Get a Marriage License in New Castle County, DE
Contact details confirmed by phone with the Clerk of the Peace. Here's what to expect at the Clerk of the Peace — fees, what to bring, and where to go.
Delaware marriage licenses are issued by the county Clerk of the Peace. Each county sets and publishes its own schedule, and the three do not match — verified 2026-09-14 against each county's own fee page. New Castle charges $70 where either party is a Delaware resident and $120 where neither is, plus a $5 processing fee. A background form is $20 and a certified copy $25. Active-duty military and their spouses pay nothing for a certified copy of a marriage license or certificate, which otherwise costs $25: they must show a valid military identification card (16 Del. C. § 3132(b)). A 24-hour waiting period applies. Under 13 Del. C. § 107(c) the license entitles you to marry within 30 days from the date it is issued, and it is only valid in Delaware. No Delaware county publishes a downloadable application to print in advance — all three take the application online or in the office — but each county does publish a page setting out what to bring. New Castle takes a marriage license request online ↗. Call (302) 395-5555 if anything here has changed.
What New Castle County tells you to do
License & Ceremony FAQs — New Castle County ↗ is the page to read before you go.
Before the ceremony — what ends a wedding day
- TWO WITNESSES, aged 18 or over, must be at the ceremony — and both of them need valid government-issued photo ID, as do both of you. New Castle requires this whether the ceremony is in the Marriage Bureau or anywhere else in Delaware. Arriving without them is what ends a wedding day.
- In-office ceremonies happen on Wednesdays and Fridays only, by appointment. Arrive on time: New Castle states that parties arriving 30 minutes late or later may need to reschedule, and warns about limited parking in Wilmington.
- Applying online does not avoid the trip. Either party may submit the application, but both of you must then appear in person at the Marriage Bureau so your photo ID can be verified before the license is issued.
What to bring
- Both of you in person at the Marriage Bureau, with valid government-issued photo ID, to have that ID verified — even where one of you submitted the application.
- Your parents’ full names and their state or country of birth, for both of you.
- Details of any previous marriage, including where it took place and the date.
- A certified copy of the divorce decree, annulment or death certificate if either of you was married before.
- Two witnesses aged 18 or over for the ceremony itself, each with government-issued photo ID.
- Both of you must be 18 or over, not related to each other, and not under the influence of drugs or alcohol — at the application and at the ceremony.
For an in-office ceremony New Castle asks that you keep guests to ten or fewer, supervise children, bring no food or drink, not rearrange the seating, and not bring a change of clothes — there are no dressing rooms. Three copies of the license are provided to the couple.
A 24-hour wait applies after the license is issued, which New Castle says can be waived if either party is active-duty military or critically ill. New Castle describes the license as valid for 30 days, and says either party may appear in person to extend it by 30, 60 or 90 days for a fee.
Published by New Castle County, as of 15 September 2026.
Two witnesses — at the ceremony, not at the counter. 13 Del. C. § 106(4): “Marriages shall be solemnized in the presence of at least 2 reputable witnesses who are at least 18 years of ageand who shall sign the certificate of marriage as prescribed by this chapter.” They sign the certificate afterwards, so they have to be present for it. They are not needed when you apply to the Clerk of the Peace.
Fee source: New Castle County fees schedule ↗ · verified 2026-09-14
Getting married somewhere else in Delaware? See the Delaware marriage license guide for statewide requirements and fees.