Will County Marriage License Requirements
Photo by J cate and Co.
As a wedding coordinator, we know what couples forget about while planning their wedding.
One of the most common things that couples realize that they need to do and haven’t thought about at all? Getting their marriage license to actually make their wedding legal! If you are getting married in Will County, it’s important to know the rules and regulations for how to obtain and submit your marriage license for your certificates. Make sure you bookmark this blog post and save it for later so that you have it available when it’s time to get your marriage license!
#1
Before Getting your Marriage License
One thing that’s actually unique about Will County in comparison to other counties is that Will County only gives you a marriage license by appointment only. In most other counties, the lines are actually first come, first serve, whereas at Will County they will not give you your marriage license without an appointment. If you are planning a civil union instead, you will also need an appointment for that as well. Most of the appointments need to be scheduled around two weeks in advance, so make sure to plan accordingly. You can schedule appointments between 8:30am-4pm Monday to Friday, so we usually recommend taking a half-day off of work just to make sure you have ample time.
Make sure you get your appointment at minimum 1 day before the wedding (ideally much sooner to make sure you are prepared) but it only is valid for 60 days, which means you do not want to get it sooner than that 60-day period before the wedding.
You will need to fill out this form (a form for each person must be filled out), print it out, and bring it with you to your appointment. There is also a Spanish copy here if you need.
photo by krystal richmond photography
#2
Getting your Marriage License
Appointments can be made at the Will County Clerk’s Office in Joliet by calling 815-740-4615, or they have 3 different satellite locations in the Crete Township Office (by calling 708-672-8279), the DuPage Township Office in Bolingbrook (by calling 630-759-1317), or the Plainfield Township Office (by calling 815-436-8308). You can also see their addresses listed on this page of their website.
Courthouse ceremonies are at a different address in Joliet - you don’t need an appointment and it’s a $10 fee (cash is best and the only option on Saturdays) either Monday-Friday from 11am-12pm or Saturdays if you arrive by 8:30am.
Be prepared for the license fee of $35 in cash (although the Will County Clerk’s Office also accepts checks or credit/debit cards as well). You will also need to bring valid identification (driver’s license, state ID, passports, or others that are listed here. If your identification forms are not in English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation. If you had a previous marriage or civil union, make sure to bring proper paperwork to prove that it is no longer active.
photo by fox and ivory
#3
What to Do At the Wedding
At the wedding, after the wedding ceremony is finished your officiant will need to sign the marriage license with you and two witnesses. Make sure to read each line carefully as it will ask for things like the officiant’s title and address and it needs to be accurate.
photo by krystal richmond photography
#4
What to Do After the Wedding
The marriage license is valid for only 10 days after the ceremony. This means if you’re planning a honeymoon immediately after the wedding, you’ll want to mail it to Will County Clerk’s Office, Attn: Vital Records, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432. If you are able, we always recommend bringing it in person so that you can immediately exchange it for your marriage certificate.
To obtain your marriage certificate, you can do it either electronically at this link, emailing the request to vitalrecords@willcounty.gov and then call 815-740-4615 to provide your credit card payment over the phone, or walk in at the Will County Clerk’s Office during business hours. If you are doing a walk-in or emailing your request, you will need to fill out and attach/bring a marriage certificate request form that you can find here, or the Spanish version of the form here. Make sure to fill in the information needed but physically print and sign the document and you will need a valid form of identification handy again as well.
It is $12 for one certified copy, and $4 for each extra copy. We recommend getting 2-3 copies and storing them in different places in your home for safety.
photo by the indi collective
That is everything to know about getting your Will County Marriage License!
We know it can be stressful to find the information you need for your wedding, so we want to make it as easy as possible for our couples to officially be married! If you need more information or have more questions, make sure to email questions about the marriage license to marriages@willcounty.gov and questions about the certificate to vitalrecords@willcounty.gov or call 815-740-4615.
Need a day-of wedding coordinator to make sure everything runs smoothly?
Head to our contact page and make sure you can focus on the fun instead of details like these.
