Marriage License

Marriage License Application Requirements

You can apply for your marriage license online, however you must call the County Clerk’s Office at (231) 873-4328 after filing and provide your transaction number and Social Security Numbers for both applicants, as we do not collect sensitive information online. To apply online for a marriage license click HERE.  

PLEASE REMEMBER that if you apply online, you will still need to come to our office 3 days after applying to provide government-issued I.D.s for each applicant, pay for your license and pick up your license.  If you have been divorced within the last year, you need to bring in a certified copy of the divorce decree.

 Acceptable forms of I.D.:
Valid driver’s license or state I.D.
Certified Birth Certificate with seal
Passport

Acceptable forms of payment:
Cash
Check/Money Order
Debit/Credit Card

Additional information about marriage license application:

• Michigan residents must apply for a marriage license in the county they live in. If the applicants reside in separate Michigan counties, they may apply in either county. Non-Michigan residents must apply in the county that they plan to wed in.  
• There are no required classes to obtain a marriage license.
• You must provide valid identification for each applicant. One applicant MUST present a valid driver’s license or state ID with their current address on it.    The other applicant may present a valid driver’s license, state ID, or a certified birth certificate (a copy with a raised court seal). NO PHOTOCOPIES ARE ACCEPTED. THE ACTUAL DRIVER’S LICENSE OR CERTIFIED COPY OF THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE MUST BE PROVIDED FOR BOTH PARTIES APPLYING.
  
• If either applicant has been previously married, the date and county in which the previous marriage ended must be given. If the marriage ended within the last year a certified copy of the divorce decree must be provided. CERTIFIED COPIES HAVE A RAISED COURT SEAL OR A TRUE COPY STAMP.
• The applicants must complete an affidavit for a license to marry. The affidavit requires the full names and social security numbers of the applicants and the full names of their parents, including middle names and mothers’ maiden names, and the state in which each parent was born.
  NOTE: The affidavit is not a public document.
• The State of Michigan requires a three-day waiting period before the license can be delivered to the applicants. If your wedding is scheduled within the next three days, making it impossible for you to wait three days for your license, there is a waiver you can request.  The waiting period can be waived for good and sufficient cause if approved by the County Clerk. The charge for the waiver is listed above.
• The marriage license issued shall be considered “void” unless it is used within 33 days of application.
• Witnesses on a marriage license must be at least 18 years of age.