A straight forward guide to getting legally married in Sedona, Arizona/ANYWHERE in the sunshine state of Arizona!

Step 1: Obtain a Marriage License

You must obtain your marriage license BEFORE arriving to Sedona. You cannot obtain a marriage license in Sedona. The easiest place to obtain your marriage license is at any participating Clerk of the Superior Court or comparable government office in Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix area). It doesn’t matter where in Arizona you obtain your marriage license – all marriage licenses obtained in Arizona are valid ANYWHERE in the State of Arizona.

Where to obtain your marriage license:

Here is a list of all of the locations in Maricopa County to obtain a marriage license. Upon application completion and approval, you can expect a wait time of 15-30 minutes to obtain your physical marriage license. After obtaining the license, you are free to get married the same day.

• Clerk of Court, Downtown Phoenix – This is the ONLY location that accepts walk-ins. They are open M-F from 8AM-5PM.
• Northeast Regional Court Center – By appointment only
• Northwest Regional Court Center – By appointment only
• Southeast Regional Court Center – By appointment only
• Southwest Regional Court Center – By appointment only
• Justice Court Locations – By appointment only
• Maricopa Court Locations – By appointment only

Want to make an appointment? Here is the direct link to schedule an appointment online at one of the participating courts!

SCHEDULE YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE APPOINTMENT HERE

If you would like to obtain your marriage license closer to Sedona, you may do so at either the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, AZ (1.5 hours to Sedona) or the Camp Verde Superior Court (40 mins to Sedona). You will have to make an appointment via phone. You may do so by clicking HERE.

If you are an Arizona State resident, you may apply for your marriage license online HERE and get it mailed to you. This is NOT recommended if you are getting married in less than 30 days. If you are getting married in less than 30 days, the fastest way to obtain your marriage license is in person.

Want to obtain your marriage license outside of Maricopa or Yavapai counties? Click HERE to view all Arizona county marriage license locations.

What you will need to obtain your Arizona marriage license:

Here’s what you need to come prepared with to obtain your marriage license in Arizona:

• An appointment at one of the participating courts (unless you are going to the Maricopa walk-in location)
• Both parties who wish to be married must be present
• Each applicant must present ONE of the following government issued photo IDs:
  • Current driver’s license
  • State or military ID card
  • Current passport
  • or other government issued photo ID
• Each applicants SSN (not the official card – just the number)
• $83.00 to pay for the marriage license – you may pay via cash, money order, credit, or debit card
• $37.50 if you would like to pay for a copy of your marriage certificate to be mailed to you (you definitely want this)
• Unlike other states, you are not required to submit a blood test nor are you required to present a divorce decree if you were previously married

Key things to note:

• You must get married within 12 months of obtaining your Arizona marriage license or else it will expire
• You must mail (or personally deliver) your signed and completed marriage license to the original location you obtained it from within 30 days of getting married.
• You do not have to be an Arizona resident to get legally married in Arizona

Step 2: Get Married!

This is the fun part! For couples eloping with me – I plan every aspect of their elopement to ensure their dream adventure elopement day is stress free! I am also ordained, meaning I can legally sign their marriage license.

Who can legally marry you in Arizona?

• Duly licensed or ordained clergy (includes ministers, elders or other persons who by the customs, rules and regulations of a religious society or sect are authorized or permitted to officiate at marriage ceremonies)
• Judges of courts of record
• Municipal court judges
• Justices of the peace
• Justices of the United States supreme court
• Judges of courts of appeals, district courts and courts that are created by an act of Congress if the judges are entitled to hold office during good behavior
• Bankruptcy court and tax court judges
• United States magistrate judges
• Judges of the Arizona court of military appeals

YES! Any family member or friend can legally marry you in Arizona! All they need to do is become officially ordained. The process of doing this is FREE and takes less than 2 minutes. It is valid immediately. You may become legally ordained and ready to sign legal marriage licenses in the State of Arizona (and beyond) by registering with The Universal Life Church here. Your ordination is valid for life.

What is needed to lawfully complete your marriage license?

1. Someone (other than you or your partner) who can legally sign your papers – see above section “Who can legally marry you”.
2. Two separate witnesses to sign your papers (Eloping just the two of you? Don’t worry – you can ask anyone to be a witness the day of!)
3. Signatures of all parties
4. Date and location of where your ceremony took place
5. A black ink pen

Step 3: File your Marriage License with the Court

Within 30 days of your ceremony, you must mail or drop off your completed marriage license to the same court in which you originally received the license from. If you pre-purchased a copy when obtaining your license, an official copy of your marriage certificate will be mailed to the address you provided once it is processed.

That’s it!

I hope this blog post about how to get legally married in Sedona, Arizona (and beyond) was helpful for you! If you are eloping with me and have any other questions regarding this process, feel free to reach out to me directly!

xoxo,

Maria

Vow to Wander Elopements

Elopement Photographer, Guide, & Planner

Arizona & Sedona Elopement Specialist

Read on: Why Eloping is the BEST Way to get Married