To be legally married couples must apply for and receive a marriage certificate. Laws are different from state to state, so this blog is specifically for my Michigan brides and grooms. This process is simple, but make sure you apply timely to your wedding (not too early or too late).
ID Requirement: Picture ID such as a driver’s license. 
Residency Requirement: You do not have to be a resident of Michigan, but the fee is $10 more for non-residents. Residents need to apply for their marriage license in the county in which one of them lives. Non-residents need to apply for their marriage license in the county where they plan on getting married.
Application Requirement: Applicants intending to marry must obtain a marriage license from the county clerk in the county in which one of the parties lives (or, if both parties are non-residents, in the county where the marriage is to be performed), and deliver it to the person who is to solemnize the marriage, before the marriage can be performed. Both applicants are not required to appear in person at the time of applying.
However, he or she will be required to complete all information about both applicants:
- A photocopy of the front and back of the other person’s driver’s license.
- Full names
- Addresses, dates and places of birth
- Bride’s name after marriage
Identification requirements vary in each county. A valid drivers license or certified copy of birth certificate may be requested.
Waiting Period: 3 days. The county clerk can waive the 3 day waiting period for “good and sufficient cause shown.”
Fees: $20 for residents, and $30 for non-residents. $15.00 of it is allocated for family counseling services. Wayne County is authorized to charge more. A probate court may waive the marriage license fee in cases of undue hardship.
Blood Tests: No tests
Under 18: If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can get married with parental consent. Your parents must appear with their own identification and if a custodial parent, proof of their custody. If you are 15 or younger, you will need both parental consent and the approval of the probate court.
Certificate: After the wedding ceremony the person who solemnizes the marriage fills in (typed or legibly printed) the certificate with the time and place of the marriage and the names and residences of the two witnesses, and signs it. The part marked “duplicate” is given to the newlyweds, and the original 
must be mailed to the county clerk that issued it within 10 days. The clerk records the information in a registration book, and mails it on to the state registrar. The person who performs the marriage must also keep a record ”in a book used expressly for that purpose. The license, when fully filled out, thus serves a “double purpose” and becomes the certificate.
Valid: License is valid for 33 days. The license can only be used within the State of Michigan.
**As with any other laws, marriage laws can change so we advise you to check with the county, city, or town clerk. **
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