Marriage Law
How to Elope, State by State
Elopements Inc. operates in four states, and each issues its own marriage license with its own rules. Tennessee, Georgia, and Arizona have no waiting period and issue licenses the same day. South Carolina requires 24 hoursbetween issuance and the ceremony — but Charleston County's application is entirely online. None of the four has a residency requirement.
Important
The marriage license fee is paid directly to the county at the time of application — not to Elopements Inc. The application has to be completed by the couple; we cannot obtain the license on your behalf. In Tennessee, Georgia, and Arizona both partners apply in person at the county clerk's office. In Charleston County, South Carolina, the entire application is online. We walk every couple through the process step by step (where to apply, what to bring, when to go), but the application itself has to be completed by the two of you.
Eloping by state — common questions
Residency, waiting periods, and who actually files the paperwork.
Four: Tennessee (Nashville and Gatlinburg), South Carolina (Charleston), Georgia (Savannah), and Arizona (Sedona). Each state issues its own marriage license with its own cost, waiting period, and witness rules — the guides on this page cover all four.
Tennessee, Georgia, and Arizona all issue marriage licenses same-day with no waiting period, so you can apply in the morning and hold your ceremony that afternoon. South Carolina is the only state we serve with a mandatory wait — 24 hours between license issuance and the ceremony.
No. None of the four states has a residency requirement for a marriage license. You can live anywhere in the United States, or abroad, and still apply for and use a license in Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, or Arizona.
No. The license is a personal legal document that has to be completed by the two of you, and the fee is paid directly to the county. We guide you through the process and time it around your ceremony date, but we cannot obtain or pay for the license on your behalf.