New York Marriage License Requires No Blood Test, Even if Your Parents Remember One

When my husband and I got engaged, both of our parents told us we would need blood tests and other medical checks before we could get married. It sounded like one more thing to add to the wedding to-do list.

They weren’t making it up. New York once required couples applying for a marriage license to be tested for syphilis. By the time my husband and I were planning our wedding, the rule had changed. Today, New York State does not require a premarital exam or blood test to get a marriage license.

Why New York Once Required Blood Tests for Marriage

The old requirement was part of a public health campaign against syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection. A 1954 article in Public Health Reports, written by a physician with the U.S. Public Health Service, says premarital examination laws were meant to keep the infection from passing to a spouse or to children.

Mandatory testing took effect in New York in 1938. The state legislature discontinued it in 1985, according to a 1987 Washington Post report. The story cites a state health department spokesman who said 835,252 tests from 1978 through 1982 turned up only 45 cases of infectious syphilis. An independent study found it cost as much as $60,000 to identify each case.

How to Get a Marriage License in New York State

Outside New York City, you and your future spouse apply in person at any town or city clerk in the state. Both of you must sign the application in front of the clerk. A representative can’t apply for you, even with a power of attorney, and a notarized affidavit doesn’t replace showing up.

Each of you needs documentary proof of age. The state’s list includes a birth record, a passport, and a driver’s license, and clerks can differ on what they accept. You’ll also have to provide information about any previous marriages, including whether a former spouse is living and when and where a divorce was granted. The clerk may ask for a certified copy of the divorce decree.

Outside New York City, the license costs $40. That fee includes a Certificate of Marriage Registration, which the issuing clerk mails after the officiant returns the completed license.

New York City works differently. Couples schedule an appointment to apply in person or virtually through Project Cupid, and the fee is $35.

New York Marriage License 24-Hour Wait and 60-Day Window

The license is issued right away, but the ceremony can’t take place within 24 hours of the exact time it was issued. A judge or justice can waive the wait. The license is valid for 60 calendar days, starting the day after it is issued. If either person is active U.S. military, the state says the window can be extended to 180 days with proof.

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Southern Tier Marriage License Example: Town of Binghamton Clerk

Each office sets its own hours and document rules, so it pays to call first. The Town of Binghamton clerk’s page says it issues marriage licenses Tuesday through Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 279 Park Avenue, with no appointment necessary. The fee is $40. That office asks couples to bring photo identification and an original or certified birth certificate with a raised seal, which is stricter than the state’s general list. Hours can change, so check with the clerk before you go.