Marriage License Bureau — Local services in Washington

I wanted to give some info after going last week in-person to get our marriage license and certificate. We went at 3pm on a Friday and waited about 30-40 minutes to be seen. The reviews on here were helpful to find the office. Go through security, go down the elevator to JM level, make a right and go to the end of the hall. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. Steps: You fill check in on a waitlist, fill out a form for the license, get called back, they sign it and copy both your ID's, you go pay for the license at a different office (in the same hallway) and come back with your receipt. A note, they charge a 4.5% credit card fee. To then obtain the certificate, you have two choices, either you can "self-officiate" which can be done same day with just you and your spouse or you can schedule a hearing at the courthouse (and must bring a witness). They were booking about 2 weeks out for the courthouse hearing, so we chose to self-officiate. To do this, you are given an official form to take out of the courthouse (can't be signed onsite) and are supposed to be further than 2 blocks away from the courthouse. You sign it and then bring it back, wait your turn again and then they file it away. You can walk out with a Certified copy of your official certificate that day (and either pay for more copies same day or pay to have them mailed to you). Something to remember since this whole process can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, they stop processing certificate forms at 4:15pm every day. So I would recommend getting there no later than 2pm if you are hoping to walk out with a certificate that day. If you don't get it in by 4:15pm, you will have to bring it back another day for processing (within 10 business days). It's alot of steps but overall they have it organized and we had a great experience. I would recommend people doing this over the online option which took about 1-2 months to get a...

I being having the worst experience with this fox! I got married 2 months ago and I still haven't received my triple seal certificate..so I being calling for two weeks I was told Ms. Johnson was going to call me back. That mu certificate was sent to the wrong address. No call or answers back, so I call and they transfer the call all she said was hold I wait 10 minutes. I have explain to her everything she was rude and nasty very unprofessional she ask for my name info I told her my first name and my last name when I told her I have two last name said she to call back with the merriage # I couldn't find you in the system I told her last week they were able to pull it up. She then tried my husband's info and I spell for her she "that what I said in a very ride way" she said call when you have the # Im not goong to ne on the phone all day long. I said can you tried with my SSI # she said call when you get the # I said well they did pull up my ingo with my SSI# with no problem last week. She said call back when you have the number. The only reason I didn't show up there was because Im currently pregnant and Im on a trick bedrest! Also they had my whole info how can they send it wrong they even admit it to! Any ways Ms. Johnson is a unprofessional rude...

I visited first thing on a Monday morning and security entrance and the Marriage Bureau itself was not nearly as crowded as people say, granted it was early in the morning. Everyone in the Bureau was nice and welcoming. Filling out the marriage license application is pretty straight forward but they are happy to help if you have any questions. We waited no more than ten minutes before being assisted by an employee. The entire event (applying for a license, going to a different location to sign - self officiating- and taking it back to actually make it official) took about two hours, with a good portion of that being time we spent outside the bureau. I would recommend getting their early and go through the family entrance on the side of the building instead of the main entrance as the line to get in is smaller and it is on the same level as the Marriage Bureau. Finding it from the main level can be confusing! Overall, it was a...