Franklin County Marriage License

Getting a marriage license in Franklin County starts with the city or town clerk in the community where you or your partner lives. Greenfield, the county seat, requires an appointment for marriage intentions, which sets it apart from many other Massachusetts clerk offices. This guide covers the Greenfield process in detail, explains the state rules that apply to all Franklin County towns, and helps you know what to expect before your clerk visit.

How Marriage Licenses Work in Franklin County

Massachusetts does not have a centralized county clerk who issues marriage licenses. Franklin County is no different. Each of the twenty-six towns in the county runs its own clerk office. Greenfield is the largest and serves as the county seat, but Deerfield, Shelburne, Montague, Gill, and every other Franklin County town manage their own vital records independently. Your license must come from the town or city where at least one of you lives.

Both people must appear in person at the same time. There is no way to submit the initial application remotely. The clerk needs to see both of you, verify your documents, and have you both sign the intention form together. Limited exceptions exist for active military duty, incarceration, or imminent death. Outside those situations, both partners need to be present.

After you file, a 3-day waiting period begins. The day you apply does not count. If you file on a Wednesday, Thursday is day one, and the earliest date for your ceremony is Saturday. Sundays and holidays count toward the wait. The license is valid for 60 days from the application date. If your timeline is tight and you need to skip the waiting period, you can petition the Probate Court for a waiver under MGL c. 207 § 30. That costs around $195 and requires a judge to approve it.

Note: The state guide at mass.gov/getting-married-in-massachusetts covers the full process and is a useful reference before any clerk visit in Franklin County.

Documents You Need for a Franklin County License

Proof of age is required for both people, and a driver's license will not work. Under MGL c. 207 § 33A, the accepted documents are a birth certificate, a valid passport, an I-94, or an I-551 (green card). Bring one of those for each partner. This is a state law requirement, so every town clerk in Franklin County follows the same rule. Do not assume that a state ID or license is a substitute, because it is not.

You will also need your Social Security number. The card itself is optional, but you need to know the number. The clerk records it on the application form. If either of you has been married before, be ready to state how that marriage ended. In some cases the clerk will ask for documentation. A divorce decree or a death certificate is the right thing to bring. It is much easier to arrive with those documents than to need to reschedule because something was missing.

Both people must be at least 18. Massachusetts raised the minimum marriage age to 18 in July 2022, eliminating all prior exceptions. There are no age-related waivers. If either applicant is under 18, the license will not be issued. This applies in Greenfield and every other town in the county.

Greenfield City Clerk Office

Greenfield is the county seat of Franklin County and the largest city in the area. The Greenfield City Clerk's office handles marriage license applications for Greenfield residents. Unlike many clerk offices in Massachusetts, Greenfield requires an appointment for marriage intentions. You cannot simply walk in. Call or email the office in advance to schedule your time, then bring both partners and all required documents.

The city clerk's main page outlines what the office handles, how to reach them, and the appointment requirement for filing marriage intentions.

At $50, Greenfield's license fee is higher than some other Franklin County and western Massachusetts towns. The certified copy fee of $20 is also on the higher end. Plan for these costs. Bring a form of payment accepted by the office and confirm the payment methods before your appointment. The office also has a 24/7 drop box at the side door of City Hall for submitting other records requests outside of business hours, though marriage intention applications still require an in-person appointment during business hours.

Birth, Death, and Marriage Records in Greenfield

Greenfield maintains a separate page for birth, death, and marriage records that is useful once your marriage has been recorded. If you need to request a certified copy after the ceremony, this is where to start. You can also find information on older records requests and how the city handles vital records going back over several decades.

After your marriage is recorded, the records page is the right place to request a certified copy of your marriage certificate from the Greenfield City Clerk.

For Greenfield residents, the city clerk is the first stop for certified copies. The fee is $20 per copy. If you need copies for multiple purposes, such as a name change, insurance update, and tax filing, it is worth ordering all of them at once rather than making separate requests. The state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics is also an option for copies, particularly for records that need to be obtained from a different location than where you filed.

Online Payment for Franklin County Records

Greenfield offers online payment through UniPay for some city clerk transactions. This is a third-party payment service that the city uses to accept fees for certain records and applications. If you are ordering a certified copy remotely or want to handle payment before your appointment, the online option may save time. The service charges a processing fee on top of the city's fee.

Online payment through UniPay adds a convenience fee, so factor that in when deciding whether to pay in person or online.

Online payment of about $21 plus fees is available through the portal. This is useful for residents who want to handle payments outside of office hours or who prefer not to bring cash. Confirm with the city clerk's office which specific services can be paid online before relying on this option for your marriage intention appointment. Not all transactions may be available through the portal.

Note: Always confirm current fees directly with the Greenfield City Clerk before your appointment. Fees and payment policies can change, and the $50 license fee and $20 certified copy rate listed here reflect the information available at the time of this writing.

Waiving the 3-Day Wait in Franklin County

If you need to marry sooner than the 3-day wait allows, the Probate Court handles waiver petitions for Franklin County residents. The waiver process is authorized under MGL c. 207 § 30 and costs approximately $195. A judge reviews the petition and decides whether the circumstances justify approving the waiver. The decision is not automatic, and not every request is granted.

The state guide at mass.gov/guides/marriage-without-delay explains the waiver process in plain language. It covers what courts look for, how to file, and what documentation helps support a waiver request. Apply as early as possible if you think you need it. Waiting until the last day before the ceremony is too late to resolve the situation if the waiver is denied.

After Your Franklin County Ceremony

Once the ceremony is done, your officiant must return the completed marriage license to the city or town clerk. This is not optional. Under MGL c. 207 § 40, the officiant fills out the return section of the license and sends it back to the clerk. Once received and recorded, the marriage becomes an official part of the vital records. At that point, you can request certified copies.

Certified copies are available from the Greenfield City Clerk at $20 each, or from the state Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The RVRS is at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester, open Monday through Friday, 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM, at 617-740-2600. Full instructions for requesting a state copy are at mass.gov's marriage certificate page. The Registry of Vital Records and Statistics holds records from every town and city in Massachusetts, so you can get a copy through the state office even if you later move away from Franklin County.

If a friend or family member is performing your ceremony, they need to be authorized through the One-Day Marriage Designation program. Applications go through the Secretary of the Commonwealth at the One-Day Marriage portal. For a list of justices of the peace available to perform ceremonies in Franklin County, see mass.gov's justice of the peace directory.

Communities in Franklin County

Franklin County has no cities that qualify for dedicated pages on this site based on population. The county includes Greenfield, Montague, Deerfield, Shelburne, Gill, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Erving, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately, and Ashfield. Each town has its own clerk office.

If you live in any Franklin County town not listed above, contact that town's clerk directly to confirm hours, fees, and whether an appointment is needed. Greenfield's appointment requirement is not universal, and practices vary across the county's towns.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County sits in the far northwest corner of Massachusetts. It borders Hampshire, Berkshire, and Worcester counties within the state, and Hampden County lies to the south. If you are near a county line, confirm which county your town falls in before heading to a clerk's office. Your license must come from the clerk in your home town.