What you need to legally marry in Texas: a $71 to $88 fee, 72 hours waiting period, no witnesses and a license that is valid 89 days. You apply at the County Clerk.
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.
Put one QR code on the tables. Guests scan it and upload their photos and videos to one shared album, no app or account.
Live gallery
Maya & Leo's Wedding
Reception, example
A marriage license in Texas costs $71 to $88, varies by county (around $82 typical). 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 Texas inside the roughly $30 to $100 range most states charge. Accepted payment methods differ from office to office, so check before the visit.
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. Texas does not require proof of residency.
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.
Fill in the application and pay the $71 to $88, varies by county (around $82 typical) 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.
Texas's waiting period: 72 hours. Apply at least a week before the ceremony so the wait never squeezes your date.
The license is valid for 89 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.
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 Texas law allows. The county then records it and issues your marriage certificate.
A short walkthrough of the documents and the clerk visit. Fees and offices differ by state, so match the details to the Texas facts above.
Forever Newlywed on YouTube
First dance
You guys!!
Guests scan one QR code and upload from their phone browser, no app or account. Start free with 20 guest uploads, one-time plans from $44.
From Mom
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
UPLOADING
THE ALBUM
Example album
647 photos · 95 guests
SCAN TO TRY
pix.wedding/
your-wedding
At 18 or older you can marry without anyone's permission.
Parental consent is not enough in Texas, and a person under 18 can marry only if a court has already removed the disabilities of minority for general purposes. That emancipation petition is open only to self-supporting 17-year-olds, or 16-year-olds who live apart from their parents.
Source: Tex. Fam. Code 2.003, 2.101 and 31.001 (SB 1705, effective Sept 1, 2017)
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.
Texas 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 Texas.
Same-sex marriage is legal in Texas, as in every state, since Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). The requirements are the same for every couple.
Foreign nationals can marry in Texas with a valid passport as photo ID. Marrying does not change immigration status by itself, and documents in another language may need certified translations.
Texas recognizes common law marriage: a couple can be legally married by living together as spouses, presenting themselves publicly as married and intending to be married, without a license or ceremony.
Start with 20 guest uploads free, no card. Paid plans run from $44 to $84 once, with unlimited guests.
For collecting every original
Most couples pick this
One-time payment, no subscription
For big guest lists
One payment. Yours to keep. No subscription. No renewals. No surprise charges.
Secure checkout. Polar, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Money-back guarantee: if your guests never upload a single photo, you get 100% back. See how it works
Licensed or ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and clergy. Judges of any court, justices of the peace, and retired judges. County judges and justices of appellate courts.
Officiant rules in every stateTexas recognizes informal marriage, commonly called common law marriage, which can be registered with the county clerk through a Declaration of Informal Marriage (Texas Family Code 2.401-2.402, around $41 to file). A court proceeding to prove an unregistered informal marriage is presumed against if not filed within 2 years of separation. The 72-hour waiting period is waived for active-duty military, Department of Defense civilian employees or contractors, by judge or justice of the peace order for good cause, or for couples who complete the Twogether in Texas premarital education course with a certificate no more than a year old, which also reduces the license fee. Texas eliminated parental-consent marriage for minors statewide via a 2017 law (SB 1705); anyone under 18 can now marry only through a judicial order removing the disabilities of minority.
Everything you need to make your wedding day stress-free and unforgettable.
Plan your reception seating visually.
Track RSVPs and dietary needs.
Turn your total into a category-by-category plan.
Plan your entire wedding day.
Count down the days to your big day.
Month-by-month planning checklist.
15+ games with rules, supplies, and timing.
Pick one by budget, guest count and keepsake.
Fees, waiting period, validity, ID, witnesses and residency for Texas.
A Texas marriage license costs $71 to $88, varies by county (around $82 typical). 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.
Yes. Texas's waiting period: 72 hours. Plan to apply at least one to two weeks before your ceremony.
A Texas marriage license is valid for 89 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. Texas does not legally require witnesses for the ceremony, though many couples have them anyway.
No. Texas 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 Texas.
