Middlesex County Marriage License Guide
Getting a marriage license in Middlesex County means visiting a city or town clerk, not a county office, since Middlesex County government was abolished in 1997 and each municipality now runs its own process. This page covers what you need to know about applying in Cambridge, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, and other cities across Middlesex County, including fees, hours, what to bring, and the state rules that apply everywhere.
Middlesex County Overview
How Marriage Licenses Work in Middlesex County
Middlesex County is the most populous county in Massachusetts, but it has no county government and no county clerk. The state dissolved county government here in 1997. Because of that, there is no central office where you go to get a Middlesex County marriage license. Each city and town in the county runs its own clerk's office, and that is where you apply. You can apply at any clerk's office in Massachusetts, not just the one where you live, though most couples use the office in their own city or the one closest to them.
State law governs the whole process. Under MGL Chapter 207, both people must appear together at the clerk's office in person. You cannot send a proxy or fill out a form remotely and skip the in-person visit. The only exceptions are narrow: one party is on active military duty, one is incarcerated, or one faces imminent death. If none of those apply, both of you need to be there at the same time. Bring everything you need in one trip if you can, because going back wastes time and some offices require appointments.
Both parties must be at least 18 years old. Massachusetts removed every exception to this rule in July 2022. Under the updated MGL c. 207 § 7, no one under 18 can marry in Massachusetts anymore, regardless of parental or judicial consent. There is no workaround.
Proof of age is required, but a driver's license does not count. Under MGL c. 207 § 33A, acceptable documents include a birth certificate, a passport, an I-94, an I-551, or a life insurance policy issued before 1960. If you do not have one of those on hand, track one down before your appointment. Some clerks may accept a combination of documents, so call ahead to confirm if you have any questions about what you are bringing. You will also need to provide Social Security numbers for both parties, though the physical card is not required.
Note: The state marriage guide at mass.gov/getting-married-in-massachusetts lists everything you need to bring and walks through each step before your wedding day.
Cambridge Marriage License Office
The Cambridge City Clerk is one of the busiest in Middlesex County, located inside Cambridge City Hall at 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. The phone number is 617-349-4260, and the office can also be reached by email at cityclerk@cambridgema.gov. Cambridge charges $35 for a marriage license. The office offers extended hours on Monday evenings until 8 PM, which is one of the more useful options for couples who work standard day hours and cannot easily leave during the week.
Cambridge allows online appointment booking ahead of your visit. That can cut down on wait time at the counter, especially during busy periods. The city's marriage license page on its website covers exactly what to bring and what to expect when you arrive. If you live in Cambridge or the surrounding area, the extended Monday hours and the appointment option make this a convenient first choice.
| Office | Cambridge City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | Cambridge City Hall 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 |
| Phone | 617-349-4260 |
| cityclerk@cambridgema.gov | |
| Fee | $35 |
| Hours | Regular business hours; Monday until 8 PM |
Lowell Marriage License Office
Lowell shares dual county seat status with Cambridge and has one of the most flexible schedules in Middlesex County. The Lowell City Clerk is in Room 31 at City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852. You can reach the office at 978-970-4161 or 978-674-4161. The fee for a marriage license in Lowell is $40. Regular hours run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Tuesday hours extend until 8 PM, which is the best late-evening option for working couples in northern Middlesex County. Friday hours are limited to 8 AM to noon, so arriving close to noon on a Friday is risky.
Lowell offers extended Tuesday hours until 8 PM, making it a good option for couples who work during the day.
Lowell has an online certified copy ordering system, so after your ceremony is recorded you may be able to order a certified copy of your marriage certificate without coming in again. You can also start the process through Lowell's online marriage license request page before your in-person visit. If you need to skip the three-day wait, the Lowell District Court at 41 Hurd Street handles waiver requests and can be reached at 978-459-4101.
| Office | Lowell City Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | City Hall, Room 31 375 Merrimack Street Lowell, MA 01852 |
| Phone | 978-970-4161 / 978-674-4161 |
| Fee | $40 |
| Hours | M/W/Th 8 AM–5 PM; Tu 8 AM–8 PM; F 8 AM–12 PM |
| Waiver Court | Lowell District Court, 41 Hurd Street, Lowell MA, 978-459-4101 |
Newton Marriage License Office
Newton City Clerk handles marriage licenses on the first floor of Newton City Hall at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA 02459. The phone is 617-796-1200 and the email is vitals@newtonma.gov. The fee for a marriage license in Newton is $35, and a certified copy costs $10. Hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, but the office stops accepting marriage license applications at 4 PM. If you arrive after that cutoff, you will need to come back.
Newton City Hall also offers Justice of the Peace ceremonies for $100. The ceremony space holds up to 10 or 12 people, which works well for a small civil wedding. If you want to handle everything in one place, the Newton City Clerk page and the Newton marriage certificates page have current details on both the license process and the ceremony option. It is worth calling ahead if you want a ceremony, since the Justice of the Peace needs to be available on the day you plan to come in.
Somerville Marriage License Office
The Somerville City Clerk is at 93 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. Phone: 617-625-6600. At $50, Somerville charges the highest marriage license fee among the major cities in Middlesex County. Certified copies cost $15. Hours run Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, Thursday from 8:30 AM to 7 PM, and Friday from 8:30 AM to noon. The Thursday evening window until 7 PM is one of the best late-in-the-week options in the county for couples who need flexibility.
Somerville stands out for its Thursday evening hours and its policy of not requiring gender-specific language on marriage certificates.
Somerville does not require gender-specific language on its marriage certificates, which matters to some couples. That is a local policy the city adopted independently of state requirements. If cost is the main concern, Waltham at $20 is the lowest-fee option in Middlesex County, and you are free to apply there even if you do not live in Waltham.
Fee note: Somerville's $50 fee is the highest in Middlesex County for major cities. Waltham at $20 is the lowest. You can apply at any Massachusetts clerk's office regardless of where you live.
Other Middlesex County Marriage License Offices
Framingham, Malden, Waltham, Medford, and Everett all have their own clerk offices that issue marriage licenses in Middlesex County. Each one sets its own fee and hours within state law. Here is what you need to know about each one.
Framingham City Hall issues marriage licenses for $30, and that fee includes one certified copy. That is a good value compared to other offices in the county where you pay for copies separately. More information is at framinghamma.gov.
The Malden City Clerk is at 215 Pleasant Street, 2nd Floor, Room 220, Malden, MA 02148. Phone: 781-397-7116. The license fee is $30 and certified copies are $10 each. Hours run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and Tuesday until 7 PM. The office is closed Fridays. Malden uses City Hall Systems for online certified copy ordering, so you can request copies without visiting in person after the record is filed.
Waltham has the lowest marriage license fee in the county at $20. The Waltham City Clerk is at 610 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Waltham, MA 02452. Phone: 781-314-3120. Walk-ins are welcome, and hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Certified copies are $10. Waltham also offers Justice of the Peace services at City Hall for $100. Full details are at the Waltham marriage licenses page.
Medford City Clerk is in Room 103 at City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford, MA 02155. Phone: 781-393-2425. Email: reliseo@medford-ma.gov. The fee is $30. Regular hours cover most weekdays, and Wednesday hours run until 7:30 PM. The office closes at 12:30 PM on Fridays.
Everett City Clerk is in Room 10 at City Hall, 484 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149. Phone: 617-394-2225. Email: cityclerk@ci.everett.ma.us. The license fee is $40 and certified copies are $10. The office has extended hours on Mondays and Thursdays until 7:30 PM and is closed Fridays. Everett launched an online records portal in September 2024 with records going back to 1870. Online copies cost $10 plus a $5 processing fee and $1 for shipping, with delivery in five to seven business days. See the Everett City Clerk website for current details.
Note: Hours and fees can change. Call the specific clerk's office before your visit to confirm what they need and whether walk-ins are accepted that day.
The 3-Day Wait for Middlesex Marriage Licenses
After you file your marriage license application, Massachusetts law requires a three-day wait before you can use the license. The day you apply does not count. Sundays and legal holidays do count. So if you file on a Monday, your earliest use date is Thursday. The license stays valid for 60 days from the filing date. If the ceremony does not happen within that window, the license expires and you have to start over.
If you cannot wait three days, you can petition for a waiver. Waivers go through the Probate and Family Court, not the city clerk. In Middlesex County, the Probate Court has two locations: 208 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02141, and 41 Hurd Street, Lowell, MA 01852. The Lowell District Court also handles waivers. The cost is around $195, and approval is not automatic. You need to show cause for the waiver. The state's waiver guide at mass.gov/guides/marriage-without-delay explains how to file and what the court expects from you.
After the Ceremony: Returning the License
After the ceremony, the officiant is required to sign the marriage license and return it to the issuing clerk's office. This is a legal obligation under MGL c. 207 § 40, and it falls on the officiant, not the couple. The license must be returned promptly so the clerk can record it. Once it is on file, it becomes your official marriage record. Remind your officiant about this step in advance so it does not get overlooked in the post-wedding rush.
Certified copies of your marriage certificate come from the clerk's office where the license was filed. Fees run between $10 and $15 per copy depending on the city. Order at least two copies right away. You will likely need one for a Social Security name change and another for a driver's license or financial accounts. If you need copies of an older Middlesex County marriage record, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (RVRS) at 150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, holds Massachusetts records. The RVRS can be reached at 617-740-2600, Monday through Friday from 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM.
Note: For records older than a few years, the city clerk where the marriage took place is often faster and easier than the RVRS, especially for cities that have digitized their older records.
Middlesex County Marriage License Fee Comparison
Fees differ across Middlesex County cities. Since you can apply at any clerk's office in Massachusetts, the fee is worth factoring in if you are not tied to a specific location.
| City | License Fee | Extended Hours Day |
|---|---|---|
| Waltham | $20 | None (M–F only) |
| Framingham | $30 (includes 1 copy) | Varies |
| Malden | $30 | Tuesday until 7 PM |
| Medford | $30 | Wednesday until 7:30 PM |
| Cambridge | $35 | Monday until 8 PM |
| Newton | $35 | None (stops at 4 PM for licenses) |
| Lowell | $40 | Tuesday until 8 PM |
| Everett | $40 | Mon/Thu until 7:30 PM |
| Somerville | $50 | Thursday until 7 PM |
Waltham at $20 is the clear low-cost option. If you need a late evening appointment, Lowell on Tuesdays until 8 PM is the latest available in Middlesex County. Cambridge on Mondays until 8 PM is close behind. Everett offers the most extended-hours days in the week, open late on both Monday and Thursday.
Cities in Middlesex County
These cities in Middlesex County each have their own marriage license pages with local clerk contact details, fees, and hours.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Middlesex County. Each has its own set of city and town clerk offices that issue marriage licenses. If you live near a county line, check both sides to see which office is most convenient.