Arizona Marriage Laws

Written and edited for accuracy by the Arizona marriage law researchers at the Universal Life Church on August 18, 2022

The following guide to Arizona state marriage laws will address all of the unique and specific rules and regulations for a legally recognized wedding in the state. Whether you are a couple planning a wedding or a minister officiating in Arizona, this will break down all of the important steps in detail.

We have the frequently asked questions covered in bullet point format, followed by details paragraphs for further information and instructions. If you are looking for information about what the couple needs, marriage license facts, or minister requirements, this guide has you covered!

Wedding Ceremony Requirements

Marriage By Proxy Allowed:: No
Minister Required to be Present:: Yes

For a wedding ceremony in Arizona, the couple, the minister, and two witnesses must be present at the ceremony and sign the marriage license. There are no proxy marriages allowed so all parties must be physically present.

The ceremony may be customized to the preferences of the couple, and the wedding script that you put together may be tailored to fit the style and tenor that the couple would like. The only legally required portions are the “I Do” exchange for the couple and the pronouncement from the minister declaring them married.

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25-125. Marriage ceremony; official; witnesses; marriage license; covenant marriages

A. A valid marriage is contracted by a male person and a female person with a proper marriage license who participate in a ceremony conducted by and in the presence of a person who is authorized to solemnize marriages and at which at least two witnesses who are at least eighteen years of age participate.

B. A marriage license shall be signed by both persons married, two of the witnesses to the marriage ceremony and the person who solemnized the marriage, who shall return the signed marriage license to the clerk of the superior court for recording.

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Requirements for the Couple

Min. Age of Couple:: Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
Residency:: Not Required
Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:: Second Cousins
Marriage Equality:: Yes

In Arizona, adults 18 years of age or older can legally marry. Persons at least 16 years of age and under the age of eighteen are able to obtain a marriage license by meeting the additional requirement of a parental consent form, photo ID, and birth certificate. Those under the age of 16 are prohibited from marrying in this state.

An exception to the degree of kinship rule may be possible if first cousins are older than 65 or if the couple gets the approval of the Arizona Superior Court Judge.

There is no residency requirement for marriage in Arizona. This means you may be a resident of the state or from out of state. You may marry in Arizona if you are a US resident or from any other country.

States nationwide including Arizona honor marriage equality, so same-sex couples are able to legally wed.

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Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-102. Consent required for marriage of minors

A. A person who is at least sixteen years of age and who is under eighteen years of age may marry only if one of the following is true:

The person has received an emancipation order pursuant to title 12, chapter 15 or from a court in another state and the person's prospective spouse is not more than three years older than the person.
The parent or guardian who has custody of the person consents to the marriage and the person's prospective spouse is not more than three years older than the person.

B. Persons who are under sixteen years of age shall not marry.

C. The clerk of the superior court may not issue a license to a person who is under eighteen years of age and who does not meet the requirements of subsection A of this section.

25-101. Void and prohibited marriages

A. Marriage between parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree, between brothers and sisters of the one-half as well as the whole blood, and between uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews and between first cousins, is prohibited and void.

B. Notwithstanding subsection A, first cousins may marry if both are sixty-five years of age or older or if one or both first cousins are under sixty-five years of age, upon approval of any superior court judge in the state if proof has been presented to the judge that one of the cousins is unable to reproduce.

C. Marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited.

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Requirements for the Minister

Min. Age of Minister:: Age 18
Residency:: Not Required
Document(s) Required:: Varies by City/County
Online Ordination Recognized:: Yes
Relevant Office of Registration:: County Clerk
Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:: After Ceremony
Minister I.D. # Issued:: No

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There is no residency requirement for ministers, but wedding officiants in Arizona must be at least 18 years of age.

A minister planning to perform a wedding in Arizona should reach out to the County Clerk’s office that is issuing the marriage license to the couple. They need to ask if there is anything that the minister needs to do before they perform a wedding in the county. The ULC always recommends that a minister performing a wedding has, at least, the credential of ministry in the case that proof needs to be provided. That County Clerk’s office can let you know if there are additional documents or a registration procedure they would like the minister to follow.

Many of our ministers in Arizona have reported that the Classic Wedding Package was the best for for their needs.

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25-124. Persons authorized to perform marriage ceremony; definition

A. The following are authorized to solemnize marriages between persons who are authorized to marry:

Duly licensed or ordained clergymen.
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.

B. For the purposes of this section, "licensed or ordained clergymen" includes ministers, elders or other persons who by the customs, rules and regulations of a religious society or sect are authorized or permitted to solemnize marriages or to officiate at marriage ceremonies.

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Marriage License Facts

ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:: Religious
Mandatory Waiting Period:: None
License Valid For:: 1 Year
License Must Be Submitted:: Within 30 Days of Ceremony

If there is an option for a civil or religious marriage license, make sure that the couple obtains one for a religious ceremony. The wedding itself does not need to contain any elements that are religious in nature, but it is the ordination with the Universal Life Church that grants the minister the authority to perform a “religious” ceremony.

There is no waiting period from when the license is issued to when the ceremony can take place in Arizona. That means the couple can go apply for the license and hold the wedding on the very same day if they want to.

Once issued, the marriage license is valid for an entire year. But after the ceremony takes place, the completed license must be returned to the County Clerk’s office within 30 days.

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25-121. Marriage license; application; affidavit

A. Persons shall not be joined in marriage in this state until a license has been obtained for that purpose from the clerk of the superior court in any county of this state. This subsection does not apply to the conversion of an existing marriage that is valid in this state to a covenant marriage pursuant to section 25-902.

B. Persons who wish to marry shall apply to the clerk of the superior court for a license and shall complete and sign under oath an affidavit provided by the clerk that states each applicant's name, age and residential address. The affidavit shall include a statement by the applicants that they understand that information on sexually transmitted diseases is available from the county health department on request and that these diseases may be transmitted to their unborn children. The applicants shall provide their social security numbers to the clerk separately from the affidavit. The affidavit shall be filed by the clerk who shall then issue to the applicants a license directed to the persons authorized by law to solemnize marriage and shall collect the fee prescribed by section 12-284. The license is sufficient authority for any authorized person to solemnize the marriage. The marriage license shall state that the marriage license expires one year from the date of issuance of the license.

C. Except for release to the department of economic security for the purpose of child support enforcement, the social security number provided to the clerk of the superior court pursuant to subsection B of this section for an applicant's marriage license shall not be released to any person or entity unless the applicant requests in writing that the information be released. The provisions of this subsection shall appear in each application for a marriage license.

25-123. Recording licenses; endorsement of solemnization; recording return; lost licenses

A. The clerk of the superior court shall maintain a record of all marriage licenses issued.

B. The person solemnizing the rites of matrimony shall endorse the act of solemnization on the license and shall return the license to the clerk within thirty days after the solemnization. The returned marriage license shall be recorded by the clerk.

C. If a marriage license is lost before the endorsement of solemnization, the persons who wish to marry shall reapply to the clerk for a marriage license pursuant to section 25-121 and pay a fee pursuant to section 12-284.

D. If the license that bears the endorsement of solemnization is lost, the clerk shall issue a replacement license that must be signed by the person who solemnized the marriage, the persons married and two of the witnesses to the marriage ceremony. The signed replacement license shall be returned to the clerk who shall record the license. If the persons married are unable to obtain all of the required signatures, either of them or their representative may apply to the superior court for an order to authorize the issuance of a duplicate endorsed marriage license. The application shall be by a sworn statement that describes the circumstances of the marriage ceremony and that contains the notarized signatures of the applicant and, if possible, both persons married, the person who solemnized the marriage and at least two witnesses to the marriage ceremony. If the application is submitted by a representative, the court shall determine if the representative is an appropriate requesting party. Pursuant to a court order, the clerk shall issue and record a duplicate endorsed marriage license. The court shall not charge a fee for the application or for issuing or recording the duplicate endorsed marriage license.

25-125. Marriage ceremony; official; witnesses; marriage license; covenant marriages

C. This section does not apply to the conversion of an existing marriage that is valid in this state to a covenant marriage that complies with the requirements of section 25-902.

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Marriage License Requirements

Min. Age of Witnesses:: 18 Years
Couple's Consent Required:: Yes
Pronouncement Required:: Yes

The couple needs to go in person to the clerk’s office to pick up the marriage license, and to bring with them the required proof of identity. Accepted forms are government issued ID like a driver’s license or passport. Some counties are also adding the option of an application by mail, so please contact the county office or check their website to verify the policy. The mail in option may require additional steps or verification.

The current fee for a marriage license in Arizona is $83, due at the time of the application. The license is good for a wedding anywhere in the state of Arizona. No official proof of divorce is required for those who were previously married.

Arizona does not require blood tests from the couple in order to obtain a marriage license.

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25-121. Marriage license; application; affidavit

25-127. Issuance of marriage license by a city or town; transfer of fees; handling fee

D. The local clerk shall collect the fee prescribed under section 12-284 and transmit it to the clerk of the superior court. The local clerk may retain one dollar fifty cents from the fee prescribed under section 12-284.

12-284. Fees

(L18, Ch. 232, sec. 1)

A. Except as otherwise provided by law, the clerk of the superior court shall receive fees classified as follows:

G Special fees

Marriage license and return of a marriage license $ 83.00

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Final Steps

Officiant's Title on Marriage License:: Minister
Church/Ordaining Body:: Universal Life Church Ministries
Address of Church:: Minister's Home Address

In order for the wedding to be recognized legally there are a few final steps that need to take place. The couple, witnesses, and the minister all need to sign the marriage license. The completed license needs to be filed with the state within thirty days of the ceremony to be recorded.

The part of the license that is to be filled by the wedding officiant may ask for the title, which should be entered as “minister”. In the blank asking for the name, they should give their full name without any titles. If the license requires an address for the minister, they should put their residence in the case that they need to be contacted.

Take extra care when verifying that the license is fully and completely filled out, as any errors can result in the need to pay for an additional new license.

The officiant should always keep a personal record of any ceremonies that they perform. This is especially the case if they are under any contractual obligations or if they are accepting payment for the service. It is best to have a copy of the ordination credential in the case that there are any questions at any point regarding the ordination. Most of all, enjoy the day and have a wonderful time!

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25-128. Unlawful acts of person authorized to solemnize marriages; classification

A. It is unlawful for any person who is authorized to solemnize marriages to:

Knowingly participate in or by his presence sanction the marriage of a person under the age of eighteen years who obtained a marriage license without consent in writing of the parent or guardian lawfully entitled to give consent.
Solemnize a marriage without first being presented with a marriage license as required by the laws of this state.
Fail to file the marriage license with the act of solemnization endorsed on the marriage license within thirty days of the ceremony.
Knowingly make a false return of a marriage or pretended marriage to the clerk of the superior court.

B. A violation of this section is a class 2 misdemeanor.

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