New York City has five City Clerk marriage offices, one in each borough, and all five perform civil ceremonies by appointment: 141 Worth Street in Manhattan, 210 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn, 851 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens and 10 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island. You book the ceremony through Project Cupid, it costs $25, and you need a New York State marriage license that is at least 24 hours old plus a witness who is 18 or older. That means you can pick the office that suits where you are staying, how you like to travel and where you want to go for photos and a meal afterward, rather than assuming Manhattan is the only choice.
Key takeaways
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- All five borough offices perform civil ceremonies, and every visit is by appointment only, with no walk-ins.
- The license and the ceremony are two separate appointments, and the ceremony always happens in person.
- Bring the license, the same kind of photo ID you used for it, a witness 18 or older with ID, and $25 by card or money order.
- Your ceremony can take place at least 24 hours after the license is issued and within 60 days.
- Plan to arrive between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., Monday to Friday, and check the guest limit when you book.
The five offices, side by side
Each office sits in a civic building in its borough, so note the floor and room number along with the street address. The addresses and published hours below come from the City Clerk's office list and NYC311, checked September 28, 2026.
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| Borough | Building and address | Published hours | Ceremony arrival window |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoroughManhattan | Building and addressMunicipal Building, 141 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013 | Published hoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. | Ceremony arrival window8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. |
| BoroughBrooklyn | Building and addressMunicipal Building, 210 Joralemon Street, 2nd Floor, Room 205, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | Published hoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Ceremony arrival window8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. |
| BoroughThe Bronx | Building and addressSupreme Court Building, 851 Grand Concourse, Room B131, Bronx, NY 10451 | Published hoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Ceremony arrival window8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. |
| BoroughQueens | Building and addressBorough Hall Building, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Ground Floor, Room G-100, Kew Gardens, NY 11424 | Published hoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Ceremony arrival window8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. |
| BoroughStaten Island | Building and addressBorough Hall Building, 10 Richmond Terrace, 3rd Floor, Room 311, Staten Island, NY 10301 | Published hoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Ceremony arrival window8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. |
Plan your day around the arrival window rather than the closing time. NYC311 asks couples to arrive for ceremonies between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., so a 4:00 p.m. closing does not mean a 3:50 p.m. arrival will work. Manhattan's published hours also end earlier than the other four, at 3:45 p.m. None of the offices is open on weekends.
Every office marries couples, and the license comes first
The question people ask most is whether they can get married at the Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx or Staten Island office, or only at Worth Street. NYC311 states that the City Clerk performs marriage ceremonies throughout the day in all five borough offices, so any of them can be your wedding venue for the day.
What trips people up is that two different appointments are involved. The first is the marriage license, which is the legal permission to marry. The second is the ceremony, where a City Clerk officiant marries you in front of your witness. You need the license before you can book or hold the ceremony, and the two usually happen on different days because of the 24-hour wait. If you see an open slot in the booking system, check which of the two it is before you plan travel around it.
Booking through Project Cupid
The City Clerk handles both appointments through Project Cupid at nyc.gov/cupid. In-person licenses and ceremonies are by appointment only, and NYC311 notes that you can book online or by phone and that the offices do not provide walk-in services. Showing up at Worth Street hoping to be fitted in is not an option.
For the license, you have a choice. The Clerk says a virtual marriage license appointment remains available, which suits couples who live in the city or who want the license sorted before they travel. The ceremony is different: it is always in person, because the Clerk has not permitted videoconference ceremonies since June 25, 2021.
A simple order works for most couples. Get the license first, keep the license and any confirmation details the system gives you, then book the ceremony at the office you want. The NYC Marriage License, Step by Step guide walks through the application itself, and the Project Cupid, the Virtual Marriage License Appointment guide covers the online license visit screen by screen.
What to bring to any office
The list is the same whichever borough you choose. According to NYC311, you need:
- Your valid New York State marriage license.
- The same type of photo ID each of you used when you applied for the license. If one of you used a passport for the license, bring that passport.
- At least one witness who is 18 or older, with their own ID.
- The $25 ceremony fee, paid by credit card, debit card or a money order made out to the City Clerk.
Your witness can be a friend, a family member or someone traveling with you, but they have to be there in person and old enough. If you are visiting from another state or country, keep everything in one place: a slim, water-resistant document wallet that fits passports and printed confirmations saves a lot of rummaging at the counter.
Before you leave for the office
- License in hand, and at least 24 hours old
- Photo ID for both of you, matching the ID used for the license
- Witness, 18 or older, with ID
- $25 by card or money order to the City Clerk
- Appointment confirmation and the right room number
- Guest limit confirmed and MTA service checked
Timing rules that apply in every borough
Three rules shape your calendar, and they are the same at all five offices. They come from the New York State Department of Health.
The 24-hour wait. Your ceremony can take place no sooner than 24 hours after the exact time the license was issued. If your license was issued at 11:40 a.m. on a Tuesday, the earliest your ceremony can start is 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday. That also means a same-day license and ceremony is not possible unless the waiting period has been legally waived; the How to Get Married in NYC This Week guide explains that route and how to plan a short timeline.
The 60-day window. The license is generally valid for 60 calendar days, starting the day after it is issued. If the license runs out before your ceremony, you would need to apply again, so book the ceremony well inside that window.
Using a license from one borough at another office. New York State lets you apply at any town or city clerk in the state and use the license anywhere in New York State, though not outside it. The rule does not tie your ceremony to the borough that issued your license, so a license from a Manhattan appointment can be used for a ceremony in Queens or on Staten Island. When you book, follow the Project Cupid prompts for the office you want and confirm that your license and appointment line up.
License to ceremony, in order
Tap or hover a step to follow the order.
Book the license
Through Project Cupid, in person or as a virtual appointment.
Get the license
Keep the license and any confirmation details the system gives you.
Wait 24 hours
The ceremony can start no sooner than 24 hours after the exact time the license was issued.
Book the ceremony
Choose any of the five offices; the ceremony is always in person.
Marry within 60 days
Arrive between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., Monday to Friday, with the license, matching photo ID, a witness 18 or older and $25.
Getting to each office
All five offices are reachable by public transit, and a cab or car service works too if you are carrying garment bags or traveling with older relatives. The trains line up with each building like this.
Manhattan, 141 Worth Street. Take the 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, the R to City Hall, or the 1, 2, 3, A or C to Chambers Street. These are the connections NYC CityStore lists for the Marriage Bureau.
Brooklyn, 210 Joralemon Street. Court Street on the R, Borough Hall on the 4 and 5, and Jay Street-MetroTech on the A, C, F and R are all in Downtown Brooklyn near the office. The walk depends on which station exit you use.
The Bronx, 851 Grand Concourse. The 2, 4 and 5 stop at 149 St-Grand Concourse, and buses run along 149th Street nearby.
Queens, 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens. The E and F stop at Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike, the main subway connection. The Kew Gardens stop on the LIRR is another option if you are coming by rail.
Staten Island, 10 Richmond Terrace. Staten Island has no subway. The office is at St. George, served by the Staten Island Ferry terminal, the Staten Island Railway and MTA buses. For many couples the ferry ride is part of the fun of the day, but it adds time, so allow for it.
Whichever office you choose, look at the MTA's planned service changes the day before and the morning of your appointment. A rerouted train is the last thing you want between you and a 3:15 p.m. arrival cutoff.
Quick check: before you head to an office
Answer every question to check.
Guests and photos on the day
Most couples want a few people there, and it pays to check the numbers early. The City Clerk's homepage currently announces that couples with a scheduled ceremony may bring up to four guests, while NYC311 describes the limit as no more than six people in total, counting the two of you and your witness. Go by the Clerk's current announcement, checked September 28, 2026, and look again when you book, because the wording can change and the two pages count differently.
Photos are the other thing to sort out ahead of time. Before the day, ask the office where you are booked about cameras, tripods and whether a hired photographer can come into the ceremony room. If you are hiring a photographer or videographer, share the office, room number and your arrival time with them, and plan the posed portraits for outside or at a nearby spot after the ceremony. The Best City Hall Wedding Photo Spots in NYC guide has ideas near the offices.
Which office fits your plans
Since every office performs the same ceremony for the same fee, the choice comes down to logistics and what you want to do before and after. A few patterns help.
Staying in Lower Manhattan, or wanting a classic downtown setting. Worth Street puts you near City Hall and the rest of Lower Manhattan, with the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, A, C and R all stopping nearby. Remember that its published hours end at 3:45 p.m.
Based in Brooklyn, or planning Brooklyn photos and a Brooklyn dinner. Joralemon Street is in Downtown Brooklyn with several lines close by, so you and your guests can stay on your side of the river for the whole day.
In the Bronx, or traveling on the 2, 4 or 5. The Grand Concourse office keeps the trip short for couples and families who live or stay along those lines.
In Queens, or coming in on the E, F or LIRR. Kew Gardens can be far easier than crossing into Manhattan and back, especially with relatives in tow.
Living on Staten Island, or wanting the ferry as part of the day. Richmond Terrace makes sense if you are based there or like the idea of a waterfront trip. For couples staying elsewhere, build in the extra travel time.
No office is officially quieter or easier to book than another, so if your first choice has no openings on your date, look at the others before changing your plans. Then think about the meal: the Where to Eat or Celebrate After a City Hall Wedding guide can help you pick a place near the office you choose, and a planner or transportation company can handle the moving parts if your group is larger.
Holidays and closures
The offices close on legal holidays, and those dates do not always match the ones you might expect from home, especially if you are traveling from abroad. Before you book flights or hotels around a date, check the legal-holiday list linked from the City Clerk's homepage. If your license will be close to its 60-day limit, count any holiday closures into the time you have left.
Questions couples ask about the five offices
Can we have a virtual ceremony instead of going to an office?
No. The Clerk ended videoconference marriage ceremonies on June 25, 2021, according to its updated FAQ. The license appointment can still be virtual, but the ceremony itself happens in person at one of the five offices.
Can we use our NYC license for a wedding outside the city?
Yes, as long as the wedding is in New York State. New York State allows a New York license to be used anywhere in the state but not in another state or country, and the ceremony must be performed by an authorized officiant. The Who Can Officiate a Wedding in NYC guide covers who qualifies.
Can a friend officiate instead of the City Clerk?
A friend or relative who is at least 18 can apply for New York's one-day marriage officiant license, available since March 28, 2023. The City Clerk lists the fee as $25, and the license lets that person marry you anywhere in New York State, which is a separate route from a ceremony at a Clerk office.
How do we get proof of the marriage afterward?
Marriage records for weddings in the city are held by the City Clerk, not the state. The Clerk's Marriage Records page explains certificates, the extended certificate and the apostille steps for use abroad, and the Getting Your NYC Marriage Certificate, the Extended Copy and the Apostille guide walks through which one you need.
Your next step
Choose the office that fits where you are staying and where you want to spend the rest of the day, then open Project Cupid and book your license appointment if you do not have one yet. Once the license is issued, book the ceremony at least 24 hours later and within 60 days, confirm your witness and the guest limit, and check the train the morning of. For the full sequence from application to certificate, read A City Hall Wedding in NYC, Step by Step, and if you are coming from out of town, Getting Married in NYC as a Visitor or From Abroad fills in the travel details.
