Make it Legal: Your Marriage License

Written By Earth Elopements

It’s the most romantic paperwork you’ll ever sign - your marriage license. For couples getting married in Sedona, making it legal requires an Arizona marriage license. Your Sedona wedding officiant is not allowed to get that for you, but it is simple to do on your own. Here is an easy guide on getting your license, who needs to sign it, and what happens after the wedding…

Sedona wedding couples are happy to find that getting marriage license in Arizona is easy. You can get your license in person, and, if you plan in advance, you can even get it through the mail…

Rectangular sign for parking for Courthouse. Sign white, lettering in black with arrow indicating to the right. Letter "P" in white, surrounded by blue, sign for easy access below and to the right of main sign.

Getting your license in person:

To get your license in person, both of you need to go with your ID’s to an Arizona County Courthouse. You can go to any county in the state. We recommend calling first in case appointments are required for that county. The current cost is typically around $83, and the license can be used for up to a year after you get it. The closest county courthouses to Sedona are Yavapai County Superior Court in Camp Verde to the south, and Coconino County Superior Court in Flagstaff to the north.

Close up of blue mailbox with red flag. Flag is down. soft focus plants and building in back.

Getting your license through the mail:

If you plan your Sedona elopement or wedding at least a month out, you can get your license through the mail from the Mohave County Superior Court. Simply go to their website and apply. The court will send you an application that you print out, fill out, and then sign in front of a notary in your hometown. You then mail the completed application to the courthouse, and they will mail you your license.

Two grooms signing marriage license. Groom on left holds pen in right hand, rests license on a clipboard on other groom's right shoulder. Groom on right reaches around to help hold the license. Sedona red rock dirt ground.

What to do with the license once you get it . . . who signs?

Make sure to bring your Arizona marriage license to your Sedona elopement or wedding. After your ceremony, your Sedona wedding officiant will show you where to sign, and they will sign as well. To complete the license, you will also need 2 witnesses at least 18 years old to sign. You can have two of your guests sign, or, if you are having a true elopement, your Sedona elopement officiant can hire two witnesses for you, or can simply ask two kind people in the area to sign.

Close-up of two envelopes, one white with cardboard colored one resting on top and to the right. No writing on the envelopes. Wood grain surface underneath visible on left.

What to do next - back to the courthouse

To make your marriage legal, you need to return your license to the courthouse to be filed. For most county courthouses, you keep a portion and return a detachable portion. You can walk it in and have it filed while you wait. Or you can mail it in, or your Sedona wedding officiant can mail it for you (allow 4-6 weeks for filing).

Closeup of two gold colored wedding rings on their sides, one resting partly on top of the other. Underneath is dictionary page with typed print, showing definition of marriage and other words.

Your legal document

The filing of your signed license after your ceremony is what makes your marriage legal. If you want legal proof of your marriage, you will need a certified document from the courthouse once it is filed. You can order that when you apply for the license, or can order it after it is filed. Currently, the cost for a certified copy is $30.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about your license.

Give us a call at (928) 301-9288/(928) 254-9957, or send us an email at Weddings@earthelopements.com

Earth Elopements
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