A marriage license is required to be considered legally married in the state of North Dakota. Licenses are available for purchase from the Williams County Auditor's Office, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 4:45 pm.
Please contact the Auditor's Office by calling 701-577-4500 to obtain a pre-application before coming in. Once you have received the pre-application, please fill it out electronically and return it to the Auditor's Office.
Marriage licenses can only be obtained in-person at the Auditor's Office and both parties must be presented. Please bring with you:
- Current photo IDs
- Certified Divorce papers (if you are widowed, we do not need a death certificate)
- $65 cash or $68 with a credit card; checks are not accepted
- Please do not bring children or extra people with you
Once the marriage license is obtained a ceremony, conducted by an officiant and attended by two witnesses, must occur within 60 days for the marriage to be considered legal. There is no waiting period; you can get married right away. Once the officiant and witnesses sign the license, the license must be returned to the Auditor's Office within 5 business days of the ceremony. If the ceremony does not occur within 60 days, the license will expire and a new one will need to be obtained.
Certified copies of marriage licenses can also be obtained from the Auditor's Office for $10 per copy. A certified copy of a marriage license is required to complete a legal name change or to prove a marriage occurred.