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Arkansas Marriage License Requirements 2026
What you need to legally marry in Arkansas: a $60 fee, no waiting period, no witnesses and a license that is valid 60 days. You apply at the County Clerk.

Arkansas marriage license, at a glance
The eight things the County Clerk will ask about or check. County rules can add small extras, so confirm with your local office before you go.
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How much is a marriage license in Arkansas?
A marriage license in Arkansas costs $60. You pay it at the County Clerk when you apply. Extra certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you will want for a name change, a passport or insurance updates, often cost more.
That puts Arkansas inside the roughly $30 to $100 range most states charge. Accepted payment methods differ from office to office, so check before the visit.
- 01ApplyAt the County Clerk
- 02WaitNo wait, same day
- 03Marry within60 days
- 04RecordSigned paperwork back to the County Clerk
How to get a marriage license in Arkansas in 6 steps
- 01
Gather your documents
Both partners need a valid government photo ID. If either of you was married before, bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate. Arkansas does not require proof of residency.
- 02
Go to the County Clerk
In most counties both of you go in person, and some offices ask you to fill in the form online or book an appointment first. Check which offices can issue your license before you drive anywhere.
- 03
Complete the application and pay the fee
Fill in the application and pay the $60 fee. Have both Social Security numbers ready (non-citizens can usually give a passport or visa number), plus your parents' full names and your places of birth.
- 04
No wait for adults
Arkansas's rule: None for applicants 18 or older; 5 business days for underage applicants (17, with parental consent). Adults can use the license as soon as it is issued.
- 05
Hold the ceremony in the validity window
The license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen and the license has to be signed inside this window. An authorized officiant leads the ceremony, see who qualifies below.
- 06
Return the signed license
After the ceremony the officiant and any required witnesses sign the license. It goes back to the County Clerk, often filed by the officiant, within the time Arkansas law allows. The county then records it and issues your marriage certificate.
A marriage license, step by step
A short walkthrough of the documents and the clerk visit. Fees and offices differ by state, so match the details to the Arkansas facts above.
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How old do you have to be to marry in Arkansas?
At 18 or older you can marry without anyone's permission.
A 17-year-old can marry with parental consent after a five business day waiting period. A 16-year-old can marry only if pregnant or already a parent, with a circuit court order plus parental consent, and no one under 16 can marry.
If your case is a little different
Previously married
Bring the final divorce decree or the former spouse's death certificate to the first visit. Ask the County Clerk whether it needs a certified copy.
Out-of-state couples
Arkansas has no residency requirement, so couples from other states can apply at the County Clerk with valid ID. The license only works for a ceremony inside Arkansas.
Same-sex couples
Same-sex marriage is legal in Arkansas, as in every state, since Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). The requirements are the same for every couple.
Non-citizens
Foreign nationals can marry in Arkansas with a valid passport as photo ID. Marrying does not change immigration status by itself, and documents in another language may need certified translations.
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Important Arkansas notes
Who can officiate in Arkansas
The Governor; any former Arkansas Supreme Court justice; judges of courts of record (including qualifying former judges); justices of the peace (including qualifying former justices of the peace); any regularly ordained minister or priest of a religious sect or denomination; qualifying former or current mayors; any official appointed for that purpose by the county quorum court; and qualifying elected or former district/municipal court judges. Officiants must register their credentials with the county clerk before performing a ceremony. Notaries public cannot officiate in Arkansas.
Officiant rules in every stateRules worth knowing
Arkansas has no witness requirement. Couples under 18 but at least 17 can marry with parental consent (notarized affidavit from both parents/guardian) plus a 5-business-day waiting period; there is no waiting period for applicants 18 or older. Arkansas raised the minimum age with parental consent from 16 to 17 via HB1708, signed into law on April 18, 2019. Arkansas does not recognize common law marriages formed within the state (though it recognizes valid common law marriages formed in other states/jurisdictions under Ark. Code Ann. 9-11-107).
Arkansas marriage license document checklist
- Valid government photo ID for both of you (passport, Arkansas driver's license, state ID or military ID)
- Birth certificates, if the County Clerk asks for them
- Social Security numbers for both partners (non-citizens can usually give a passport or visa number)
- Final divorce decree or death certificate if either of you was married before
- The fee: $60. Ask which payment methods the office takes
- No proof of residency needed, out-of-state couples are welcome
- No witnesses legally required (many couples still have them)
Marriage license requirements in other states
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Arkansas marriage license: FAQs
Fees, waiting period, validity, ID, witnesses and residency for Arkansas.
An Arkansas marriage license costs $60. You pay it at the County Clerk. Certified copies of the marriage certificate, which you need for a name change, can cost extra. Payment methods differ by office, so call ahead to check whether it takes cash, card or check.
Not for adults. Arkansas's rule: None for applicants 18 or older; 5 business days for underage applicants (17, with parental consent).
An Arkansas marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The ceremony has to happen inside this window, or you reapply and pay the fee again.
Each partner needs a valid government photo ID, such as a US passport, a driver's license or state ID card, a US military ID, a permanent resident card or a foreign passport. Bring it to the County Clerk, and check the office's own list before you go.
No. Arkansas does not legally require witnesses for the ceremony, though many couples have them anyway.
No. Arkansas does not require residency. Out-of-state couples can apply at the County Clerk with the required ID, and the license works for a ceremony anywhere in Arkansas.





