How to Get Married at the Seattle Courthouse
Small, honest, and entirely about the two of you. A courthouse wedding in Seattle takes a little planning — a license, a booking window, one weekday afternoon — and this guide walks you through all of it, step by step, from a photographer who shoots these days often.
Two courthouses, two different experiences
Most Seattle couples marry at one of these:
Seattle Municipal Court — 600 Fifth Avenue, downtown
The classic choice. Judges perform ceremonies on weekday afternoons (check-in at 4:30 p.m.), in a modern building with ceremony spots that include a rooftop terrace with city views. Spots are limited each day, and your whole group — the two of you, witnesses and guests — is capped at 8 people.
King County Courthouse (Superior Court) — 516 Third
Avenue, a few blocks away
Here you book an individual judge directly. Ceremonies are typically on weekday afternoons after 4:30 p.m., and some judges also offer weekends or off-site ceremonies. Each judge sets their own fee and availability, so this route suits couples who want a specific judge or a less standard time.
Not sure which fits you? The Municipal Court is simpler and more predictable; the King County route is more flexible. Either way, the license step below is the same.
Step 1 — Get your King County marriage license
You can’t book the day without this, so start here.
Apply through the King County Recorder's Office (online pre-application, then finalize in person at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 204, Seattle). Both of you need government-issued photo ID, and both must be 18 or older.
The license fee is $169.
There is a three-day waiting period after the license is issued before you can marry — it cannot be waived, so don't plan a same-week ceremony around a license you don't have yet.
After the waiting period, the license is valid for 60 days. Your ceremony must happen inside that window.
You’ll need two witnesses (18 or older) at the ceremony to sign with you.
Photographer's note: work backwards from your ceremony date. If you want a Friday in two months, get the license sorted first — it anchors everything else.
Step 2 — Book your ceremony (Municipal Court)
Submit the court's online Marriage Ceremony Request no earlier than 8 weeks before your date — popular Fridays go fast, so set a reminder for the day your window opens.
The court emails a confirmation within about a week, with instructions to confirm your request.
Ceremony fee, paid in cash at check-in: $150 Monday–Thursday, $300 on Fridays. Cards and checks aren't accepted — bring exact cash and don't let this be the thing that goes wrong on the day.
Judges can sometimes perform ceremonies at other times or locations if you ask — worth an email if a weekday 4:30 doesn't work for you.
(Booking the King County Courthouse instead? Choose a judge from the county's weddings page and contact their chambers directly for availability and fees.)
Step 3 — Your wedding day, hour by hour
A typical Municipal Court afternoon looks like this:
~4:00 p.m. Arrive downtown, park or rideshare, and head in — allow time for building security screening.
4:15–4:30 p.m. Check in (Room 1037 on most days), license and cash in hand. You'll meet your judge and choose your ceremony spot.
Photos at the courthouse can be taken 30 minutes before check-in and during the ceremony — the court can't accommodate photos afterwards. This is the single most important planning fact on this page: your courthouse portraits need to happen before, or somewhere else after.
~4:30–5:30 p.m. Ceremonies run in turn; the ceremony itself is short and sweet — about 10 minutes, including your vows if you write your own.
After — you, your officiant and your two witnesses sign the Certificate of Marriage. The officiant returns it to King County within 30 days; certified copies (your legal proof) are $3 each from the Recorder's Office and are not sent automatically — order a few.
Where to take photos around the courthouse
Since post-ceremony photos inside aren't possible, plan a short walkabout — downtown Seattle is generous within ten minutes of the courthouse doors:
The rooftop terrace (during your ceremony, if that's your spot) — skyline views, Puget Sound on a clear day
The courthouse steps & Fifth Avenue — clean, graphic city backdrops
King Street Station & Pioneer Square — brick, arches and old-Seattle texture, 5–7 minutes away
Waterfall Garden Park — a green pocket in Pioneer Square that feels like an escape
The waterfront — piers and ferries at golden hour, a short drive or a slightly longer walk
This is exactly what the second hour of photography is for — one hour covers the courthouse chapter; two hours gives us the city too.
Photography for your courthouse wedding
I'm Echo — a Seattle wedding photographer working in digital and film, in an editorial, documentary way: honest moments over posed ones. Courthouse days are short, fast and emotional, and they deserve to be photographed properly.
1 hour — $349 · 2 hours — $649
Limited-time offer for downtown Seattle courthouses: 1 hour — $249 · 2 hours — $469
Preview within 36 hours, full gallery within 1 week
Film available as an add-on ($100 per roll, developing & scans included) — your scans are added to your gallery once they're ready
My honest recommendation: book 2 hours if you want portraits beyond the courthouse itself, or if your date is in winter — a 4:30 ceremony in December means we're chasing the last of the light, and the extra hour is what saves those photos.
Questions
How far in advance can we book a courthouse ceremony?
At Seattle Municipal Court, requests open 8 weeks before your date — not earlier. King County judges each manage their own calendars; reach out as early as you can.
Can we get married on a Saturday?
Not at the Municipal Court — it's weekdays only. Some King County Superior Court judges perform weekend ceremonies by appointment, sometimes at a location of your choice.
How many people can come?
At the Municipal Court, your entire group is capped at 8 people total, including the two of you and your witnesses. Small is the point.
Do we need witnesses?
Yes — two, both 18 or older, to sign the certificate with you. Plan for two people from your own group to do this, and remember they count toward the Municipal Court's 8-person group cap — so if it's just the two of you eloping, invite two friends or family members to come along for this part.
How much does a Seattle courthouse wedding cost in total?
The essentials: $169 marriage license + $150 (weekday) or $300 (Friday) ceremony fee, cash. Photography with me starts at $249 for downtown Seattle courthouses. That's the whole list — one of the kindest budgets in weddings.
Can our photographer take photos inside the courthouse?
Yes — before check-in (up to 30 minutes) and during the ceremony. The court can't accommodate photos afterwards, so we'll plan your portraits around that.
Details on this page reflect Seattle Municipal Court and King County guidance as of October 2026 and can change — always confirm fees and availability with the court when you book. Official pages: Seattle Municipal Court — Marriage Ceremonies (seattle.gov/courts) · King County — Marriage Licensing (kingcounty.gov).