You Ask...Patch Answers: Getting a Marriage License on Martha’s Vineyard

As one of the premier wedding destinations in the country, it seems fitting that we start our You Asked/Patch Answers series with a question of how to get a license to be married on Martha’s Vineyard.

The rules are the same on Martha's Vineyard as they are for the rest of the state of Massachusetts

Both parties must appear together in person at any of the Town Clerk’s offices and file an intention to marry.

A mandatory three-day waiting period from the date of filing follows before you can pick up the license. This means that if you want to get married on a weekend, the prior Tuesday is the last day to file your intention to marry so that you can pick up your license the Friday before.

If there is a judge available, it may be possible to pay a $195 fee and get a court waiver for the three-day waiting period. For information and help on this call the Superior Court Office at 508-627-4668.

A Marriage License is valid for 60 days from the date intentions are filed, and may be used in any Massachusetts city or town. However, it is not valid outside the state.

Pre-marital blood tests are no longer required in Massachusetts.

The original license must be completed and signed by the Justice of the Peace or member of the Clergy who performs your ceremony and returned to the clerk of the town where it was issued.

Be sure to check with the Social Security Administration and avoid possible IRS tax problems. Your Social Security Number must match up with your new name (if changing your last name). All you need is a new SS-5 form. Names matched to Social Security Numbers are necessary to correctly and efficiently process your tax returns.

If you've got a question about something on Martha's Vineyard, send it to mathea.morais@patch.com or put it in the comment section below, and our team will dig up an answer.

Want to be e-mailed when we post the answers? Click the “keep me posted!” button below.