New Marriage Intentions

Please read through the Application Process, then use our Calendy widget below to schedule an appointment.

Application Process

Applying for a marriage license in Brookline means that the Brookline Town Clerk’s Office will maintain your marriage license permanently, and will be the municipality that can provide you with certified copies of your certificate.

To apply for a marriage license in Brookline, please follow these steps:

1. Fill out the Notice of Intention of Marriage. This is a fillable PDF.
   • EITHER: Fill out the PDF on your computer and print it to bring in-person (please print single-sided),
     OR: Print the PDF blank and fill it out with a black ink pen as clearly and legibly as possible, then bring it in-person (please print single-sided).
   • If you are not sure how to answer a question, leave it blank. If you do not have a wedding date, place, or officiant, leave those fields blank.
   • Do not sign the first page of the application.
2. You can choose to change or keep your surname when you get married, but you cannot change your first or middle names. To change your surname, enter your new surname on the Notice of Intention of Marriage (Section 3a for Party A, Section 11a for Party B). The change becomes effective automatically once you are married, but it is your responsibility to update all of your records.
   NOTE: If you do not change your surname on the Notice of Intention of Marriage, you can still change it later by filing for a legal name change at a Probate and Family Court. See our "Changing your name after marriage..." section below.
3. Use the Calendy widget below to schedule an in-person appointment at Brookline Town Hall to file your Notice of Intention of Marriage.
4. On the scheduled day, come in-person to the Town Clerk's Office on the first floor of Town Hall, 333 Washington St., Brookline, MA.
   • Bring a printed, filled-out copy of your Notice of Intention of Marriage.
   • Do not sign your Notice of Intention of Marriage before your appointment. It must be signed in the presence of a Town Clerk employee.
   • Both parties must provide proof of age to file a Notice of Intention of Marriage. We accept any of the following:
     • A valid State ID or Driver's license
     • Original or Certified copy of Record of Birth (birth certificate)
     • Original or Certified copy of Baptismal Record
     • Current Passport
     • An immigration record
     • A naturalization record
   • There is a $50 fee for filing a Marriage Intention, due at the time of filing. Please bring cash or a credit card. We do not accept American Express.
   • Both parties must appear in-person to file the Notice, except under special circumstances. Please email [email protected].
5. In the presence of Town Clerk Office staff, affirm under oath that all the statements in the Notice of Intention of Marriage are true, and that there are no legal impediments to your marriage.
6. There is a three-day waiting period to receive your marriage license. After the waiting period, you can pick up your marriage license in-person at the Town Clerk's Office during business hours. You must proofread your marriage license carefully to ensure that there are no errors before we give it to you.
   • Only one member of the couple is required to come to pick up the license, but we recommend bringing both people to check for errors.
   • Note: The three-day waiting period can be waived by a court order. You must bring an approved Court Petition for a Marriage Without Delay showing a judge’s permission to waive the waiting period.

If you have been married before...

You are not required to present a divorce certificate when filing intentions to marry. However, your divorce must be final at the time of the application. The divorce is usually final 90 to 120 days after the Judgment of Divorce. If you are not sure about the exact date, consult an attorney or contact the court where the divorce was granted.

Ban on Marrying Relatives

In Massachusetts you may not marry certain relatives, as described in M. G. L. Chapter 207, Section 37: no man shall marry his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, stepmother, grandfather's wife, grandson's wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's granddaughter, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister or mother's sister, and no woman shall marry her father, grandfather, son, grandson, brother, stepfather, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, granddaughter's husband, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's grandson, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother or mother's brother.