The One Time Civil Marriage Celebrant application (printed as Application to Perform One-Time Civil Marriage Ceremony, PS-30) is the Fairfax Circuit Court form for a person who wants court authorization to perform one wedding in Virginia. It is not a Fairfax County marriage license: the couple must already hold a Virginia-issued license, and the celebrant files this application with the Clerk's office before the ceremony. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The court publishes the original PDF and its instructions at fairfaxcounty.gov.
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What is PS-30?
One Time Civil Marriage Celebrant, printed as Application to Perform One-Time Civil Marriage Ceremony (PS-30), is the Fairfax Circuit Court form that asks the court to authorize an individual to perform a single civil wedding in Virginia under Virginia Code § 20-25.
Under the court's instructions, anyone expecting to perform a wedding ceremony in the Commonwealth of Virginia must receive authorization through the court before performing it. This authorization is given on a one-time basis only. It is valid only for couples who hold a Virginia-issued marriage license and only for a ceremony located in Virginia.
The PDF has two parts: a page titled Requirements and Process for 'One Time' Civil Ceremony Authorization, and the application itself. The application states that the applicant is at least 18 years of age and has never been convicted of a felony. It asks for the applicant's address and contact details, the couple's names and phone numbers, and the date and location of the wedding. It ends with a notary acknowledgment.
Filing the application starts the process. The court prepares an order for the Clerk's approval, and the celebrant then executes a cash bond. The form is not a marriage license, and the Clerk's office does not perform marriages. For marriage license information, the Clerk's celebrant page gives 703-246-4100.
Who needs to file PS-30?
Individuals who expect to perform a wedding ceremony in Virginia, and who are not otherwise authorized, apply for one-time authorization with this form. The court's instructions set two eligibility conditions: you must be at least 18 years of age, and you must execute a cash bond after the court authorizes your application. The application also states that you have never been convicted of a felony.
Keep these limits in mind:
- The authorization covers one ceremony only.
- It is valid only for a couple with a Virginia-issued marriage license.
- It is valid only for a ceremony held in Virginia.
The couple being married does not file this form. The celebrant completes and signs it, and the couple's legal names, the date and the place of the ceremony are entered on it.
Virginia and out-of-state clergy must also be authorized by the Circuit Court before performing marriage ceremonies in Virginia, according to the Clerk's celebrant page. For qualifying details, call 703-691-7320 and press 3, 6, 1, 4 (TTY 711).
When to file PS-30
File the application before the ceremony, with enough lead time for the court to act. The court's instructions ask you to allow 10-14 business days before the ceremony for the authorization process.
You may not perform the ceremony until the court order has been signed and the bond process is complete. The bond cannot be accepted until the order is signed, and it must be executed before the date of the wedding. The court sends notice of approval by email or phone, using the contact information you gave on the application, so you can make an appointment to execute the bond.
Confirm the couple's full legal names and the place and date of the ceremony before you file. Authorization is one-time only, so a later wedding needs a new application.
Documents you need
- Notarized application: the completed application, signed by the applicant and acknowledged before a notary public. The court prefers it typed to avoid errors that could delay authorization.
- The couple's full legal names, verified, together with the confirmed place and date of the ceremony, entered on the application before filing.
- Filing fee: certified check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court; cash is also accepted if the package is hand delivered. Do not include the bond at the initial filing.
- Cash bond, due only after the court signs the order: money order or certified check, no personal checks, executed before the wedding date at an appointment.
- Picture identification, which the celebrant must show in person when the bond money is received.
- Bond Refund Request Form, supplied during the bond process, to be returned with the marriage register originals when the license came from Fairfax Circuit Court.
- Certified copy of the marriage register, sent with the Bond Refund Request Form when the marriage license was issued by a court other than Fairfax Circuit Court.
How to fill out PS-30
Enter the applicant's name on the RE line
Write your name on the line marked (Applicant's Name) in the caption. Leave the CL- case number blank; it is assigned by the court.
Confirm the eligibility statements
The application states that you are at least 18 years of age and have never been convicted of a felony. Complete it only if both statements are true for you.
Enter your current address
Fill in the street address, city, state and ZIP code under Applicant's current address.
Add your phone number and email
Enter your contact phone number(s) and email address. The court uses this contact information to notify you of approval and to schedule the bond appointment.
Enter the couple's legal names
On the Groom/Bride/Spouse and Bride/Groom/Spouse lines, write each person's full legal name, verified beforehand. Add the couple's contact phone number(s).
Enter the wedding date and location
Write the Date of Wedding (month, day, year) and the city or town of the ceremony in the Location of Wedding line; the form already prints Virginia.
Leave the notary section to the notary
Sign as applicant on the Signature of Applicant line in front of the notary. The notary completes the state, city or county, date of acknowledgment, signature, registration number and commission expiration.
Review, download and print the PDF
Check every entry against the couple's license details and the ceremony date. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then sign it before a notary and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit PS-30
You can mail or hand deliver the application and filing fee to the Fairfax Circuit Court. Send or bring them to:
Fairfax Circuit Court ATTN: Civil Intake, Room 319 4110 Chain Bridge Road Fairfax, VA 22030
- Package: the notarized application and the filing fee. Do not include the bond at this stage.
- Filing fee payment: a filing fee applies. Pay by certified check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court. If you hand deliver, the court also accepts cash. Ask the Clerk's office for the current amount.
- After filing: the court prepares an order for the Clerk's approval. Approval is communicated by email or phone using the contact details on your application.
- Bond appointment: after the order is signed, make an appointment to execute the required cash bond. The court accepts a money order or certified check, not personal checks. Bring picture identification, because you must be present when the bond money is received.
For questions, call 703-691-7320, press 3, 0. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing the application without notarization; the court requires a notarized application to start the authorization process.
- Sending the bond money with the first filing; the court says not to submit the bond amount at the initial filing and cannot accept it until the order is signed.
- Paying the filing fee with a personal check; it must be a certified check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or cash if hand delivered.
- Performing the ceremony before the court order is signed and the bond process is complete.
- Filing too close to the wedding; the court asks for 10-14 business days before the ceremony.
- Using the authorization for a couple without a Virginia-issued marriage license or for a ceremony outside Virginia.
- Entering the couple's names, wedding date or location without verifying them first, which can delay authorization.
- Arriving at the bond appointment without picture identification, or offering a personal check for the bond.
- Leaving out the Bond Refund Request Form, or a certified copy of the marriage register when the license came from another court, when seeking the bond refund.
Frequently asked questions
What is the One Time Civil Marriage Celebrant form?
It is the Fairfax Circuit Court application, printed as Application to Perform One-Time Civil Marriage Ceremony, for authorization to perform a single civil wedding in Virginia under Virginia Code § 20-25. The authorization is one-time only and must be received before the ceremony.
Is this form a Fairfax County marriage license?
No. It authorizes a person to perform a ceremony; it does not license the couple. The authorization is valid only for couples who already hold a Virginia-issued marriage license. For marriage license information, the Clerk's celebrant page gives 703-246-4100.
Who can be a one-time marriage celebrant in Fairfax?
You must be at least 18 years of age and must execute a cash bond after the court authorizes your application. The application also states that you have never been convicted of a felony. The authorization covers one ceremony in Virginia.
How long does one-time celebrant authorization take?
The court asks you to allow 10-14 business days before the ceremony for the authorization process. You cannot perform the ceremony until the order is signed and the bond process is complete, so file well ahead of the wedding date.
Does the one-time celebrant application have to be notarized?
Yes. The Clerk's office must receive a notarized application to start the authorization process. The application includes a notary acknowledgment, so sign it in front of a notary rather than before you have one.
How do I pay the filing fee and the bond?
The filing fee is paid by certified check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, or by cash if you hand deliver. The bond is paid later, after the order is signed, by money order or certified check; personal checks are not accepted. Ask the Clerk's office for the amounts.
Do I get the bond back?
The cash bond can be refunded once the marriage register is submitted back to the court that issued the license. Include the Bond Refund Request Form, supplied during the bond process. If the license came from another court, provide a certified copy of the marriage register.
Where do I send the application?
Mail or hand deliver it to Fairfax Circuit Court, ATTN: Civil Intake, Room 319, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. Questions go to 703-691-7320, press 3, 0.
Can I fill out the one-time celebrant application online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is not affiliated with the Fairfax Circuit Court and does not file the application; you notarize and deliver it to the court yourself.
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