Chicago is one of the largest cities and the 3rd most populous city in the US. As a large city in Illinois, several young and agile individuals are looking to get married and start a family in Chicago. Getting married in Chicago is pretty simple and amazing because you won’t be going through any stress to get your marriage license if you follow the instructions on www.usmarriagelaws.com
Chicago is one of the cities with the easiest and conforming marriage laws. You can apply for your marriage license in one day and get married the next day. It’s as easy and stress-free as that here in Chicago. Because people are getting married in this city daily, you may want to know a few things about the Chicago marriage license and its validity.
A Chicago marriage license is valid for 60 days with a one day waiting period before the license can be effective. This implies that you can get married to your lover in Chicago at least one day after getting your marriage license. You also have the grace of a 60 days validity on your marriage license.
Getting Married In Chicago
When planning your marriage in Chicago, you need to have a valid Chicago marriage license. Without this, you are not legally married. When looking to obtain a marriage license in Chicago, there are few rules to act by;
- The Age rule
Couples looking to obtain a marriage license in Chicago must be at least 18 years of age. You and your fiance must be 18 years at the time you are applying for a marriage license. You will be providing your birth certificates at the pint of application to prove this.
However, there are exceptions to this age rule in Chicago. Someone of 16 or 17 can apply for a marriage license with parental consent and proof of age.
- Prior marriage
You cannot legally take another spouse if you are currently legally married to another. In a case of a prior marriage, you must have terminated such marriage before seeking a marriage license with your spouse. A prior legal marriage is terminated either by divorce, annulment, or death. An applicant who has been in a prior marriage must be able to provide proof of termination. A divorced applicant must provide the date of divorce and a certified divorce decree if the divorce happened within the last 6 weeks.
Chicago Marriage License Application Requirements
Application for a Chicago marriage license is done at the Cook County Clerk’s office in person. You and your spouse are to visit the Cook County Clerk to fill and sign a marriage license application. Ensure to go with the following:
- A copy of your birth certificates as a proof of age
- A valid state driver’s licence/ valid US passport/ valid military ID card/state-issued ID
- Matricula Consular
- Residence card
- Marriage license application fee of $60
- Certified divorce decree for divorced applicants
- Death certificates for widowed applicants
Timeliness
Applicants don’t have to wait till forever when applying for a Chicago marriage license. After verifying, filling out the necessary information, and signing necessary documents, the applicants are to wait while their marriage license is issued.
The waiting period in Chicago is 24 hours. You only have to wait for a day after the issuance of your marriage license to get married.
A Chicago marriage license is valid for 60 days. Applicants are expected to get married between 24 hours of issuance and the 60th day after issuance. Any minute after this period, your Chicago marriage license is invalid. Intending couples are usually advised to get married before the 60th day for their marriage license to be recognized.
A good way to avoid expiration problems is to get your Chicago marriage license a few days to your marriage ceremony. Since getting a marriage license is easy in Chicago, you can apply for your marriage certificate in one day and get married the next day. The 24 hours waiting period and 60 days validity are flexible enough to prevent expiration problems on your marriage license.
Help getting your marriage license
If you need help getting your marriage license in Illinois, be sure to visit www.USmarriagelicense.com for more information.