A City Hall Wedding in NYC, Step by Step

Everything starts with the marriage license. The City Clerk can only perform your ceremony once you hold a valid New York State marriage license, so that comes first, and the ceremony is booked as its own appointment. The full application, the license appointment and its fee are covered in the NYC marriage license guide and the Project Cupid license guide on this site, so this page picks up from the moment you have the license in hand.

Two dates then control your plan. Under New York Domestic Relations Law section 13-b, at least 24 hours must pass between the time the license is issued and the ceremony, unless a court waives the waiting period. The same law makes the license generally valid for 60 days from issuance, and your ceremony has to happen inside that window. The City Clerk repeats both points in its July 2023 announcement.

In practice, the earliest ceremony is the day after your license, at a time later than the hour it was issued. The latest is day 60. If you are visiting from another state or country, build your trip around both: allow one weekday for the license, at least one more weekday for the ceremony, and a little slack in case the ceremony slot you want is not open.

City Clerk ceremonies are appointment only. The Clerk schedules in-person ceremonies through Project Cupid at nyc.gov/cupid, as its Marriage Bureau page and published FAQ explain, and NYC311 says walk-ins are not provided. NYC311 adds that appointments can be made online or by phone.

To see how far ahead ceremony slots open and how many days of appointments are released at once, check the live calendar in Project Cupid as soon as you know your license date. When you pick a slot, check two things against your license: that the slot falls at least 24 hours after issuance, and that it falls within the 60 days.

The list is short, and every item on it matters. According to NYC311, you need:

• Your valid New York State marriage license.
• Photo ID for both of you. Bring the same type of photo identification you used to get the license.
• At least one witness over 18. Your witness also brings the same type of photo ID used for the license.
• The $25 ceremony fee. NYC311 lists four credit card brands, including Visa and American Express, two debit card brands, including Visa, and a money order payable to the City Clerk. Check the full card list on the NYC311 page if you plan to pay with a card.
• Your appointment confirmation from Project Cupid.

A slim zip folder or document organizer keeps the license, the confirmation and your IDs together and flat, and it gives the certificate somewhere safe to go on the way out. A charged phone helps too, since your confirmation, your directions and your first married photos will likely all live on it.

The City Clerk's current rule comes from its July 12, 2023 announcement: you can bring up to four attendees, and that number includes your witnesses age 18 or older. A limited number of children age 12 or younger may be admitted at the Clerk's discretion. The Clerk's homepage still displays this four-attendee notice. It replaced a February 2023 rule that allowed three.

You may also come across older wording on NYC311 that says no more than six people may be present, counting the couple and the witness. The two wordings count people differently, so treat the Clerk's four-attendee announcement as the current published rule and confirm the limit for your appointment before the day, especially if you plan to bring children or a photographer. Ask whether a photographer counts as one of your attendees.

You are not limited to Manhattan. NYC311 says the City Clerk performs ceremonies in all five borough offices:

The Manhattan Marriage Bureau closes earlier than the others and sits in the Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building. According to NYC DCAS, the bureau moved there in 2009 and has its own separate entrance at 141 Worth Street, a short walk from New York City Hall itself, which is a different building. Apart from that closing time, a practical way to choose is to pick the office closest to where you are staying, where your guests live, or where you plan to eat and take photos afterward, then take whichever has the appointment you want.

Here are the basics. You, your partner and your witness arrive between 8:30 AM and 3:15 PM, Monday through Friday, with your appointment, your license, your IDs and the fee, per NYC311. The civil ceremony is performed by the City Clerk, and NYC311 says you receive a Marriage Certificate the same day once the ceremony is complete. Ceremonies are in person; the Clerk's FAQ says videoconference ceremonies ended on June 25, 2021.

Some details of the day are worth asking about ahead of time: how early to arrive before your slot, the security steps at the door, what the waiting area is like, how long the ceremony lasts, the words the officiant says, whether you exchange rings, and whether personal vows are allowed. Ask too about the current policy on flowers, decorations, music, clothing changes, photographers, photos or video during the ceremony, cameras, tripods or lighting.

If any of those matter to your plan, confirm them with the City Clerk before you book a photographer, order flowers or plan an outfit change. It is an easy question to ask, and the answer on file for your office is the one that counts.

Most problems on the day trace back to the same short list. Based on NYC311, section 13-b and the Clerk's four-attendee announcement, check each of these before you leave:

• You have a Project Cupid appointment. Walk-ins are not provided.
• You will arrive between 8:30 AM and 3:15 PM on a weekday.
• You have your valid New York State marriage license with you.
• At least 24 hours have passed since the license was issued.
• The ceremony date is still within the license's 60 days.
• At least one witness over 18 is coming.
• Both of you and your witness have the same type of photo ID used for the license.
• You have an accepted way to pay the $25 fee.
• Your group fits within the current attendee limit.
• You are planning an in-person ceremony, not a virtual one.

If you plan to bring anything beyond these basics, ask the Clerk's office first what is allowed through security.

The certificate you receive that day is your proof of marriage, but it is not the document used for an apostille. If you need your marriage recognized abroad, the City Clerk's marriage records page explains that you need an extended certificate and further authentication; the extended certificate costs $35 for the first copy and $30 for each additional copy. The certificate, extended certificate and apostille guide on this site walks through that sequence.

For the rest of the day, a few pages pick up where this one stops. The City Hall wedding photo spots guide covers places near the Clerk's office and beyond. What to wear to a City Hall wedding in NYC covers the couple and the guests. Where to eat and celebrate after a City Hall wedding lists places by borough. The vendor directory lists photographers, florists, hair and makeup artists, transportation, restaurants and more when you want help with any part of it.

These are the questions that come up once the main steps are clear.

If you do not have your license yet, start with the NYC marriage license guide and set your license date. Once it is issued, open Project Cupid, pick a borough office and a slot at least 24 hours later and inside your 60 days, and tell your witness the time. Then line up the rest of the day: the photo spots guide for where to go after, and the vendor directory if you want a photographer, flowers or a table for dinner.

All fees, rules, hours and addresses on this page come from the linked official sources, checked September 27, 2026. Rules can change, so check the City Clerk and NYC311 pages before your appointment. This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation.