Getting legally married in the U.S. Virgin Islands is refreshingly simple: no residency, no blood test, and no passport for U.S. citizens. Here’s exactly what it costs, how long it takes, and the steps to do it for your St. John wedding.
Last updated: July 2026, verified directly against the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, Family Division · Informational guide, not legal advice.
A U.S. Virgin Islands marriage license costs $200 total ($100 application fee plus $100 license fee), requires an 8-day posting period through the Superior Court, and has no residency requirement, no blood test, and no passport requirement for U.S. citizens. Most couples apply a few weeks before their wedding and finalize the license around arrival.
A USVI marriage license costs $200 total: a $100 non-refundable application fee plus a $100 license fee, both paid to the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. If you’d like a judge of the court to perform the ceremony, that’s an additional $400. Weekend or holiday service can be arranged for roughly a $150 surcharge. Your own officiant (or one from our vetted vendor list) can perform the ceremony at no court fee.
After the court receives your application, there is an 8-day posting period, during which your application is posted for public inspection before the license is issued. Plan your paperwork so this window clears before your wedding date. Many couples submit their application a few weeks out and finalize the license in the days around their arrival on St. John.
The 8-day posting period is set by territorial law (16 V.I. Code Ann. § 37) and applies to every applicant, it isn’t shortened case by case.
The U.S. Virgin Islands is one of the easiest places in the Caribbean for Americans to marry legally:
If you live off-island, you can request an information packet (fact sheet, application, and license/certificate forms) by mail ahead of your trip. However you must personally appear before the Clerk of the Court to file the notarized application and be examined under oath, applications can’t be notarized in advance. The Family Division’s marriage window is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., with Saturday, Sunday, and select-holiday appointments available by pre-arrangement for the $150 surcharge noted above.
You don’t have to, but most destination couples are glad they did. A licensed VI wedding coordinator (required on-site for weddings at The Hills) handles the application logistics, timing, and officiant so the legal piece is one less thing to manage from the mainland. See our wedding packages for what’s included, or browse vetted St. John officiants and vendors.
If you’re not seeking a new legal marriage, for example, a vow renewal, you don’t need a marriage license at all, since no new legal union is being created. A license is only required for a legally binding first marriage or remarriage.
$200 total, a $100 application fee plus a $100 license fee, paid to the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. A judge officiant is an optional $400.
Yes, an 8-day posting period after the court receives your application, during which it’s posted for public inspection before the license is issued.
No. There’s no residency requirement and no blood test. You just need valid photo ID (and certified divorce/death records if previously married).
No. The U.S. Virgin Islands is U.S. territory, so U.S. citizens can travel and marry there with a government-issued photo ID, no passport required.
Plan so the 8-day posting period clears before your wedding date. Most couples apply a few weeks ahead and finalize the license around their arrival on St. John.
Yes. Once your USVI license is in order, your ceremony on our private hilltop estate is your legal wedding. Our required on-site coordinator helps align the license timing with your ceremony date. See wedding packages →
With the legal part this simple, the only thing left is the view. The Hills St. John is a private hilltop estate above Cruz Bay with oceanview ceremony and reception space for up to 120 guests.
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