Cook County Marriage and Civil Union Court
Chicago, IL
| Venue type | Courthouse & City Hall |
| Location | Chicago, IL |
| Published price | $10 |
| Setting | Indoor |
| Event type | Ceremony only |
What the venue publishes
A valid marriage or civil union license and a $10 administrative fee are required for the ceremony. Ceremonies are also available by appointment at the Skokie and Rolling Meadows courthouses.
The source publishes $10 as the fee for this space, not a starting point.
Included per the venue's site
- civil ceremony performed by a Cook County judge
Main ceremony location is the lower level of 119 W. Randolph St. (City Hall/County Building), six days a week. The separate marriage license fee (paid to the Cook County Clerk) is not listed on this court page.
Published on cookcountycourtil.gov, checked August 2026. Fee schedules change, so confirm before booking.
Where this price sits in Chicago
$10 is the 1st lowest published starting price of the 18 venues listed in the Chicago metro. The metro median starting price is $510, and 14 of the 18 listings publish a higher starting price than this one.
Among the 4 courthouse & city hall listings in the metro it ranks 1st lowest, against a median of $10 for that type.
Other courthouse & city hall listings in Chicago
Same venue type, prices closest to this one.
| Venue | Published price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Lake County Circuit Court Marriage CeremonyWaukegan, IL · Courthouse & City Hall | $10 | not published |
| Kane County Courthouse Wedding CeremonyGeneva, IL · Courthouse & City Hall | $10 | not published |
| DuPage County Courthouse Wedding CeremonyWheaton, IL · Courthouse & City Hall | $10 to $14 | not published |
Marriage license in Cook County, IL
The venue fee above does not include the license. Chicago sits in Cook County, IL, and these are the terms that county publishes. Checked September 2026.
| Issuing office | Cook County Clerk's Office, Vital Records118 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60602 (plus three suburban Vital Records locations) |
| License fee | $60Marriage Licenses ($60). Marriage certificates are a separate $15, with additional copies $4 each. |
| Waiting period | 1 day |
| License valid for | 60 days |
| Who must appear | Both parties, in person |
| ID required | Valid identification with proof of age for both applicants. Applicants who divorced within the last six months must provide a certified copy of the divorce decree. |
| Apply online | Application available online |
| Same-day issue | Issued the same visit |
| Ceremony at the office | OfferedCouples without their own officiant can be married by a Cook County judge at the Marriage and Civil Union Court in the lower level of 119 W Randolph Street, six days a week, and at the suburban municipal district courthouses where times and restrictions vary and some are by appointment. Neither the Clerk nor the Circuit Court page publishes a ceremony fee. |
| Witnesses | None required by statute |
Source: cookcountyclerkil.gov, cookcountyclerkil.gov, cookcountycourt.org, ilga.gov
Licenses are issued while you wait, become effective one day after issuance, and are valid for 60 days. They are valid only for ceremonies performed in Chicago and suburban Cook County, and must be returned to the Clerk within 10 days after the ceremony. The Clerk advertises optional appointments for faster service but does not state that an appointment is required. The Clerk notes that Illinois wedding officiants are not required to register with any government office.
How the metro prices out
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