Texas Marriage License

By Ben Kingsley


The State of Texas is one of the popular states that are visited because it offers marriage to non-residents and allows common or informal marriage as well as approves marriages of underage couples with parental consent. Although the State does offer these services, they do not allow marriage for same sex couple as well as marriage between cousins or relatives. The State of Texas Bureau of Statistics provides verification for Texas marriage record but does not issue certified true copies.

For couples who are interested in getting married in Texas, the first thing to do is to secure a marriage license. One can get it by visiting the county clerk of the place one intends to get married in. Present a government issued identification card such as a passport or a driver's license to verify your identity. Proxy marriage is available in Texas and can be done by any adult in behalf of the person absent. The proxy will have to submit an affidavit, which they can download from the official website. The proxy should also submit a valid id of the person getting married and in case that the person is under age, they should also present a parental consent. Once the county clerk releases the marriage license, the couple needs to wait a minimum of 72-hours before they can go through the marriage ceremony. The waiting period is waived if the person being wed is in active duty or they are residents and have completed the pre-marriage workshop that the state provides for free.

The marriage license costs $60 though in some counties, the fee is $71. Fees vary depending on the county. To determine the actual amount, one can call the county clerk office to learn the latest fee. Individuals who are about to get married can also have the marriage fee waived if they attend the seminar which lasts about 8 hour and can be taken in parts. The seminar must be completed prior to applying for a marriage license.

For underage couples, especially those that are of sixteen (16) - seventeen (17) years of age, marriage is possible; all they need to do is to obtain a parental consent form and submit this to the county clerk. Another is if one of them is divorced, they can submit a certified copy of the divorce. The engaged couples can also obtain a court order from the place where their parents reside to allow them to marry.

Common marriages or informal marriages are recognized by the State. The State of Texas declares the marriage to be an informal or common marriage if the couple has (a) signed a declaration under oath of their marriage (b) when they have lived as husband and wife and (c) represent themselves to other people as such.

The marriage license is valid for only thirty days upon the issuance of the county clerk. Marriages anywhere in Texas are allowed so one can have a ceremony after the waiting period anywhere they want. For a request of marriage license, couples can request a certified true copy of their license from the county clerk or from one of the many online providers. Requesting for a marriage license through the internet is one of the fastest ways to do so as well as the most convenient.




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