Before you come to Hatteras Island for your beach wedding, you’ll need to obtain a North Carolina wedding license. The following guidelines will help you take your first step towards walking down the aisle.

• The age requirement for getting married in North Carolina is 18, (16 with parental consent.) If the bride or groom is under 21, a birth certificate is required. There is no waiting period or blood test required. The cost for a wedding license as of 2011 is $60 and the license valid for 60 days in any area of North Carolina. If either the bride or groom is divorced, a divorce decree is also required.
• A social security card or other proof of social security number (such as a pay stub or tax return) and a picture ID is required to receive a license.
• There must be two witnesses at any marriage ceremony, whether it is civil or religious. After the marriage ceremony, whoever performs the ceremony is required to give the couple a marriage certificate. This certificate includes the couples’ names and addresses, the date of the marriage, the county that issues the marriage license, and the date of the license. The minister or magistrate must sign the license, then return it to the register of deeds who issues the license. This is the official record of the ceremony.
• There are no justices of the peace in North Carolina, but a magistrate may perform the ceremony and issue a marriage license. Magistrates may be contacted in Dare County at (252)475-9228 or online www.darenc.com/depts/Deeds/marriage.htm. For Ocracoke Island, call (252)926-4198 or go online www.hyderod.com/.Basically, the process of obtaining a wedding license in North Carolina is simple, and once you have this step out of the way, you can concentrate on the important things, like finding the right dress to match your flip flops.