Alaska Marriage License: Cost and Requirements

License fee

$60 (Alaska Admin. Rule 9)

The license fee is $60 statewide, set by court administrative rule; mailing the license costs extra.

Source: courts.alaska.gov

Waiting period

72 hours (3 days)

There is a three-day wait after the application is filed. The licensing officer can waive it in cases of undue hardship.

Source: akleg.gov

How long the license is valid

90 days

The license is good for 90 days after it is issued. State law says the ceremony must happen within three months of the license date.

Source: health.alaska.gov

Minimum age and parental consent

16 with consent; 18 without

Applicants 18 and older marry freely. Those 16 or 17 need a superior court judge's permission after a hearing, and the other party may be no more than three years older.

Source: akleg.gov

What to bring

Each applicant must give a Social Security number if they have one. A birth certificate may be required to prove age.

Source: akleg.gov

Blood test

Not required

Alaska repealed its old premarital examination and lab-test sections, so no blood test is required.

Source: akleg.gov

Do both of you have to appear?

No

You do not have to apply in person: out-of-state couples and people far from a court office can apply by mail. Both partners must be present at the ceremony itself.

Source: health.alaska.gov

Who can officiate

Clergy, judicial officers and court-appointed marriage commissioners may perform weddings. A presiding judge may appoint suitable persons as marriage commissioners.

Source: akleg.gov

Witnesses

1 required

State law requires at least one witness, and the officiant cannot be the witness. an Alaska court FAQ page says two witnesses; the statute and the health department say one.

Source: akleg.gov

Proxy marriage

Not allowed

Proxy weddings are not allowed; both partners must be present with the officiant and a witness.

Source: health.alaska.gov

Out-of-state couples

Out-of-state couples can marry in Alaska, but the license is only valid for weddings held in Alaska or Alaska state waters.

Source: health.alaska.gov

Who issues the license

Alaska Vital Records Office or a local Alaska court office

Licenses come from the state Bureau of Vital Statistics (Anchorage and Juneau) or from Alaska court offices elsewhere in the state.

Source: health.alaska.gov