Getting married at the courthouse on a Saturday is possible in a handful of large metropolitan jurisdictions that schedule weekend civil ceremonies by appointment, but most county clerk offices are closed on Saturdays. The workaround almost everyone else uses is simple: pick up the marriage license during the week, then have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony wherever you like on Saturday. The license and the ceremony are two separate steps, and only the license truly depends on business hours.
Which Courthouses Actually Open on Saturdays
County clerk offices and courthouses generally run Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Weekend closures come down to staffing costs and security, and the vast majority of counties follow that pattern. Walking up to a random courthouse on a Saturday expecting a same-day license and ceremony will almost always end at a locked door.
A few large metros are the exception. Houston’s municipal courts perform Saturday weddings in the morning for a slightly higher fee than weekday ceremonies. Cook County in Chicago offers Saturday appointments at its downtown location. A handful of other large cities do the same. Whether your local courthouse is on that list is entirely a local question, so call the clerk’s office directly and ask. Don’t assume based on what a neighboring county does.
The License and the Ceremony Are Separate
This is the point that trips people up. The marriage license is the document you apply for at the clerk’s office during business hours. The ceremony is the event where you exchange vows and an officiant marries you. You get the license first, then have the ceremony separately, whenever and wherever you choose.
Many counties now let you start the application online and finish it in person. Once the license is in hand, nothing ties the ceremony to a courthouse or a weekday. A park, a restaurant, your living room, or a courthouse that happens to be open Saturday all work equally well as far as the state is concerned.
Timing the License So a Saturday Ceremony Actually Works
Two rules quietly govern whether your Saturday plan holds together: waiting periods and expiration dates.
Roughly a third of states impose a mandatory waiting period between when you receive the license and when the ceremony can take place. These typically run from 24 to 72 hours. If your state has a three-day waiting period and you pick up the license on Wednesday, you’re clear for a Saturday ceremony. Pick it up Friday afternoon, and you may have to wait until Monday. Some states allow a judge to waive the wait for good cause; others impose no wait at all.
Licenses also expire. The most common validity period is 60 days, which applies in about 15 states. Others range from as short as 30 days to as long as a year, and a few states set no expiration. Don’t pick up the license months ahead without checking, or you may end up paying and applying twice.
What To Bring When You Apply
Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but you’ll generally need:
- Government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or state ID card.
- Proof of age, usually a birth certificate, if your ID doesn’t show your date of birth.
- Your Social Security number, required in many states for record-keeping.
- A certified copy of the divorce decree or death certificate if either of you was previously married.
No state currently requires a blood test or medical screening. That requirement was common decades ago and has been almost entirely eliminated. Payment methods can be narrower than you’d expect, so check whether the clerk takes cards or only cash or money orders.
Who Can Marry You on a Saturday
An officiant’s authority comes from their commission or ordination, not from the courthouse building. A closed courthouse doesn’t stop a judge, minister, or other authorized official from marrying you elsewhere on a Saturday.
The categories vary by state but generally include:
- Active and, in many states, retired judges and magistrates. Many perform private ceremonies on evenings and weekends for a fee, commonly $50 to $300 depending on location.
- Justices of the peace, in states that still use the title. They are often the most accessible civil officiants for weekend ceremonies.
- Licensed or ordained religious clergy.
- Online-ordained ministers through organizations such as the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries. Most states recognize this ordination, which is the simplest route if you want a friend or family member to officiate. A few states add registration steps, so confirm local rules first.
- Notaries public, in a small number of states including Florida, South Carolina, and Nevada. Some of those states require the notary to obtain a separate officiating credential.
If you’d rather skip the officiant question entirely, a handful of jurisdictions allow a self-uniting or self-solemnizing marriage, where the couple marries themselves by signing the license, sometimes in front of witnesses. Colorado, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia are among them. You bring the license, a pen, and each other.
Witnesses and IDs on the Day
About half the states require no witnesses at all. The other half typically require one or two adult witnesses to sign the license. Any competent adult usually qualifies. If your state requires two and you show up with just the officiant and yourselves, you may not be able to complete the paperwork that day. Bring valid photo IDs too; officiants often check them before signing.
After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the clerk’s office, usually within a few business days. The clerk then issues your official marriage certificate, which is the document you’ll use to update your name, insurance, and tax filing.
A Workable Saturday Timeline
Couples who actually pull off a Saturday wedding tend to follow the same rough schedule:
- Two to four weeks out: Check whether your county offers Saturday ceremonies. If yes, book the appointment. If no, line up an officiant willing to marry you Saturday at an alternate location.
- One to two weeks out: Apply for the license during business hours. Start online if your county allows it, then finish in person. This gives any mandatory waiting period room to clear before Saturday.
- Before the day: Confirm the license hasn’t expired and won’t expire before the ceremony. Line up witnesses if your state requires them.
- Day of: Bring the license, your IDs, and your witnesses. A civil ceremony is often under 15 minutes. The officiant handles filing afterward.
The ceremony itself is the easy part. Getting the license squared away during business hours and respecting any waiting period is where Saturday plans fall apart if you don’t think ahead.