Search Queens County Marriage License

Queens County marriage license records are handled through the New York City City Clerk's office, not a traditional county clerk. Queens is one of the five boroughs of New York City, and the process for getting a marriage license here differs from the rest of New York State. The Queens office is located in Kew Gardens at the Borough Hall building. With more than 2.2 million residents, Queens is the most diverse county in the nation. If you want to apply for or search for a marriage license in Queens, you work through the NYC City Clerk system, which uses an online appointment platform called Project Cupid.

Queens Marriage License Office

The NYC City Clerk's Queens office is at 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room G-100, in Kew Gardens. This is where Queens residents go for marriage licenses, marriage records, and civil ceremonies. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Walk-in service is not available. You must make an appointment first.

Appointments are booked through Project Cupid, the city's online scheduling system. Both parties can appear in person or together through a virtual appointment. This is different from the rest of New York State, where in-person visits are the only option at most clerk offices. The Queens office can get busy, so book your appointment well ahead of time, especially during peak wedding months in spring and summer.

NYC Project Cupid Appointments

The Project Cupid system is used by all five NYC borough clerk offices, including Queens, for marriage license appointments and civil ceremony bookings.

Through this portal, Queens County couples can schedule both their marriage license appointment and a civil ceremony at the Borough Hall office in Kew Gardens.

Queens County Marriage License Requirements

Getting a marriage license in Queens follows NYC rules, which are slightly different from the rest of New York. Under DRL §13, both parties must appear together. In NYC, you can do this in person or through a virtual appointment. You need a current government photo ID that shows your name, date of birth, and address.

Accepted forms of ID include a driver's license, passport, IDNYC card, New York State learner's permit, US military ID, US Certificate of Naturalization issued within 10 years, US Alien Registration Card with an expiration date, or an Employment Authorization Card. All documents must be current and valid. Expired IDs will not be accepted at the Queens office.

If you were married before, list all prior marriages on the application. Include the full name of each former spouse, the date the divorce was granted, and where the divorce was filed. If a former spouse passed away, include their date of death. All prior marriages must be fully dissolved before you can apply. The clerk may ask to see the final divorce decree.

Queens Marriage License Fees

The marriage license fee in Queens is $35. You can pay with a credit card, debit card, or money order payable to the City Clerk. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are all accepted. Cash is not accepted at NYC City Clerk offices.

Other fees related to marriage in Queens County include:

• Domestic marriage record (short certificate): $15, plus $10 for each extra copy
• Marriage record for foreign use (extended certificate): $35 first copy, $30 each additional
• Duplicate marriage license (lost, stolen, or damaged): $25
• Correction to an existing license: $25
• Civil ceremony at the City Clerk's office: $25

For duplicates or corrections, you must go to the borough office that issued the original license. You cannot get a duplicate from a different borough.

After Your Queens County Marriage Ceremony

Once you get married, the officiant, both spouses, and at least one witness must sign the marriage license. The officiant then has five business days to return the signed license to the Queens borough office that issued it. If the ceremony takes place at the City Clerk's office, you get your Certificate of Marriage Registration the same day.

If your ceremony is somewhere else, the certificate arrives by mail within about 20 days. If it does not come within a month, contact the City Clerk's office at (212) NEW-YORK or send an email to officeservices@cityclerk.nyc.gov. The 24-hour waiting period under DRL §13-b still applies in Queens, but you can request a judicial waiver from the Queens County Clerk at no charge if you need to marry sooner.

Queens County Marriage Records

Marriage records from 1950 to the present are held by the NYC City Clerk's office. You can request copies at any of the five borough locations. A domestic marriage record costs $15, with additional copies at $10 each. For records needed for use outside the United States, the extended certificate costs $35 for the first copy and $30 for extras. That version includes a hand signature with a raised seal.

Older records from before 1950 may be found at the NYC Municipal Archives. Marriage records less than 50 years old are restricted under DRL §14 and can only be accessed by the people named on the certificate. Records that are older than 50 years become public and are available for genealogy and other research through the New York State Archives or the city's own archive system.

Other NYC Borough Counties

Queens is one of five NYC boroughs. Each borough has its own City Clerk office where you can apply for a marriage license. You do not have to use the Queens office if another borough is more convenient.