Are you in love and ready to take the vow of getting married? Well, if you do, then you must be ready enough to take all the challenges as a couple who's willing to share all the ups in life and never abandon the other in times of downs. However, before anyone could say the I do's, both the groom and the bride must obtain a marriage license as a requirement.

Different states have distinct ways on how they deal with the process of getting married. This includes the marriage fee, a blood test, notarized statements of premarital counseling and age requirements. Although almost all states have at least 18 years of age requisite to obtain a marriage license, some accept a 15 year old applicant as long as a court order can be presented. With those who are 16 to 17 years of age, a copy of the certificate of birth is required with a supporting document like a government-issued identification card, which bears all the essential information such as the date of birth for identity confirmation.

Apart from those mentioned above, the other requirements are in a way basic and common to all other states. Here are some helpful tips on how to obtain a marriage license.

• Contact the office of the clerk for the requirements to be able to prepare the documents beforehand.
• Necessary papers must be brought along when going to the office. Such papers include birth certificates of both the applicants, a divorce decree or annulment if the applicant is a divorcee or a death certificate for widows and widowers. In addition, identification cards like a driver's license or passport must also be on hand to validate the applicant's identity.  
• Both spouses must appear personally to the authorized clerk office to fill up the necessary application form. The form needs to be filled up with the necessary datum such as the full names of the applicants, the address, birth date, place of birth, parents' full names and birth dates and datum on the previous marriage.
• Ask for the number of witnesses allowed to avoid embarrassment.
• One can wait at the office for the license, depending  on the state that offers a speedy release of the said document.

A duration of sixty days is given to the applicant when he's all done with the procedure to obtain a marriage license. The validity of the duration takes into effect on the following day from its release. The license is only valid within the state where it was acquired and can never be utilized outside of it for the same purpose.