You do not have to live in the Town of Gaines to apply for a marriage license at the Gaines Town Hall; on the same token, if you lived in Gaines at the time you were married in the past, we may not have your records on file, because it is entirely possible that you acquired your license in another Town nearby—most likely Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Ridgeway, etc. If we do have your marriage record on file, we will charge a $10.00 fee for a certified copy. If you cannot find record of your marriage in any of the listed towns, please contact:
Certification Unit
Vital Records Section
New York State Department of Health
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 1222-2602
[Expect a $30.00 fee]
Also, the application process for marriage licenses is somewhat time consuming, and we appreciate applicants to come before 2:30pm if at all possible. Please have your Driver’s Licenses (or Passport), Social Security Numbers, and official raised-seal Birth Certificates (with documentation of both parents country of origin and maiden names) for both Bride and Groom. If you have previously been divorced, we must see the official time-stamped, raised-seal declaration of the date that your last marriage(s) ended.
The cost of the license is $40.00. (We charge $30.00 for the application fee and $10.00 for the Certified Copy of your Marriage Certificate.) In addition, please be aware that you must wait 24 hours from the time that the application is completed by the Town Clerk, to be married by an officiant. Conversely, you have sixty days from the time the license is completed by the Town Clerk to be married by an officiant. Once the ceremony concludes, the officiant will sign and mail it to the Gaines Town Clerk and you will receive your Certificate in the mail soon after.
