Marriage Licenses

Marriage Licenses

The Caledonia Town Clerk issues New York State Marriage Licenses and records marriages with the New York State Department of Health. Marriage records are kept on file both locally and in Albany.

Obtaining a Marriage License:

  • Licenses are issued regardless of residency and are valid anywhere in New York State.

  • A 24-hour waiting period applies; the ceremony must be performed within 60 days.

  • Both applicants must appear in person and bring:

    • Photo ID (driver’s license or passport)

    • Social Security card

    • Birth certificate with a raised seal listing parents’ names

  • If previously married, applicants must provide certified copies of divorce, annulment, or death certificates.

  • Blood tests are not required.

  • Fee: $40 (cash, check, credit/debit card, or money order payable to the Caledonia Town Clerk)

Certified Copies of Marriage Records:

  • Copies are available only to the bride or groom.

  • Fee: $10 per copy

To Request by Mail:

  • Complete the Marriage Certificate Application

  • Send the form, $10 fee, photocopy of your driver’s license, and a notarized request letter to:

    • Town of Caledonia, 3109 Main St., Caledonia, NY 14423

To Request in Person:

  • Visit the Clerk’s office, complete an application, present ID, and pay $10 (cash or check)

Please Note: Copies will not be released to anyone other than the individuals named on the certificate.

Licenses are issued during regular office hours. After-hours appointments may be arranged with 5 days’ notice.

 

For more information, visit the NYS Department of Health website: www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/

Applications & Forms

FAQ's About Marriage Licenses

A new marriage license costs $40.00. 

To obtain a marriage license, both parties to the marriage must be present at the time of application. The Clerk will only accept certain documents for a marriage certificate. Failure to produce the documents will result in non-issuance of a license. The REQUIRED documents for a marriage license include (you and your partner’s identification (State-issued Drivers License, State-issued non-driver’s identification, or a Passport), you and your partner’s official Social Security card with a clearly legible social security number, an original Birth Certificate or a Certified Birth Transcript (must contain a raised seal from the issuing entity). Additionally, if you or your partner have been previously married, you will be required to supply your divorce decree from the court, a Death Certificate showing the loss of a former spouse, or any other paperwork proving the marriage is no longer in existence.

If you are getting married to someone who isn’t originally from the United States, you must still comply with the documentation we need. Additionally, any birth certificate or other identifying documents must be professionally translated by a company (not a friend or relative). Failure to produce the documents will result in non-issuance.

The Birth Certificate is an important part of the Marriage Licensing process and must be presented to obtain a license from the Town of Caledonia. Additionally there must be a raised seal on the document to prove legitimacy. The Birth Certificate presented must contain the names of both parents, including where each parent was born. This is required by New York State law and exceptions will not be made.

Once a license is issued, there is a 24-hour waiting period that must take place. Example: if you’re getting married on Saturday, July 1, it’s not advised to come Friday, June 30 to apply for the marriage license. There must be a 24-hour period from the time the license is issued to the actual performance of the ceremony. Additionally, the ceremony must be performed within 60-days after the license is issued. 

No. Any Town Clerk’s office in New York State can provide you a marriage license. The place you choose to obtain your license will be the one that holds the record for life. Additional copies would need to be obtained at the place that issues the license.

No. An appointment is not required to obtain a marriage license, however, is recommended depending on how busy our office is at the time. We also recommend giving yourself 20-30 minutes to go through the application process and allow the Town Clerk to explain what he/she needs from you following the ceremony.

After you obtain your marriage license, you will wait 24-hours and then you can get married. You have 60-days from issuance of the license to get married. At the ceremony, your officiant or pastor will fill out the bottom portion of the Marriage License Affidavit (DOH-98) and it will be signed by two witnesses to the marriage. Within 5 days of the marriage, the license should be returned to the Town Clerk’s office for filing. Failure to return the license for recording can impact the legality of your marriage.

It is extremely important to look over the license affidavit once the Clerk has entered all of the information to inspect for accuracy. Once the marriage is completed, and the form has been returned to our office, it is filed and submitted to New York State. If you find an issue with your affidavit prior to getting married, come back to our office and we will fix it before you get married. The license affidavid includes a place you must sign while obtaining the license affidavit. This is an attestation/affirmation that the information provided to the Town Clerk is correct and true. Failure to double check for erros could result in delays of processing your license and sending you your Official Marriage Registration form. Additinally, the Clerk may be required to submit a Marriage Correction to New York State which can take a long time to fix.

No. A Certified Marriage Transcript will only be provided to the two who are named on the license. No one else is privy to this information.

Yes. The Town Clerk’s office will issue you a Marriage Registration form, sealed and certified, which the couple can use to make any necessary name changes. The couple will receive only 1 copy of the Marriage Registration. Additional copies may be purchased for $10 each copy and will be Certified Transcripts of Marriage. We recommend not giving out your original Marriage Registration form. Some entities will keep the form.

You may contact us and we can do a search to see if you applied for your license in Caledonia (this may take some time as our records aren’t all digitized). If you did not apply in Caledonia, we won’t have your record. You will have to call around to surrounding towns to see if they have your record.

To obtain a new license, we will need proof of death (if widowed) via a Certified Death Certificate with the raised seal showing validity or a copy of your divorce decree from the Court.

No. A marriage license cannot be obtained by anyone who is currently married.

Yes. To obtain a copy of your marriage record, you will need to fill out this application and either drop it off with your payment ($10 / copy) or send it via mail to the Town of Caledonia, Attn: Seth Graham Town Clerk. 

We accept personal checks, money orders, business checks, credit/debit card, Apple Pay/Android Pay and cash.

Yes. Both parties to the marriage must be present to obtain a license. Both parties do not need to be present to obtain copies.

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