Marriage Licenses & Certificates

In Bangor, the City Clerk is responsible for issuing and recording marriage licenses. Approximately 350 marriage licenses are issued each year. In Maine, application for a Marriage License must be made in the municipality of residence of either the party A or party B. If the applicants are not residents of Maine, they may apply in any Town or City in Maine.

The current fee for a Marriage License Application is $40. Application is made by both the party A and the party B. Each must show proof of identity (a driver's license or state I.D.) and, if there have been previous marriages for either applicant, Certified Documents of Death or Divorce of the most recent marriage must also be presented.

Marriage Licenses are valid for 90 days from the date of application.

There is no longer a waiting period to obtain a marriage license. Once the application is complete, the Marriage License can be issued. A Member of the Clergy, a Maine Notary Public, or an Attorney (licensed in Maine) can perform marriages.

Once the ceremony has taken place and the officiant has returned the completed license to the issuing clerk, a certified copy of the marriage license may be requested. Fees for certified copies are: $15 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy. Certified copies are required to change Party A or Party B's name on many documents such as Social Security Cards, Driver's Licenses, and bank accounts, to name a few.

Applications for marriage licenses are by appointment only. 

Marriage Ceremony

Marriage ceremonies may be performed at City Hall in the City Clerk's office by appointment only. All marriage ceremonies performed at City Hall must be performed by the City Clerk or their designee. The marriage ceremony fee is $200. All marriage ceremonies must be scheduled with the City Clerk's office at least two days in advance. Ceremonies may be performed Monday through Friday between 8 am and 10 am or between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm This service is not available during the busy election season which is typically the month before any election. It is recommended that couples provide their own witnesses for the marriage ceremony. Please contact the City Clerk's office for more information.

Marriage Certificates

Each City or Town in Maine records and maintains marriage records for individuals who either applied for their license there and/or were married there. If you are not certain of the Place of Marriage, you may call the Office of Vital Statistics for the State of Maine in Augusta at 207-287-3184. The City Clerk's Office maintains marriage records for Bangor dating back to the early 1800's.

The following information is helpful in locating a marriage record:

• Name of party A
• Name of party B
• Date of Marriage
• Residence of party A and party B (at time of application for Marriage License)

Methods for Requesting Marriage Records

In Person

Certified Copies of Marriage Certificates are available during normal business hours (8 am to 4:15 pm Monday through Friday) at our office on the first floor of Bangor City Hall. The first copy costs $15. Additional copies are $6 each. The requestor must fill out a request form, and provide proof of identity and proof of lineage, if necessary. (Photocopies are not legal documents but may be purchased for $5 per record.)

By Mail

Marriage records can also be requested in writing through the mail by indicating the identifying information. The person requesting the record must include a photocopy of proof of identification and proof of lineage, if necessary. Send your request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope, to:

City Clerk
73 Harlow Street
Bangor, Maine 04401

A check payable to the City of Bangor must accompany your request. The fees are the same as for an in-person request. Please note that all requests for records are generally processed the same day the request is received.