Can I Get Married Without a Marriage License?

The following question was left on our Question and Answer Hotline:

“Can a person be right in the eyes of God without having a legal marriage certificate, planning to get the legal certificate in a couple of years when their finances are better?”

As is often the case, our Bible questions touch on some important fundamental issues:

• What actually constitutes marriage in God’s eyes?
• What role does civil authority play?

Let’s examine what Scripture reveals.

What Makes a Marriage Valid Before God?

God’s foundational design for marriage can be found at the very beginning of the human family:

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, NASB).

Jesus affirmed this same principle:

“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6, NASB).

Notice what constitutes marriage in these passages:

1. Leaving: A man leaves his father and mother, establishing a new family unit independent from his parents
2. Joining: The couple enters into a covenant commitment with each other
3. One Flesh: They consummate their union, becoming “one flesh” physically and spiritually

Nowhere in these foundational texts do we find any requirement for government licensing or certification. The essence of biblical marriage is covenant commitment between a man and a woman before God, recognized by the community, and consummated physically.

In biblical times, marriage was a public covenant witnessed by family and community. There were betrothal agreements, public ceremonies, and community recognition. But there was no government-issued “marriage license” as we know it today ... that’s a relatively modern invention of civil law.

But wait ... there’s more.

The Role of Civil Authority

We cannot stop our biblical investigation there. We must also consider what Scripture teaches about our relationship to governing authorities. Paul clearly states:

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has resisted the ordinance of God; and they who have resisted will receive condemnation upon themselves” (Romans 13:1-2, NASB).

Peter echoes this principle:

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-14, NASB).

These passages establish that Christians have a divine obligation to submit to civil authority ... not because civil government creates moral law, but because God has ordained government to maintain order in society.

When civil government establishes requirements for legal recognition of marriage, Christians must consider this within the framework of submission to governing authorities.

The government doesn’t make you married in God’s eyes, but it does establish the legal framework within which marriages are recognized in society.

Can You Delay or Even Defer Legal Registration?

Now we arrive at the heart of your question: If a couple is married in God’s eyes through covenant commitment, does financial difficulty justify delaying legal registration? Or, can we simply ignore what the government requires because we choose not to comply?

This is where we must think carefully about several biblical principles:

First, consider the purpose of civil marriage registration. It’s not merely bureaucratic paperwork. Legal marriage provides:

• Public legal recognition of your union
• Protection of both spouses’ rights and responsibilities
• Clarity about family structure for children
• Legal benefits that affect healthcare, inheritance, taxes, and other practical matters
• Testimony to the community about the nature of your relationship

Second, consider what delaying or deferring legal marriage communicates. If you’re living together as husband and wife without legal recognition, you appear to the world as cohabitants rather than married. This creates confusion about your commitment and potentially scandalizes the gospel.

Paul instructs us: “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32, NASB). He also warns: “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, NASB).

Even if your hearts are pure before God, appearance matters because of your example and testimony to others. How would a Christian ever declare to others that cohabitation is a moral evil if they participate in the same domestic arrangement?

Third, consider the practical implications. What happens if either one of the cohabiting couple becomes seriously ill before they obtain the legal certificate? Or if there’s an accident?

Without legal recognition, they may have no standing to make medical decisions, no inheritance rights, and no legal claim to jointly acquired property. Is this good stewardship by leaving these matters uncertain?

Fourth, examine the financial justification ... honestly. In most jurisdictions, obtaining a marriage license costs less than $100. If you can afford to live together, can you honestly not afford this amount? If not, then you really have no business getting married.

If the issue is the cost of a wedding ceremony, remember that the ceremony and the legal registration are separate matters. You can be legally married with a simple courthouse ceremony and celebrate with family and friends later when finances permit.

The Biblical Path Forward

Based on these considerations, here’s what Scripture’s principles suggest.

If you are committed to each other as husband and wife before God, then you should formalize that commitment legally as soon as possible ... not in two years when “finances are better.” The cost is minimal, and the biblical mandate to submit to governing authorities is clear.

If you cannot afford even the minimal cost of a marriage license, then you should honestly evaluate whether you’re in a financial position to establish a household together at all. Marriage requires financial responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8), and if you cannot manage this basic legal requirement, you may need to wait until you’re more financially and emotionally stable.

If the real issue is wanting an elaborate wedding celebration, separate that desire from the necessity of legal marriage. Get legally married now through a simple ceremony, and celebrate with a larger event when finances permit. There’s no biblical requirement for an expensive wedding, but there is a biblical requirement to honor civil authority.

What about Couples Already in this Situation?

If you’re currently living together as husband and wife without legal recognition, waiting for better finances to obtain the certificate, here’s what you should do:

Recognize the situation honestly. You’re in a state of disobedience to civil authority, which Scripture commands us to honor. Repentance is in order, which means you need to recognize that what you’re doing doesn’t align with biblical teaching about submission to government, and that needs to change.

Take action immediately. Don’t wait for finances to improve. Make obtaining a legal marriage your priority. If necessary, adjust your budget to afford the license fee.

Seek support if needed. If you genuinely cannot afford even the minimal cost, speak privately with your church elders. Many congregations would gladly help a couple regularize their situation rather than have them living in a “shacked-up” arrangement.

Move forward in faith. Once you’ve obtained legal recognition, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re honoring both God’s design for marriage and his command to submit to governing authorities.

The Heart of the Matter

Marriage is indeed primarily a covenant before God, not a government-created institution. The state doesn’t make you married; your covenant commitment and physical union do that.

However, we live in a society where civil government has established legal frameworks for recognizing marriages, and Christians are commanded to submit to those frameworks.

Legal marriage registration isn’t what makes you married before God, but it’s how you demonstrate respect for governing authorities and provide clear testimony to the community about your relationship.

Financial difficulty is understandable, but the cost of legal marriage is so minimal that it cannot reasonably justify years of delay. If you’re ready to live together as husband and wife, you’re ready to fulfill the legal requirements that demonstrate your commitment publicly and honor the governing authorities God has established.

Sadly, sometimes the “financial burden” is merely an excuse to avoid the responsibility God places on those who participate in domestic union.

The question isn’t whether you can be married in God’s eyes without legal recognition. The question is whether you should be. And Scripture’s answer, considering both the nature of marriage and the mandate to honor civil authority, is clear: formalize your union legally as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article assumes that the couple is a) qualified to marry, and b) fully committed to marriage, simply inquiring about the legal requirements. We do not endorse in any way unmarried couples living together outside of biblical marriage.