate charge for self-uniting licenses.
Some Pennsylvania counties do charge a premium for self-uniting licenses. Confirm the current amount when you apply.
Either way it's substantially less than hiring an officiant, which runs roughly $150 to $400 in the Bucks County area. For a couple planning a small ceremony, the self-uniting license is the least expensive legal route to being married in Pennsylvania.
How do you get one in Bucks County?
The same process as a standard license, with one added step: say you want a self-uniting license.
- Apply online through the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Online Services portal — "Login as Guest," then "e-file Marriage Application." Or apply in person in Doylestown or Levittown.
- Specify self-uniting. Don't assume; state it.
- Attend the virtual meeting — both of you, with government-issued photo ID, to sign.
- Wait three days. The waiting period applies to all Bucks County marriage licenses.
- Hold your ceremony anywhere in Pennsylvania, within 60 calendar days.
- Sign the certificate — you both sign, and two witnesses sign.
- File the marriage return with the issuing office within 10 days.
That last step matters more than usual here. With an officiated wedding, the officiant typically files. With a self-uniting license, it's your responsibility, and if it isn't filed, no marriage record exists.
Who are the witnesses?
Any two people willing to sign. Pennsylvania requires two witnesses to attest a self-uniting marriage, and their signatures are what make the certificate valid in place of an officiant's.
They can be family, friends, or — genuinely, people do this — a couple at the next table or a member of venue staff. There's no requirement that they know you.
Practical advice: decide before the ceremony who's signing where and in what order. Print the signing order and hand it to one witness. Nothing deflates a lovely moment like four people standing over a document trying to work out which line is theirs.
Who should consider one?
It works well if you're:
- Eloping or planning a very small ceremony
- Not religious, and don't want a religious officiant
- Uncomfortable with a stranger performing your wedding
- Having a friend lead the ceremony (see below — this is the important case)
- Marrying somewhere an officiant is impractical
- Trying to reduce cost and coordination
It's probably not for you if:
- Family expects a traditional officiated ceremony
- Your faith requires clergy
- You want someone else running the ceremony so you can be present in it
- You'd rather a professional handled the paperwork
That last point is worth weighing honestly. A good officiant keeps the timing, cues people, holds the license, and handles the filing. The legal function is trivial; the "someone is quietly running this" function is not.
The case where this really matters: friend-officiated weddings
If you're planning to have a friend get ordained online and officiate, a self-uniting license is the safer route — and it costs you nothing in ceremony experience.
Pennsylvania has had cases where marriages performed by internet-ordained ministers were found invalid because the officiant lacked a regularly established church or congregation. Case law here is less settled than in most states.
Compounding it: the Bucks County Orphans' Court explicitly states that it does not determine who may officiate and will not confirm or deny whether a particular person is qualified. You cannot call and get reassurance.
With a self-uniting license, your friend leads the ceremony exactly as planned — same words, same role in the room — and simply has no legal function. You and two witnesses sign. Same wedding, no ambiguity.
Is a self-uniting marriage recognized in other states?
Yes. Marriages validly performed in one state are recognized in all others. A self-uniting Pennsylvania marriage is legally valid nationwide and for federal purposes including taxes, immigration, and Social Security.
Self-uniting vs. hiring an officiant
| Self-uniting | Officiant | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | License fee only | $150–$400 plus license |
| Coordination | None | Book, brief, confirm, pay |
| Who runs the ceremony | You, or a friend informally | Them |
| Ceremony content | Entirely yours | Usually collaborative |
| Signatures needed | Couple + 2 witnesses | Officiant |
| Who files the return | You, within 10 days | Usually them |
| Legal validity | Identical | Identical |
| Legal risk with a friend leading | None | Depends on their credentials |
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to be Quaker to get a self-uniting license in Pennsylvania? No. A 2007 federal case, Knelly v. Huggins-Daines, established that these licenses cannot be denied on religious grounds. You don't need to belong to or name any faith.
Does Bucks County issue self-uniting licenses? Yes. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court states its office issues them as provided by 23 Pa. C.S. § 1502. Request one specifically when you apply.
How many witnesses do you need? Two. Pennsylvania requires two witnesses to sign the certificate, which is what makes it valid in place of an officiant's signature.
Is a self-uniting marriage legally the same as any other? Yes. It's recognized in all fifty states and for federal purposes, and the certificate is identical to any other Pennsylvania marriage certificate.
Can a friend still lead the ceremony? Yes, and this is one of the best reasons to choose a self-uniting license. Your friend says everything they were going to say with no legal role — which removes any question about online ordination validity in Pennsylvania.
Does it cost more than a standard license? Bucks County's published fee schedule shows one marriage license application fee of $85 and no separate self-uniting charge. Some counties do charge more — confirm when you apply.
Does the three-day waiting period still apply? Yes. All Bucks County marriage licenses are issued after a three-day waiting period and are valid for 60 calendar days.
Who files the paperwork afterward? You do. The marriage return must be filed with the issuing office within 10 days of the ceremony. Without it, no marriage record exists.
Small weddings at The Arbor
The Arbor at The Bucks Club is a wedding venue in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Our weekday ceremonies are built for couples using self-uniting licenses — no officiant to book, no vendor coordination, and a ceremony site to yourselves.
If you'd rather have an officiant, we can arrange one. Either works.
Confirmed against the Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court published guidance and fee schedule, and 23 Pa. C.S. §§ 1502–1504, August 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Verify current requirements at buckscounty.gov or by calling 215-348-6000.
Last updated: August 2026