When are you open?
Where are you located?
When should we apply?
Do I have to apply where I live?
Do I need an appointment?
Is there a waiting period?
Can the waiting period be waived?
Are blood tests required?
What is the fee for a marriage license?
How do I find a Justice of the Peace?
Can a friend be authorized to perform
my marriage ceremony?
Must I be a resident to get married
in Massachusetts?
Do I need witnesses for my ceremony?
Is proof of divorce required?
For further information...
When are you open?
Monday through Thursday, 9:00 to 4:00, Friday by appointment
only.
Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
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Where are you located?
The Lincoln Town Hall is located at 16 Lincoln Road.
The Town Clerk’s Office is on the first floor.
Parking is available.
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When should we apply?
The marriage license is valid for 60 days from the day
you apply (after the 3-day waiting period.) Apply for
your license no sooner than 60 days before your planned
wedding date.
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Do I have to apply where I live?
If the marriage is to take place in Massachusetts, you
may apply for your license at any City or Town Clerk's
Office in Massachusetts regardless of where you live.
Fees and hours vary from office to office. Information
on offices in other cities and towns can be obtained
from the Commonwealth
Communities page on the State of Massachusetts website.
If your marriage is going to take place outside of Massachusetts,
you must contact the local officials in the jurisdiction
where the marriage will take place. Marriage laws vary
from state to state.
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Do I need an appointment to apply for a marriage
license?
No appointment is necessary. A couple must appear at
the Town Clerk's Office together, in person, to file
a "Notice of Intention to Marry." This can
be done any time during our regular office hours. Please
allow approximately fifteen minutes for completion of
your application.
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Is there a waiting period from the date of application
to the date the license is issued?
Yes, there is a three-day waiting period. Your license
will be available on the third calendar day after the
day that you apply. For example, if you apply on a Monday,
your license can be issued on or after Thursday. Please
note that licenses are not issued on Saturday or Sunday
(when we are closed) unless special arrangements are
made with the Town Clerk.
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Is a waiver of the three-day waiting period
available?
If there is reason to dispense with the three day waiting
period, a couple may apply to the judge of a Massachusetts
Probate or District Court to have the license issued
without delay. Applicants can proceed to the courthouse
after filing the "Notice of Intention to Marry"
with the Town Clerk.
The Concord District Court is located
on Walden Street (Route 126) and can be reached at 978-369-0500.
Courthouse hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through
Friday. The fee for the waiver at District Courts in
Massachusetts is currently $195, payable by either cash
or check. The Courthouse staff recommends that applicants
for waivers arrive at the Courthouse no later than 3:00
pm to assure ample time for consideration of the waiver
prior to closing time.
The Middlesex County Probate Court
is located at 208 Cambridge St. in Cambridge and can
be reached at 617-768-5800. Courthouse hours are 8:00
am to 4:30 pm, Monday Through Friday. The fee for the
waiver at Probate Courts in Massachusetts is currently
$85.00.
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Is a blood test required before
a license can be issued?
No. On October 29, 2004, the Governor signed a law eliminating
the premarital medical certificate requirement in Massachusetts.
This law went into effect on January 28, 2005.
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What is the fee for obtaining a marriage license in
Lincoln?
The fee is $15.00. This fee includes the license and
one certified copy of the marriage certificate.
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How do I find a Justice of the Peace?
Click here for a list of all Massachusetts
Justices of the Peace.
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Can a friend be authorized to perform my marriage
ceremony?
The Governor's Office may issue a certificate authorizing
a citizen to solemnize a specified marriage on a specified
day. Click
here to visit the State's website for information and
an application.
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Is Massachusetts residency required to obtain
a marriage license in Massachusetts?
No. Residence is not a requirement for marriage in Massachusetts.
According to M.G.L. Chapter 207, Section 11, however,
"No marriage shall be contracted in this commonwealth
by a party residing and intending to continue to reside
in another jurisdiction if such marriage would be void
if contracted in such other jurisdiction, and every
marriage contracted in this commonwealth in violation
hereof shall be null and void."
Are same-sex couples who reside outside of Massachusetts
allowed to be married in Massachusetts?
If a same-sex couple currently does not reside in Massachusetts,
but intends to establish a new home or residence in
Massachusetts in the near future (even if a specific
address or town has not been selected), then a license
can be issued in Massachusetts. If a couple currently
does not reside in Massachusetts, and intends to continue
to reside outside of Massachusetts in a state that does
not permit same-sex marriage, then a license cannot
be issued in Massachusetts.
Will proof of residency be required?
Documentary proof of residence will not be required
in Lincoln, but couples will be asked to sign a sworn
affidavit, as follows: "I have reviewed a list
of impediments to marriage for my place of residence
and hereby state that there is an absence of any legal
impediment to the marriage and do hereby depose and
say that all of the statements as set forth in the above
notice whereof I could have knowledge are true and are
made under the penalties of perjury." (MGL Ch.
4, §6, Rule 6) The list of impediments for each
state will be available in the Town Clerk’s Office.
The Lincoln Town Clerk’s Office will not issue
a marriage license to an out-of-state, same-gender couple
unless they intend to move to Massachusetts.
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What if one or both of us has been divorced?
You are not required to present a divorce certificate
when filing intentions to marry. However, it is extremely
important that an individual who has been divorced be
certain that his/her divorce is absolute. In Massachusetts,
a divorce does not become absolute until 90 days after
the divorce nisi has been granted, regardless of the
grounds for divorce.
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Are witnesses required to be present at the
ceremony?
Massachusetts statute does not require that witnesses
be present at your ceremony. The officiant serves as
the witness.
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What if I have further questions?
You may contact the Town Clerk’s Office by telephone
during office hours (781-259-2607), or via e-mail the
Town Clerk
Our mailing address is: Town Clerk, 16 Lincoln Road,
PO Box 6353, Lincoln MA 01773.
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