The marriage license application is the form the Marriage Bureau of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia uses to collect the information for a marriage license. The court prints it in English and Spanish, and it is used by two people who plan to marry in the District of Columbia. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF and the court's form page are published by DC Courts at dccourts.gov.
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What is MB-596?
Marriage License Application, printed on the form as Information for Marriage License Application (Solicitud para contraer matrimonio), is the Superior Court of the District of Columbia form on which two people provide the details and the sworn statement needed to apply for a marriage license in the District.
The form is Form MB-596 (July 2016) and carries the heading of the court's Marriage Bureau. Every label is printed in English with a Spanish translation beside it. The court's own page for the document says you can use it to apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia.
The form has these parts:
- A For Official Use Only block for the court: license number, date, book and page numbers, fee paid, civil wedding, consent date and waiver date.
- The officiant's name, or a box stating that the parties elect to officiate the ceremony themselves, plus an interpreter question and email addresses.
- Side-by-side columns for Spouse 1 and Spouse 2: name, date of birth, gender, Social Security number, address, telephones, number of prior marriages, their status, where any divorce decree was obtained, and kinship between the spouses.
- An oath in which the applicant swears or affirms the answers are true, correct and complete, with applicant signatures.
- A jurat, "Subscribed and sworn to before me", completed by the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk.
The form prints an application fee; this page does not give the amount.
Who needs to file MB-596?
Two people who want to apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia use this form. The court's page for the document states that it is the form for applying for a marriage license in the District.
Details the form itself asks for:
- Both spouses: each has a column for name, date of birth, gender, Social Security number, address, telephone numbers and marriage history, including how many times you have been married and, if divorced, where the decree was obtained.
- Couples who want to conduct the ceremony themselves: the form has a box stating that the parties elect to officiate the marriage ceremony themselves. Otherwise it asks for the officiant's name.
- Anyone who needs language help: the form asks whether an interpreter is needed and, if so, which language.
- The applicant signing the oath: the form has the applicant swear or affirm that the answers are true, correct and complete, and states that intentional misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410.
The form does not describe who may apply for someone else, and it names no exclusions. The For Official Use Only block and the jurat belong to the court and are not completed by applicants.
When to file MB-596
You complete this form when you apply for a marriage license in the District of Columbia. The form prints no deadline and no period of validity for the license. Its For Official Use Only block holds a license number, a date, a consent date and a waiver date, all of which the court fills in. The form also states an application fee, so plan for that when you apply; ask the Marriage Bureau for the current amount. Because the jurat is completed by the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk, do not sign or date that section in advance of the application.
How to fill out MB-596
Leave the official-use block blank
Skip the For Official Use Only box at the top (license number, date, book and page numbers, fee paid, civil wedding, consent and waiver dates). The court completes it.
Enter the officiant's name
Under Officiant Name, give the prefix, first name, middle name and last name. If you and your spouse will conduct the ceremony yourselves, check the box that the parties elect to officiate themselves.
Answer the interpreter question
Mark Yes or No for Interpreter needed? and, if yes, write the language.
Add your email addresses
Enter the email addresses on the Email Addresses line, as the form provides.
Complete Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 details
In each column enter name, date of birth, gender, Social Security number, street address, city, state, zip code, and home and work telephone numbers. Complete both columns.
Report your marriage history
Answer How many times have you been married? and describe the Status of marriages. If divorced, give the city and state where the decree was obtained.
Note any kinship between spouses
Under Kinship Between Spouses, complete the Blood Relationship entry as it applies to you.
Read and complete the oath
Enter the applicant's prefix, first, middle and last name in the oath that begins "I do solemnly swear or affirm". By it the applicant attests the answers are true, correct and complete, under D.C. Code §46-410.
Sign and date as applicant
Use the Applicant Signature(s) area: each applicant has a signature and a date space. Do not complete the jurat; the Clerk of the Court or Deputy Clerk completes it.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every entry in both columns, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and take it to the Marriage Bureau as described under How to submit.
How to submit MB-596
The form is a Superior Court of the District of Columbia document issued by its Marriage Bureau, and the application is made with that court. The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule, so confirm how and where to deliver it with the Marriage Bureau through the court's page for the form at https://www.dccourts.gov/court-resources/search-forms/marriage-license-application.
- Oath and jurat: the applicant signs the oath, and the block "Subscribed and sworn to before me" is completed by the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk, with a seal. Leave it blank.
- Fee: the top of the form states an application fee, and the official-use block has a Fee Paid entry. The amount is not given here; ask the court for it.
- Official-use block: leave it blank. The court records the license number, book and page, consent date and waiver date.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels the court gives.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing in the For Official Use Only block (license number, book and page, fee paid, consent and waiver dates); it is reserved for the court.
- Giving answers that are not true, correct and complete; the oath warns that intentional misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410.
- Marking that an interpreter is needed but leaving the language blank, when the form asks which language.
- Filling in the "Subscribed and sworn to before me" block yourself; it is for the Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk.
- Completing only one spouse's column when the form has separate columns for Spouse 1 and Spouse 2.
- Leaving the number of prior marriages, their status or the divorce decree location unanswered when you have been married before.
- Naming an officiant on the form while also checking the box that the parties officiate themselves.
Frequently asked questions
What is the marriage license application for the District of Columbia?
It is Form MB-596, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia's English-Spanish form for applying for a marriage license. It collects each spouse's details, marriage history, an interpreter and officiant entry, and a sworn statement that the answers are true.
Can I fill out the marriage license application online?
You can complete the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not submit the application to the court or issue a license. Delivery follows the channels the Superior Court's Marriage Bureau gives.
Is there a fee for the marriage license application?
Yes. The form prints an application fee at the top, and its official-use block has a Fee Paid entry. The amount and payment method are not given here; ask the Superior Court's Marriage Bureau for the current figure.
Do both spouses have to complete the application?
The form has a column for each spouse (Spouse 1 and Spouse 2) and signature and date spaces for two applicants, so complete both columns. The oath is sworn by the applicant, who attests the answers are true, correct and complete.
Can we perform our own marriage ceremony in DC?
The form includes a box stating that the parties to the marriage elect to officiate the ceremony themselves. If you do not check it, you give the officiant's prefix, first, middle and last name.
What happens if I give false information on the application?
The oath on the form says any intentional misrepresentation or omission is subject to criminal sanction for perjury under D.C. Code §46-410. Answer every question truthfully and completely before signing.
Is the marriage license application available in Spanish?
The form is bilingual: every label is printed in English with a Spanish translation beside it, including the title Solicitud para contraer matrimonio and the oath. The court's page lists the English download.
Who fills in the sworn-and-subscribed section at the bottom?
The Clerk of the Court or a Deputy Clerk. The block "Subscribed and sworn to before me" with a seal is the court's part; the applicant signs only in the applicant signature area above it.
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