This story was originally published on April 23, 2020, and last updated on November 6, 2023.
Important! The article below is about getting legally married in Oregon. This article is about if it’s legal to have a wedding in Oregon (which was particularly relevant during the height of the covid pandemic).
That’s a weird bit of semantics but an important one because sometimes, you just need to get the legal bit done. Now, with that out of the way, here’s what you need to get legally married in Oregon:
You
The person you’re legally marrying
An ordained officiant
Ordained on the internet from a place like Universal Life Church is fine, easy, and pretty cheap. When I got online ordained in 2018, it cost me $19.99 and was effective immediately. Avoid the gift shop.
Witness #1 (must be over the age of 18)
Witness #2 (must be over the age of 18)
All of the five people mentioned above must be in the same physical space during the marriage ceremony (i.e. you cannot do this over Zoom like you can in other states in the U.S.).
A marriage license from any county in Oregon as long as you’re getting married in Oregon
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many counties including Multnomah County offered mail-in services to get your license. These may no longer be available when you need them so be sure to double-check. For example, Multnomah County discounted its mail-in service on January 4, 2022 (source).
Any marriage license you get in Oregon is good for 60 days from the date the license was issued. You can see this specific date range on the actual marriage license issued by the county (it’s in the upper right corner of the form you’ll get from the county).
In Oregon, there is also something called the “three-day waiting period.” This means that you have to have your license at least three days before you sign the paperwork. You can waive this waiting period for a fee (in Multnomah County, the fee is $5 as of publishing).
Finally, Oregon has a tight return window for when you need to drop that bad boy back in the mail. As soon as your license is signed by you, your partner, your officiant, and your two witnesses, you need to mail the signed license back within five days of the ceremony.
If anybody in the marriage is changing their name(s) after the marriage, I recommend that person or people each request at least three certified copies of the marriage license. There will be a worksheet specific to this included in the paperwork you receive from the county.
The cost of certified copies ranges from $4ish to $8ish per copy, and I recommend multiple copies so you don’t get slowed down if one government institution needs to keep your one and only certified copy.
You can mail the paperwork for the certified copy along with a check for however many copies you’re getting back in the same envelope you mail the signed legal license. This step saves you from requesting the certified copies later.
Even if no one is changing their name, I still recommend you get a certified copy of your marriage license so 1) you know that the paperwork went through and 2) you have the legal document for your files/safe/fridge.