Marriage License Fee in Texas

The fee on this page is the statutory charge for issuing the license itself. Texas Local Government Code Section 118.018 says the marriage license fee is for issuing the license and includes every service related to issuance, such as preparing the application, administering oaths, filing waivers or orders, and issuing and recording the paperwork, including the return of the license. That means the fee is tied to the county clerk's issuance process, not to the ceremony or a certified copy of the license after the fact.

Certified copies are typically handled separately by the county clerk, and ceremony fees are set by the officiant or venue rather than by statute. Start your fee estimate with the state-set license amount, then confirm any optional or conditional add-ons with the county clerk before you apply.

In the Local Government Code fee schedule (Section 118.011), the line item for 'Marriage License' is $60. The statute also says the fee must be paid when the license is issued. This $60 amount is the base fee for issuing a marriage license anywhere in Texas. Section 118.018 clarifies that the fee covers the services the county clerk performs to issue and record the license, including preparation of the application and related paperwork.

Subchapter B is the statewide fee schedule for county clerks, so the marriage license line item is a fixed statutory amount rather than a locally set price. The same chapter spells out a few specific adjustments: a waiver tied to a premarital education course, an optional $5 contribution to the Texas Home Visiting Program, and a possible $100 additional fee when neither applicant is a Texas resident. Because those adjustments are written into state law, the county clerk applies them based on your circumstances rather than setting a different base price. If you are comparing county websites, treat $60 as the statutory base and then check for the specific conditions that may change the total.

The clerk collects the statutory fee and any applicable adjustments when the license is issued. If you need help finding the correct office, the Texas Department of State Health Services maintains a statewide directory of local vital records offices that handle marriage license records; use that directory to find contact information, then confirm the county clerk's hours, appointment rules, accepted proof of residency, and payment methods before you apply.

Because each county clerk controls scheduling and intake, confirm whether both applicants must appear in person and what identification the office expects.

The county clerk must issue a marriage license without collecting the license fee from an applicant who completes a premarital education course described in Family Code Section 2.013, provides a completion certificate dated within one year of the application, and provides proof of Texas residency. This is a statewide rule; the course and the certificate are the trigger for the waiver.

If you plan to use the waiver, bring the completion certificate and be prepared to show Texas residency, because the statute links the waiver to residency as well as course completion. The waiver applies to the license fee itself; the clerk may still ask whether you want to make the optional $5 contribution described in the same section.

Section 118.018 says that if neither applicant provides proof satisfactory to the county clerk that the applicant is a Texas resident, the clerk may collect an additional $100 fee for issuing the marriage license. The same section allows applicants to make a voluntary $5 contribution to the Texas Home Visiting Program, which the clerk must collect if you choose to contribute.

These two amounts are separate from the $60 base fee. If you live outside Texas, the additional $100 can significantly change the total, so confirm how your county clerk defines acceptable proof of residency before your appointment.

The form includes the full name of each applicant (including the woman's maiden surname), address, Social Security number if any, date and place of birth, and the document used as proof of identity and age. It also asks whether either applicant has been divorced within the last 30 days and requires each applicant to attest that they are not presently married, are not related within the prohibited degrees, and are not delinquent in court-ordered child support. The relationship checklist specifically includes ancestors or descendants by blood or adoption, siblings of the whole or half blood or by adoption, a parent's sibling, a niece or nephew (child of a sibling), a current or former stepchild or stepparent, or a child of a parent's sibling.

The application includes a sworn statement and space for signatures, plus fields the clerk uses to record the date and county of the ceremony and a mailing address for the completed license. The statute also makes it an offense to knowingly provide false information on key portions of the application, so accuracy matters. Because the form is prescribed by statute, counties follow the same core questions even if they organize appointments differently.

A person under 18 may not marry unless a court order has removed the person's disabilities of minority for general purposes. For minors applying for a license, the county clerk must receive the required court order as part of the application.

The statute also addresses nonresident minors by requiring a certified copy of the order removing disabilities filed with Texas. If an applicant is under 18, the court order is not optional; without it, the county clerk cannot issue the marriage license.

Under Family Code Section 2.204, a marriage ceremony may not take place during the 72-hour period immediately following issuance of the license. The same section lists specific exceptions: the waiting period does not apply if the applicant is on active duty in the armed forces, works for the U.S. Department of Defense as an employee or contractor, obtains a written judicial waiver, or completes an approved premarital education course and provides the completion certificate to the county clerk.

The statute specifies that the waiver can be signed by a judge or justice listed in the section, including judges with family law jurisdiction and justices of the peace. These exceptions are statewide and must be documented. When you schedule your ceremony, factor the 72-hour rule into your timeline unless you qualify for one of the statutory exceptions.

If the ceremony has not been conducted before the 90th day after the license is issued, the license expires. The expiration window is fixed by statute and does not change by county.

This timing rule matters for planning because the license is only valid for a specific 90-day period; issuing it too early or delaying the ceremony beyond the 90 days means the license is no longer valid and a new license is required. Once expired, the license cannot be used to legally conduct a ceremony in Texas, so rescheduling beyond the window requires a new application at the county clerk.

The list includes licensed or ordained Christian ministers or priests, Jewish rabbis, officers of religious organizations who are authorized by the organization to conduct ceremonies, and current, former, or retired federal or state judges. Those categories are set by statute, so the ceremony must be performed by someone who fits within them.

If you are planning a ceremony with a particular officiant, confirm that the person is authorized under Section 2.202 to avoid problems with the license return and record.

Family Code Section 2.206 requires the person who conducts the ceremony to record the date and county of the ceremony on the license, sign it, and return the license to the county clerk who issued it no later than the 30th day after the ceremony. The statute treats failure to return the license as an offense.

Practically, the return is what allows the county clerk to record the marriage, so it is worth confirming with the officiant how and when the license will be filed after the ceremony. Returning the license is part of the statutory process for recording the marriage in county records.

First, confirm the $60 base license fee and ask whether the additional $100 nonresident fee applies to you. Second, decide whether you will complete a premarital education course and, if so, bring the completion certificate and proof of Texas residency to qualify for the fee waiver. Third, gather the information required on the application, including proof of identity and age, and details about any divorce within the last 30 days.

Fourth, plan the ceremony date around the 72-hour waiting period unless you qualify for a statutory exception. Fifth, schedule the ceremony within 90 days of issuance to avoid expiration. Finally, confirm that your officiant is authorized under Section 2.202 and understands the obligation to return the license to the county clerk within 30 days.

The application form requires proof of identity and age and asks for details such as recent divorces, so incomplete or inconsistent information can slow issuance. Applicants under 18 must provide the court order removing the disabilities of minority, and applicants seeking the premarital education waiver must provide both the completion certificate and proof of Texas residency. Same-day ceremonies can run into the 72-hour waiting period if a waiver has not been granted or a statutory exception does not apply.

Nonresident applicants who cannot provide Texas residency proof should expect the additional $100 fee. Lastly, the ceremony must be performed by an authorized officiant so that the license can be properly completed and returned to the county clerk for recording.