• Do both of us have to come to the Clerk's Office to apply for a marriage license?

• Do we have to take a health class, HIV class or blood test?

• Do we need to bring our birth certificates with us?

• Can we get married in your office?

• Where can I find a Justice of the Peace?

• Do we have to come back to pick up the marriage license?

• How does a spouse change her last name?

Do both of us have to come to the Clerk's Office to apply for a marriage license?

No, only one person is required to be here. They should bring a valid driver’s license or Michigan Identification card showing residency in Macomb County.

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Do we have to take a health class, HIV class or blood test?

No, these are no longer requirements by the State of Michigan.

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Do we need to bring our birth certificates with us?

No, but all of the required information is on the birth certificate.

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Can we get married in your office?

No, you need to contact a wedding chapel in the yellow pages or the district court in the community where you live.

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Where can I find a Justice of the Peace?

There is no longer a Justice of the Peace.

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Do we have to come back to pick up the marriage license?

Yes, if you applied online; and no, if you applied by fax or mail.

If you used the Online Marriage Application system, you will come to the Macomb County Clerk's office, located in the Court Building, 40 North Main Street, Mount Clemens, MI 48043. The clerk will print your application form, you will sign it, and the clerk will notarize your signature. You must bring your driver’s license or state photo identification card. Only the bride or groom needs to attend (both are welcome to do so), but the person who comes must be a Macomb County resident.

If you applied by fax or mail, then no, a marriage license need not be picked up in person.  Once the marriage license application form is completed, the County Clerk will mail the marriage license to applicants who request to have their marriage license sent via First-Class U.S. Mail.

A marriage license may still be picked up in person.  The most common reason to pick up a marriage license in person is if the license was applied for within ten days of the marriage and there might not be time for the marriage license to be sent via the mail.  Only one marriage participant must come back to the County Clerk's Office.  That person must bring the receipt given at the time of application.  If you misplaced the receipt, your driver's license would be required

It is important at the time you receive your marriage license that you review it to make sure all of the information on the license is typed correctly.  If there is an error and you find it after the license is signed by the person performing the marriage ceremony, then a Circuit Court case would have to be opened to make the correction.

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How does a spouse change her last name?

You may sign the marriage license with your spouse’s last name if that is the name you intend to take after you become married, but in order for it to become legal and valid, you must get your name officially changed with the Secretary of State (1-888-767-6424) and Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213). These branch offices MAY NOT accept the copy you signed on your wedding day. In order to get a certified copy from our office, submit a request form (located on the other side of this document) and the appropriate fee ($15 for the first copy, $5 for each additional copy), and we will mail you certified copy of your marriage license that you can use at the Social Security Administration and Secretary of State.

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