Anyone planning to be wed in Massachusetts requires a current marriage license issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts whether or not you live within the state.

This license does not have to be from the town that you are getting married in or the town in which you currently reside. It is necessary to apply together in person “to file your intentions” with any city or town clerk. Massachusetts requires the couple be over the age of 18. Same-sex marriage is legal, however only for residents.

Massachusetts imposes a three-day waiting period from the day you file your “marriage intentions” to the day you pick-up your license. However a waiver of the waiting period may be granted by a judge. A Massachusetts marriage license is valid anywhere within the state for sixty days from the date first filed.