Marriage License
Getting Married in Texas
Where to get married
Texas
There is no state law requiring you to get married at a set location (within the state). This means you can get married at a church, venue, national park, beach, court house and even a residential property.
Where to obtain a marriage license
County Clerk's Office
You can apply for a marriage license in ANY county in Texas, as per Family Code sec 2.001 (a). You can receive the license from one county and get married in another county.
The license is only valid 90 days after obtaining it - meaning you have to have been married by a licensed or ordained minister, priest or rabbi, justice of the peace or judge no more than 90 days of receiving the license.
How to obtain a Marriage License
Texas Counties
You can choose any county you would like to receive your marriage license from. Typically, the closest and most available county clerk is what many folks choose - however with COVID-19 there has been delay and waitlist for marriage licenses, so some couples have to resort to another county office. Make sure to call and schedule an appointment ahead of time.
After deciding which county office, and have scheduled an appointment, having the right documentation is the next biggest step in the marriage process. Both of you must be 18 or older and have a valid driver's license and both are required to be present simultaneously at the county clerk office to fill out the marriage license application. There is only an exception for when the both of you cannot be present at the same time, which requires an affidavit a) the applicant is incarcerated or b) the applicant declaring that the applicant is a member of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation. Please visit your county website to determine which proof of identification is needed in addition to your driver's license, as well as any affidavit forms that need to be filled out if applicable.
When to obtain your marriage license
2 weeks prior to wedding date
Even though you have within 90 days to get married once obtaining your license, there is a 72 hour waiting period from when you first obtain the marriage license (this is waived to active military personnel). To prepare for any postponement, we suggest that you obtain the license 2 weeks from the projected wedding date. This allows for flexible date changes, especially during the times of COVID-19, as well as following the 72 hour waiting period mandate.
Who can sign the marriage license
Who can perform the ceremony
To be legally married in the state of Texas, a licensed or ordained minister (officiant), priest or rabbi, justice of the peace or judge can marry the couple. The ceremony can be as short or long as the couple would like as long as they both declare an intent to marry each other. Bluebonnet is here to help, whether you would like a ceremony performed by us or if you need help in a situation where you have someone else in mind for the ceremony/speech but they are not legally able to marry you... this is where Bluebonnet comes in and swiftly and discretely marries you (and signs the license) so you can continue with your wedding day using your preferred person to orchestrate the ceremony.
After the wedding
Where does the signed license go?
After the ceremony/wedding has been performed, it needs to be signed by a licensed or ordained minister or ordained officiant, priest, rabbi, justice of the peace, or county judge - usually the above perform the ceremony itself. The marriage license must be signed on the wedding date when ceremony or declaration of intent is completed. Details that may be needed on the license include the time of ceremony, date, and what county it was performed in.
At this time, Bluebonnet is not offering services to personally take your marriage certificate to the county office for processing. You, your spouse, or a loved one are to return the SIGNED marriage certificate to the same county office either in person or by mail. It will take up 30 (thirty) days for them to process and send back the original marriage license. You may request (charges vary) multiple certified copies of the license that are needed for name change applications for Social Security, Driver's License and Passport
