Updated October 2026
An elopement is a regular marriage with a very small guest list, so the same license rules apply. Below are the steps, who can marry you, what Acadia and the state parks allow, and what it costs.
How to Get Legally Married in Maine
These steps come from the state’s Planning Your Marriage in Maine pamphlet and Bangor’s marriage page. Towns set their own appointment practices, so call the clerk you plan to use.
- Find the right clerk. If either of you lives in Maine, file at the town office where that person lives. If neither of you does, any Maine town or city clerk will take your application.
- Book an appointment. Bangor takes applications by appointment only. Other towns may too.
- Bring ID. Bangor asks each applicant for a driver license or state ID. If either of you was married before, bring certified divorce or death documents for the most recent marriage.
- Sign your notice of intention in front of the clerk or a notary public.
- Pay the fee. The state pamphlet and Bangor both list \$40.
- Marry within 90 days. There is no waiting period, and once you have the license you can marry anywhere in Maine.
- Have the license returned. After the ceremony, your two witnesses and your officiant sign the license, and the officiant or you must file it with the issuing clerk or the State Registrar within 15 working days. Bangor charges \$15 for the first certified copy and \$6 for each additional one, and other towns may charge differently.
The state pamphlet is dated October 2017, so confirm current details with your clerk or the Maine CDC Vital Records Office at (207) 287-3771.
Who Can Marry You
Maine residents can be married by a judge, a lawyer admitted to the Maine Bar, or a registered marriage officiant. Anyone, resident or not, can be married by an ordained minister, a cleric serving a religious body, or a person licensed to preach by a religious body. A nonresident civil officiant needs authority to perform civil marriages in their home state plus a one-time temporary registration certificate from the Maine CDC Vital Records Office. Ordained ministers do not need the certificate. The state says online ordination still counts, so a friend who has been ordained online can marry you.
Two witnesses are required. The state Vital Records page says they must be physically present along with you and the officiant, and the pamphlet says the officiant cannot be one of them. Witnesses do not have to be 18, but they must understand they are witnessing a marriage and be able to sign their name. Proxy marriages are not allowed.
Eloping in Acadia National Park
Acadia lets a simple ceremony of up to 10 people, including the officiant, go ahead without a permit as long as it follows the park’s restrictions. Without a permit, chairs, arches and decorations are not allowed. A larger ceremony needs a special use permit. The application fee is \$125 and nonrefundable, and the park accepts applications up to a year ahead and no later than 72 hours before the ceremony. Park entrance fees are not waived for you or your guests.
With a permit, the park sets these group limits:
- 50 people: Thompson Island and Frazer Point Picnic Area
- 30 people: Cadillac Mountain (no sunrise or sunset ceremonies), Sand Beach, Ocean Drive, Otter Point, Fabbri Picnic Area and Seawall Picnic Area
- 25 people: Schoodic Point
- 20 people: Otter Cliff and Little Hunters Beach
The park may deny permits for some locations during heavy-use periods such as Labor Day weekend and June 15 to September 15. Other rules from the National Park Service weddings page: no amplified sound, no rice, birdseed or petals, no balloon or dove releases, no off-road parking, and outdoor ceremonies are normally limited to an hour. Receptions are not allowed in the park unless they are held at a park concession facility.
For the park itself, see our Acadia National Park guide and our Bar Harbor guide. If you want to avoid the busiest stretch, our best fall activities in Maine page covers what the season offers.
Maine State Parks and Other Places
The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands says its state parks are available for weddings, and its facility rentals page says group picnic areas can be reserved by calling the park. We did not find a statewide ceremony permit policy, so call the park you want. Our best state parks in Maine guide and our Popham Beach guide are good places to start choosing.
Some inns and boat operators sell all-in elopement packages. As examples, the Gazebo Inn in Ogunquit lists a ceremony package at \$299 plus room rate and tax, Wolf Cove Inn offers lakeside packages for up to six guests, and Just Banded marries couples aboard a working lobster boat. We have not used any of these, so confirm prices and availability yourself. For small-town settings, see our most charming small towns in Maine.
What It Costs
- License: \$40
- Certified copy: \$15 first and \$6 each additional at Bangor, other towns may differ
- Acadia permit: \$125 application fee, only for ceremonies of more than 10 people
- Acadia entrance fee: still applies to you and your guests
- Officiant, photographer and lodging: these vary widely
Same-Sex Couples
Maine licenses same-sex couples on the same terms as everyone else. For wedding vendors who welcome everyone, see GayWeddingsInMaine.com.
Elope in Maine FAQ
Do we have to live in Maine to marry here?
No. Nonresidents can marry in Maine. If neither of you lives here, you can file at any town or city clerk’s office.
Is there a waiting period?
No. The state pamphlet says the license can be issued as soon as you file your notice of intention.
How long is the license good for?
90 days from the date you file.
Can we elope in Acadia without a permit?
Yes, if your ceremony has no more than 10 people including the officiant and follows the park’s restrictions. That means no chairs, arches or decorations.
Can a friend marry us?
Yes, if they are ordained. The state says online ordination counts for marrying a couple in Maine. A nonresident civil officiant such as a judge from another state needs a temporary registration certificate first.
Our details come from the Maine CDC Vital Records marriage page, the Maine CDC pamphlet Planning Your Marriage in Maine (dated October 2017), Bangor’s marriage page, the National Park Service Acadia weddings page and the Maine state parks facility rentals page, checked in October 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your clerk and the park before you book.