Marriage License Guide: TN, GA, SC & AZ

The marriage license is the one administrative step that turns your ceremony into a legal marriage. Each state has different rules — waiting periods, costs, witness requirements, and how long the license stays valid. This guide covers everything you need for the four states we operate in: Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and Arizona. You'll get the license in the state where you're eloping, not where you live — your residency doesn't matter.

Tennessee (Nashville & Gatlinburg)

• Cost: $99.50 in cash in Nashville and $41 in cash for out-of-state couples in Gatlinburg ($101 for Tennessee residents), $60 less with a premarital course (most couples pay the standard fee)
• Waiting period: None — apply and marry the same day
• Valid for: 30 days from issue
• Witnesses required at ceremony: None
• Where to apply for Nashville: Davidson County Clerk's Office
• Where to apply for Gatlinburg: Sevier County Clerk's Office in Sevierville

Both partners must appear in person with valid government ID. In Davidson County (Nashville), submit the application online before you go and bring proof of each full Social Security number: the card, a W-2 or a tax document that shows it. In Sevier County (Gatlinburg), the card will do, or the number if you know it. There is no waiting period, so you can apply and marry the same day. Davidson pays cash ($99.50) or card ($101.49), and no checks.

Georgia (Savannah)

• Cost: $76 standard, reduced to $36 with a qualifying premarital education certificate
• Waiting period: None
• Valid for: No expiration date
• Witnesses required at ceremony: None — the officiant signs
• Where to apply: Chatham County Probate Court in Savannah

A Georgia license does not expire, so you can apply well ahead if you want the paperwork off your wedding-week list. Couples who live outside Georgia must apply in the county where they marry: Chatham County for Savannah. Every Chatham application is by appointment only: submit the application online, then book a time for both of you to come to court with valid ID. The court takes cash, cards (with a 5% service fee), money orders and cashier's checks, but no personal checks. No witnesses are needed; the officiant signs the license after the ceremony.

South Carolina (Charleston)

• Cost: $70, paid online to the Charleston County Probate Court
• Waiting period: 24 hours from application to license; the county emails it two business days after you apply
• Valid for: No expiration — once issued, valid until used
• Witnesses required at ceremony: None, but officiant must sign
• Where to apply: Charleston County Probate Court's online portal — 100% online, no in-person appearance

South Carolina is the one state in our network with a real waiting period. The application must be on file 24 hours before the license is issued, and Charleston County emails the license two business days after a completed application — so apply online several days before you travel. After the ceremony, the officiant has 15 days to return the signed copies to the Probate Court (S.C. Code § 20-1-330).

Arizona (Sedona)

• Cost: $98
• Waiting period: None
• Valid for: 12 months from issue — the longest in our network
• Witnesses required at ceremony: 2 witnesses, must be 18+
• Where to apply for Sedona: Yavapai County Superior Court (Prescott or Camp Verde) or Coconino County (Flagstaff) if your ceremony is in the northern part of Sedona

Arizona's 12-month validity is the most flexible of the four states — you could apply for the license a year in advance. Two witnesses age 18 or older must be present at the ceremony and sign; we provide two if it's just the two of you. Yavapai County does not need a copy of a divorce decree if either of you was married before. The officiant returns the license within 30 days of the ceremony (A.R.S. § 25-123).

What to Bring, County by County

Two things hold everywhere: both partners take part in the application, and each needs valid government photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID). The rest depends on the office:

• Davidson County (Nashville): the application submitted online before your visit, and proof of each full Social Security number (the card, a W-2 or a tax document). Cash or card; no checks.
• Sevier County (Gatlinburg): your Social Security card, or the number if you know it. Both of you must be 18 or older. Cash, or card with a processing fee.
• Chatham County (Savannah): the online application, then a booked appointment for both of you. Cash, card (plus 5%), money order or cashier's check; no personal checks.
• Charleston County: the online application, completed together, with an uploaded photo ID and a document showing each Social Security number. Card, plus a transaction fee.
• Yavapai County (Sedona): photo ID in person at Prescott or Camp Verde. No copy of a divorce decree is needed.

Out-of-State Couples — Does Residency Matter?

No. You can elope in any of these four states regardless of where you live, and the resulting marriage is fully recognized in all 50 states. You don't need to update your driver's license, voter registration, or anything else just because the wedding happened in a different state.

Day-Of Timeline

A typical elopement timeline with license application looks like:

1. Arrive in the state 1–2 days before the ceremony
2. Apply for the license the morning before (or same day in TN, GA, AZ)
3. Get the license printed at the clerk's office (15–45 minutes)
4. Show up to the ceremony, hand the license to your officiant
5. Officiant signs after the ceremony; Arizona also needs two witness signatures
6. The signed license goes back to the county: within three business days in Tennessee, 15 days in South Carolina and 30 days in Arizona; in Georgia it is mailed to the Probate Court for recording

Your Elopements Inc. coordinator walks you through every step of the license process during planning — you'll know exactly which office, which hours, and what to bring before you ever leave home.

What If You Already Have a License From Another State?

A marriage license is only valid in the state that issued it. If you already applied in your home state but decided to elope elsewhere, you have two options: let the existing license expire and apply in the elopement state, or hold the existing license unused for a possible later wedding ceremony in your home state. You cannot mix states — a Tennessee officiant cannot sign a Georgia license, and vice versa.

Name Changes — When and How

Changing your name is a completely separate process from getting married, and it happens after the marriage. The steps are the same across all four states:

1. Get a certified copy of your marriage certificate. Chatham County (Savannah) mails you one once the license is recorded. Everywhere else you order it: $5 a copy in Davidson County ($2 more by mail), $5 in person in Sevier County, $5 online in Charleston County and $35 in Yavapai County.
2. Apply for a new Social Security card with your married name — this is the first stop, and it's free at any SSA office.
3. Update your driver's license at the DMV in your home state, using the new SSN card.
4. Update your passport (if you have one), bank accounts, and employer.

How long it all takes depends on how soon the county records the license and sends the copy. You're also not required to change your name at all — that decision is entirely separate from the marriage itself.

What If You're Marrying a Non-U.S. Citizen?

You can still elope in any of these four states. The marriage license requirements don't change based on citizenship — both partners need valid government photo ID, which can be a foreign passport. The marriage will be legally recognized in the U.S. and in most other countries. Immigration consequences (visa changes, green card applications) are a separate process handled later through USCIS, not at the courthouse.

Start Planning

Pick a destination first, then we'll handle the license logistics. Browse our five elopement destinations or read our complete planning guide.