Vermont Marriage Laws
Written and edited for accuracy by the Vermont marriage law researchers at the Universal Life Church on
No two U.S. states are alike in their marriage laws, and Vermont is no exception. That’s why we at the Universal Life Church have taken it upon ourselves to compile an exhaustive step-by-step guide, complete with relevant legal code, designed to provide both couples and ministers the resources they need to ensure their big day also follows the exact letter of Vermont law.
Wedding Ceremony Requirements
- Marriage By Proxy Allowed:
- No
- Minister Required to be Present:
- Yes
- Number of Witnesses Required:
- None
- Min. Age of Witnesses:
- N/A
- Couple's Consent Required:
- Yes
- Pronouncement Required:
- Yes
No wedding in Vermont will be legally recognized without both the couple and the officiating minister physically present for the ceremony. Witnesses aren’t required.
While couples can fashion the ceremony in whatever civil or religious manner they see fit, the state of Vermont will require a clear declaration of official consent to marry during the ceremony (normally the "I do" moment for the couple) as well as an official pronouncement from the officiating minister.
18 V.S.A. § 5131
b) A civil marriage license so issued shall be signed by both parties to the marriage and delivered by one of the parties to the proposed marriage, within 60 days from the date of issue, to a person authorized to solemnize marriages by section 5144 of this title. If the proposed marriage is not solemnized within 60 days from the date of issue, such license shall become void. After the person has solemnized the marriage, he or she shall fill out that part of the form on the license provided for his or her use, sign it, and certify to the occurrence and date of the marriage. Thereafter the document shall be known as a civil marriage certificate.
Requirements for the Couple
- Min. Age of Couple:
- Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:
- First Cousins
- Marriage Equality:
- Yes
You must be at least 18 years or older to legally marry in Vermont. Exceptions can be made for minors 16 and older who provide a town clerk with the written consent of a parent or guardian. Vermont currently forbids, without exception, marriages between parties of a couple who are mentally unfit, under guardianship, descendants of the same ancestors or who also have living wives or husbands.
Vermont has long allowed marriages of couples hailing from both out of state and country, and continues its longstanding tradition of recognizing marriage equality.
18 V.S.A. § 5142 Persons not authorized to marry
The following persons are not authorized to marry, and a town clerk shall not knowingly issue a civil marriage license, when:
(1) either party is a person who has not attained majority, unless the town clerk has received in writing the consent of one of the parents of the minor, if there is a parent competent to act, or of the guardian of the minor;
(2) either party is under 16 years of age;
(3) either of the parties is mentally incapable of entering into marriage as defined in 15 V.S.A. § 514;
(4) either of the parties is under guardianship, without the written consent of the party's guardian;
(5) [Repealed.]
(6) the parties are prohibited from marrying under 15 V.S.A. § 1a on account of consanguinity or affinity;
(7) either of the parties has a wife or husband living, as prohibited under 13 V.S.A. § 206 (bigamy).
Requirements for the Minister
- Min. Age of Minister:
- Age 18
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Document(s) Required:
- Ordination Credential
- Online Ordination Recognized:
- Yes
- Relevant Office of Registration:
- Probate Court
- Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:
- Before Ceremony
- Minister I.D. # Issued:
- No
Ministers looking to officiate a wedding in Vermont must be at least 18 years of age, matching the ULC’s own age requirements for online ordination.
While state laws go to great lengths to list both the sanctioned civil and religious representatives capable of solemnizing a marriage on its soil, including those who are ordained online, Vermont does set out certain restrictions for ministers residing outside of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Quebec (Canada). These ministers must request special authorization from the Probate Division of the Superior Court, and be prepared to pay special fees to do so. If the court needs to see proof of ordination, we recommend ordering the Classic Wedding Package so you can supply the necessary documents.
18 V.S.A. § 5144. Persons authorized to solemnize marriage
(a) Marriages may be solemnized by:
(1) a Supreme Court Justice, a Superior judge, a judge of Probate, an assistant judge, a justice of the peace, a magistrate, a Judicial Bureau hearing officer, or an individual who has registered as a temporary officiant with the Vermont Secretary of State pursuant to section 5144a of this title;
(2) a member of the clergy ordained, licensed, or otherwise regularly authorized by the published laws or discipline of the general conference, convention, or other authority of his or her faith or denomination who:
(A) resides in this State;
(B) resides in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or New York or in the adjacent province of Quebec, Canada, whose parish, church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization lies wholly or in part in this State; or
(C) resides in some other state of the United States or in Canada and whose parish, church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization lies wholly outside this State, provided he or she has first secured from the Probate Division of the Superior Court in the unit within which the marriage is to be solemnized a special authorization, authorizing him or her to certify the marriage if the Probate judge determines that the circumstances make the special authorization desirable.
Marriage License Facts
- ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:
- Religious
- Mandatory Waiting Period:
- None
- License Valid For:
- 60 Days
- License Must Be Submitted:
- Within 10 Days of Ceremony
Marriage licenses granted in the state of Vermont can be solemnized in both religious or civil ceremonies, reflecting the needs and desires of the couple. Please note that all ULC ministers are ordained and therefore considered "religious" actors.
Vermont doesn’t require any waiting period between the issuing of the marriage license and the performance of the ceremony. Both can technically be done the same day, though the state does allow a 60-day window. However, once a marriage has been solemnized, that license must be filled out and returned by the minister within 10 days.
18 V.S.A. § 5146 Penalty for solemnization without license or failure to return
A person who solemnizes a marriage without first obtaining of the parties the license required by law, or who fails to properly fill out the form thereon provided for his or her use and return the license and certificate of civil marriage to the clerk's office from which it was issued within 10 days from the date of the marriage, shall be fined not less than $10.00.
Marriage License Requirements
- Who Picks Up License:
- The Couple
- Where License is Valid:
- Any County in Vermont
- Marriage License Pick-Up:
- In Person Only
- Cost of License:
- $60.00
- Accepted I.D. Types:
- Standard Government Issued
- Proof of Divorce Required (If Applicable):
- No
- Blood Test Required:
- No
The state of Vermont requires that at least one member of the couple present themselves before a town clerk of their choosing to submit the relevant application forms procured from the State Registrar. These forms, which allow each individual to identify themself as the “bride”, “groom” or “spouse,” must be signed by both parties, and the information contained in it confirmed by official government-issued photo ID. Keep in mind that Vermont demands no proof of prior divorce, nor blood tests to ensure the couple are not related beyond first cousins.
Once the clerk has verified all the relevant information and collected the $60 application fee, the marriage license will be issued, and remain valid for a period of 60 days.
§ 5131. Issuance of civil marriage license; solemnization; return of civil marriage certificate; registration
(a)(1) Upon receipt of a completed application in a form prescribed by the State Registrar, which shall require both parties to sign the application certifying to the accuracy of the facts contained therein, a town clerk shall issue to a person a civil marriage license in the form prescribed by the State Registrar only if at least one party has signed the license in the presence of the clerk and shall enter thereon the names of the parties to the proposed marriage and fill out the form as far as practicable. The town clerk shall retain in the clerk's office a copy of the license until the marriage certificate is returned by the solemnizer.
(2) The application forms shall allow each party to a marriage to be designated "bride," "groom," or "spouse," as he or she chooses.
This worksheet may be destroyed after the marriage is registered.
(3) The license shall be issued by:
(A) the clerk of the incorporated town, city, or village where either party resides;
(B) the clerk of the county where an unorganized town or gore is situated, if both parties reside in an unorganized town or gore in that county, or if one party so resides and the other party resides in an unorganized town or gore in another county or outside the State; or
(C) by any town clerk in the State if neither party is a resident of the State.
(4)(A) Parties to a civil union certified in Vermont may elect to dissolve their civil union upon marrying one another but are not required to do so to form a civil marriage. The State Registrar shall clearly indicate this option on the civil marriage application form required by subdivision (2) of this subsection. If a couple elects this option, each party to the intended marriage shall sign a statement on the confidential portion of the civil marriage license and certificate form stating that he or she freely and voluntarily agrees to dissolve the civil union between the parties.
(B) Dissolution pursuant to this subdivision shall become effective upon solemnization of the marriage between the parties, and the parties shall not be required to file a petition for an uncontested dissolution with the Family Division of the Superior Court pursuant to 15 V.S.A. § 1206(d). A dissolution granted pursuant to this subdivision shall be exempt from fees provided in 32 V.S.A. § 1431(b)(2).
(b) A civil marriage license so issued shall be signed by both parties to the marriage and delivered by one of the parties to the proposed marriage, within 60 days from the date of issue, to a person authorized to solemnize marriages by section 5144 of this title. If the proposed marriage is not solemnized within 60 days from the date of issue, such license shall become void. After the person has solemnized the marriage, he or she shall fill out that part of the form on the license provided for his or her use, sign it, and certify to the occurrence and date of the marriage. Thereafter the document shall be known as a civil marriage certificate.
(c) Such certificate shall be returned within ten days to the office of the town clerk from which the license issued by the person solemnizing such marriage. The town clerk shall retain and file the original according to sections 5007 and 5008 of this title.
Final Steps
- Officiant's Title on Marriage License:
- Minister
- Church/Ordaining Body:
- Universal Life Church Ministries
- Address of Church:
- Minister's Home Address
Officiating ministers beware! Your job doesn’t end once the wedding is over.
The state of Vermont will require that you fill out the relevant section of the marriage license, marking your title as "minister" and the relevant church or ordaining body as "Universal Life Church Ministries." Remember to provide your home address if the license asks for an address for the church.
It’s also your job to ensure the marriage license is submitted back to the issuing town clerk office within 10 days of the wedding, lest you be slapped with a minimum $10 fine.
Interested in Performing a Vermont wedding?
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