X

DC Elopements

Washington DC Elopements

Passports and ID Requirements for the DC Marriage License Application

DC MARRIAGE BUREAU OPERATIONS UPDATE

In addition to ongoing delays at the DC Marriage Bureau, their office will be closed if the federal government shuts down again. However, we can help! Please click here to read our DC Marriage Bureau Operations Update for up-to-date information regarding the current status of services at the DC Superior Court and our recommendations for obtaining marriage licenses or certified copies.
Home / Passports and ID Requirements for the DC Marriage License Application

The marriage laws of Washington, DC make it easy for couples from out-of-state or from other countries to get married here, but there are specific requirements for ID documentation on the DC Marriage License Application. Many of our couples find DC’s ID requirements (especially the need to physically mail notarized color photocopies of passports) to be difficult or time-consuming to follow, and instead opt to use our Legal Online Marriage Package or one of our packages that include online marriage, because it is much easier and faster to obtain a marriage license than the process in Washington, DC.

Driver’s Licenses and State-Issued ID Cards

The easiest, fastest, and least problematic form of ID to use with a DC Marriage License Application is a US driver’s license or a state-issued ID card. If you are applying at the DC Marriage Bureau in person, bring both parties’ driver’s licenses or photocopies of both licenses. The requirements for using these forms of ID are simple:

  1. The photo must be clearly visible.
  2. The ID must not be expired, and the expiration date must be clearly legible.
  3. The birth date must be clearly legible.
  4. The full name must be clearly legible.

If you have photocopied the driver’s licenses, the court prefers to have each license on its own page (they have to scan them). Assuming all of the above requirements are met, you will not have any trouble with using your ID at the court.

*** PLEASE NOTE: You may see information online about there being a 5-business-day waiting period to obtain your license in DC after you apply (3 days plus the day you drop off and the day you pick up). This is no longer the case, DC has eliminated the waiting period between applying for a marriage license and when you can pick it up. In-persona applicants are still required to physically go to the courthouse, wait in line to be searched by security before entering the building, sign in at the marriage bureau, wait to be called (which may take up to 2-3 hours depending on how busy the marriage bureau is that day), present your documents, and then wait again for your license be printed. ALWAYS be sure to check the marriage license for typos before you leave the court, they do not take any responsibility for printed mistakes on the license itself and there is a $100 charge for making changes after the license has been issued. If you plan to obtain your own marriage license in person, we generally recommend allotting 3-4 hours for the entire process between parking, security, and any delays at the marriage bureau. Please ensure that you have given yourself enough time to complete this process prior to your scheduled elopement or license signing service. If you do not have the time (or desire) to obtain your own DC marriage license, DC Elopements can take care of the entire process for you with our Legal Online Marriage Package.

Military ID Cards

You may also use a military ID card for a DC Marriage License application, but if you are not giving them the card itself then you must provide a photocopy of both the front and back of the ID card because the birth date is on the back. The court will not accept the ID if they cannot clearly read the name and birth date on the card. Otherwise the requirements are the same as with using a driver’s license or state ID card.

Green Cards, Work VISA Cards, etc.

While you may have a government-issued photo ID for permanent residency or work authorization, these forms of ID are not acceptable to the court for ID purposes on a marriage license application. If you do not have a US driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, or military ID card then you MUST use a passport for ID purposes.

Passport Cards

Recently, the government has started issuing “passport cards” for easier travel between the US and certain countries.  While this is technically a government-issued photo ID, the DC Marriage Bureau will not accept it as a form of ID for a marriage license.  You must instead provide your full passport.

Using a Passport for ID

If you are not a US citizen, or do not have a different form of ID listed above, then you must use a passport for identification purposes at the DC Marriage Bureau. There are specific requirements for using a passport for ID at the court:

  1. The passport must be current (not expired).
  2. The full legal name must be clearly legible.
  3. The picture must be clearly visible.
  4. The birth date must be clearly legible.

If you are not providing the actual passport itself as ID at the court, you must provide a notarized color photocopy of the passport. The court is very strict about the use of color copies of passports. If you are going to use a passport copy, these are the additional requirements:

  1. You must use a color photocopy.
  2. The copy must show the page with the photo and the opposite page, as if you were copying an open book – like this:passport
  3. You must take the color photocopy to a notary and have it notarized. The court prefers a “raised seal” but will sometimes accept ink-stamped notarization as well. The easiest places to find a notary are banks and courthouses.
  4. You must provide an original notarized photocopy of the passport. You can not photocopy or scan the notarized copy, it must have the original signature of the notary on the piece of paper that is turned in at the court.

*** PLEASE NOTE: If you are using our Legal Online Marriage Package, you do not need to provide notarized color photocopies or send us anything in the mail. The process for online marriages is much easier than the process in DC.

For more information on our services, please click here to visit our services page or contact us today!