Courthouse Wedding in the US: How It Works, What It Costs and How Many Guests You Can Bring

A courthouse wedding is the shortest legal route to being married in the US: a license, an appointment, an official from the clerk’s office, a witness, and a short civil ceremony. Despite the name, none of the four examples below happens in a courtroom. In New York City it takes place at a City Clerk office in one of the five boroughs; in San Francisco at City Hall; in San Diego County at the Recorder/County Clerk’s offices, indoors or outdoors; in Las Vegas at the Clark County Office of Civil Marriages.

Each office writes its own rules, so the four below are examples rather than a national standard. The fees are the ones listed on each office’s website in October 2026.

• New York City: City Clerk offices in all five boroughs perform ceremonies throughout the day, at 141 Worth Street in Manhattan, 210 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, 851 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens and 10 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island.
• San Francisco: the Office of the County Clerk at City Hall, which also sends commissioners to offsite ceremonies.
• San Diego County: the County Administration Center, Chula Vista, San Marcos and Santee offices, with indoor and outdoor ceremony areas.
• Las Vegas: the Office of Civil Marriages at 330 S 3rd Street, a short walk from the Marriage License Bureau.

What it costs: four examples

So the legal part of a courthouse wedding lands between $60 and about $300 in these four places, before rings, outfits, photos and whatever you do afterwards. That is why many couples treat it as the ceremony and spend the rest on a dinner: the options are in small wedding ideas and micro wedding venues with indicative budgets.

What to bring on the day

• A valid marriage license. In New York City it must be a New York State license, at least 24 hours old and less than 60 days old; in San Diego you can buy it at the same appointment.
• Photo ID for both of you. New York City asks you and your witness to bring the same type of photo ID that was used for the license.
• At least one witness, unless you hold a California confidential license.
• The right way to pay: card or money order in New York City, cards only at Clark County, cash, check, money order or card in San Diego.
• Time to spare. Clark County asks you to arrive five minutes early and makes late couples reschedule; New York City asks couples and witnesses to arrive between 8:30 AM and 3:15 PM, Monday to Friday.

Booking the appointment

None of these offices takes walk-in weddings. New York City books ceremonies through Project Cupid, online at nyc.gov/cupid or by phone; the license itself needs an appointment too, in person or by video. San Diego County opens appointments seven weeks ahead at four locations and warns that they fill quickly. Clark County takes bookings online only, and only shows the days and times still available.

The order matters in New York City. Get the license first, then book the ceremony for at least a day later: state law requires a 24-hour wait after the license is issued, and the license is usually valid for 60 days. San Diego avoids the problem with a “License and Ceremony” appointment that does both at once.

Witnesses and guest limits

New York City wants at least one witness over the age of 18, and caps the room at six attendees, the two of you and the witness included. That leaves room for three more people: parents, a sibling, a friend with a camera.

San Diego County is more relaxed on numbers. With a public license, at least one witness must be present and no more than two sign; there is no minimum age, as long as the witness understands what they are watching and can sign without help. The office can provide a witness for $58, and witnesses shouldn’t come to a license-only appointment. Indoors, the limit is 15 to 20 guests depending on the location; outdoors, there is none.

Clark County requires you to bring a witness, and allows up to eight additional guests, with no exceptions.

In California, choose the license with the ceremony in mind

California offers a confidential license alongside the public one, and it changes the courthouse plan. It needs no witness at the ceremony, and the record stays private: copies go to the couple, or to someone with a court order. The condition is that you already live together as spouses and sign a statement under penalty of perjury saying so. In San Diego it costs $144, against $129 for the public license, and it can also be issued by an authorized notary public, some of whom work outside office hours.

A public license is the one to choose if you want a friend or relative to sign as your witness, and it lets certain relatives get certified copies of the record later without a court order.

An example: a Friday at 141 Worth Street

Take an illustrative New York City plan. On Monday, you hold a video license appointment through Project Cupid and download the license the same day. You book the ceremony for Friday morning at the Manhattan office, well past the 24-hour wait. On Friday you arrive with your witness and up to three guests, the two of you carrying the same type of photo ID you used for the license, your witness with photo ID too. You pay $25 by card, sign, and leave with the marriage certificate. Total paid to the city: $60.

What you can’t bring

San Diego County spells out its rule to keep ceremonies on time: no outside décor, custom setups or celebratory items at its ceremony locations. That covers floral arrangements, arches and backdrops, furniture, confetti and petals, open containers of alcohol (champagne included) and drinking. Ceremonies by county staff are in English or Spanish; for another language, the county suggests having someone you know apply as a Deputy Marriage Commissioner for a Day.

Other offices have their own lists. Ask before you buy a bouquet or a bottle for the steps outside.

After the ceremony

In New York City, a ceremony at the City Clerk’s office ends with the marriage certificate in your hands the same day. In San Diego County, the signed license is registered within up to ten business days, and you then order a certified copy separately. In Las Vegas, the officiant must deliver the marriage certificate to the County Clerk within ten calendar days, after which proof of marriage can be bought.

Courthouse, chapel, or a friend as officiant

The clerk’s staff aren’t the only people who can marry you in a simple civil ceremony. San Diego County and San Francisco both let someone you know be deputized for a single wedding, so a friend can marry you at the venue of your choice in California: San Francisco charges $186 for a One-Day Deputy Marriage Commissioner. San Francisco also sends a commissioner outside City Hall, or on a weekend, for $336.

If what you want is the legal step with very few people, and the party later or never, the difference between eloping and a micro wedding is laid out in elopement vs micro wedding.