Home > License Centers & Vital Statistics

Getting Married?

Congratulations, you're planning a wedding!  Let us help you get ready for the big day!

Applying for the marriage license

Apply Online
Complete the online form and you'll get a confirmation number to bring to the Anoka County Vital Statistics Office.
 
The waiting period does not start until BOTH bride and groom appear in person at the Vital Statistics Office in the Anoka County Government Center in Anoka to sign the application, show ID, and pay the license fee.

Paper Form
You may also download an application form, print it, fill it out, and bring it to the Anoka County Vital Statistics Office or to an Anoka County License Center. 
 
Both you and your spouse-to-be need to appear in person to sign the form, show ID, and pay the license fee.

Using the online form saves time when you come to the Vital Statistics Office to have your signatures witnessed.  Whether you apply online or use the paper form, you need to know some details:

• General Information
  You can apply for a marriage license in any Minnesota county, regardless of where you live.  Your wedding ceremony can take place anywhere in the state, but it must happen within 6 months after you get the license.
• Appear in person
  When you apply for a marriage license, both you and your spouse-to-be must appear in person to have your signatures on the application witnessed by a County Registrar.  If you use the online form, you must appear at the Vital Statistics Office in the Anoka County Government Center in Anoka, MN (see location and hours).  If you use the paper form, you can appear at the Vital Statistics Office or any Anoka County License Center.
• Fees
  You must pay for the license when you apply.  The fee is
  • $115.00, or
  • $40.00 if you have completed 12 hours of premarital education. 
  • To qualify for the reduced fee, you must present a signed, dated, and notarized Statement of Premarital Education Form when you apply for the marriage license.
  • The Vital Statistics Office can accept payment by cash, check or credit card (Mastercard and VISA). Anoka County License Centers can accept payment by cash or check.
• Waiting period
  There are no blood tests or other requirements to marry in Minnesota. However, there is a waiting period. The waiting period begins when the bride and groom sign the application and pay the license fee.
   
  • The waiting period is five business days if:
    • You and your spouse-to-be do not have a felony conviction for a crime committed on or after August 1, 2000
    • You or your spouse-to-be has a felony conviction for a crime committed on or after August 1, 2000 and the person(s) with the felony convictions is not requesting a name change.
    • The waiting period can only be waived by a judge in case of an emergency or extraordinary circumstances.
    • The waiting period means that five business days must pass after you apply for the license.  For example, if you apply for the license on Monday, it will be issued the following Monday.
  • The waiting period is thirty days if:
    • You or your spouse-to-be has a felony conviction for a crime committed on or after August 1, 2000
    •  And the person(s) with the felony convictions is requesting a name change.
  • If you have questions about the waiting period, page 2 of the paper form has more information.  Or, you can contact the Vital Statistics Office.

Filling out the form

Whether you apply online or use the paper form, you and your spouse-to-be will need to provide the following information:

• Full legal names
• Address and state of residence
• Date of birth
• Information about any previous marriages
• If one or both of you are minors, call the Vital Statistics Office because an additional form is required for each minor.
• Full names of the parties after marriage
• Your Social Security numbers
• Information about any felony convictions on or after August 1, 2000
• Your mailing address after marriage (where the marriage certificate will be sent)

You may want to use the paper form to help you collect and organize your information.

If you use the online form you must complete it in one session — you cannot save your work and return to it later.

The wedding ceremony

You may choose to have a marriage ceremony performed by anyone authorized by law to provide the service. Several judges in Anoka County will perform a marriage ceremony.

Ministers of any religious denomination may also perform the marriage ceremony if they have filed a copy of their ministerial credentials with a Local Registrar in the state.  In Anoka County, a minister can file their credentials with the Vital Statistics Office.  For more information, see Registration of Ordination Certificate.

The law requires that your marriage ceremony be witnessed by two people who are sixteen (16) years old or older.

The person performing the marriage ceremony will prepare one certificate of marriage. The certificate will be filed with the Local Registrar of the county where the marriage license was issued. The Local Registrar records the marriage and mails a certified copy of the certificate to you at the address you entered on your application form.  To learn more, see Marriage Certificate.

For more information

Contact the Anoka County Vital Statistics Office.