Marriage License

A Dallas County marriage license is issued through the Dallas County Clerk’s Vital Records Division. Couples must complete the county’s online application, retain the order number, appear before a deputy clerk, provide acceptable identification, pay the required fee, and follow Texas timing rules for the ceremony. This article explains the application fields, identification standards, office procedures, waiting period, license expiration, officiant duties, absent-applicant restrictions, payment methods, and certified-copy process.

County Clerk Responsibilities

The Dallas County Clerk’s Vital Records Division handles formal marriage licenses, informal marriage licenses, and certified copies of marriage licenses recorded by Dallas County. The clerk reviews the application, verifies each applicant’s identity and age, administers the required oath, collects the fee, and issues the license.

A marriage license is different from a marriage ceremony. The County Clerk issues the document that authorizes the marriage, but a qualified religious or civil official performs the ceremony. Afterward, the person who performed the ceremony must complete and return the license to the Dallas County Clerk for recording.

Applicants should rely on the Dallas County marriage license page for county-specific procedures. The county’s instructions distinguish a new license application from a request for a certified copy of a license that has already been recorded.

Online Marriage Application

Dallas County requires marriage license applications to be completed online. Couples can enter their information through the county’s official marriage license application. The form collects information separately for Applicant One and Applicant Two.

Once the application has been submitted, the system provides an order number. Applicants should save or write down that number because it is needed during the in-person visit with Dallas County. Losing the number may make it harder for the clerk to locate the submitted application and could delay the visit.

Information for Each Applicant

Each applicant must provide identifying, contact, residential, and birth information. The online form includes fields for:

First, middle, and last name
Suffix, when applicable
Maiden name, when applicable
Email address and phone number
Street address, city, state, and ZIP code
Foreign country information, when applicable
Social Security number
City, county, state, and country of birth
Date of birth

Names and dates should match the identification that will be presented to the clerk. Applicants should review spelling, suffixes, maiden names, birthplaces, and dates before submitting the application. Errors discovered during the clerk visit may require additional review or a corrected application.

Required Applicant Declarations

Both applicants must answer the declarations included in the online form. Each person is asked to state whether the following statements are true or false:

The applicant has not been divorced within the last 30 days.
The applicant is not presently married.
The applicant is not presently delinquent in court-ordered child support.
The applicants are not related within the family relationships identified on the application.

The prohibited relationship declaration covers ancestors and descendants by blood or adoption, brothers and sisters of the whole or half blood or by adoption, children of a brother or sister, current or former stepchildren and stepparents, and children of a parent’s brother or sister.

Applicants must answer these statements accurately. The application is reviewed by a deputy clerk, and both applicants take the oath printed on the application before signing it.

Voluntary Five-Dollar Contribution

The application also asks each applicant whether the person wishes to make a voluntary $5 contribution supporting the Texas Home Visiting Program administered through the Office of Early Childhood Coordination of Texas Health and Human Services. The form allows each applicant to answer this question separately.

Executed License Mailing Address

The online application asks where the executed marriage license should be mailed. The applicants may select Applicant One’s address or Applicant Two’s address. Couples should confirm that the selected address is complete and reliable, especially if either applicant expects to move soon after the ceremony.

In-Person Clerk Visit

Submitting the online form does not by itself issue the marriage license. Both applicants generally must appear before the County Clerk. The Dallas County Vital Records FAQ directs couples to complete the online application and schedule a marriage license appointment.

Applicants should bring the application order number to the clerk visit. A deputy clerk reviews the submitted information, discusses the basic marriage formalities, checks identification, and asks the couple to verify and sign the application.

Both parties must:

Appear before the county clerk unless a narrow absent-applicant exception applies.
Provide proof of identity and age.
Supply all information requested on the application.
Mark the appropriate application boxes.
Take the printed oath.
Sign the application before the county clerk.
Provide the required payment.

The county’s FAQ instructs applicants to provide a photocopy of acceptable identification on the appointment day. The applicants appearing before the clerk should also be prepared to present the original identification document for review.

Acceptable Identification

The County Clerk must verify the identity and age of each applicant. Dallas County publishes an official marriage license identification list based on Texas Family Code Section 2.005.

Common Identification Documents

Commonly accepted documents include:

A driver’s license or identification card issued by Texas, another state, or a Canadian province

A United States passport

A current passport issued by a foreign country

An acceptable consular document issued by a state or national government

An unexpired military identification card with a photograph

An original or certified birth certificate

An unexpired Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Card

Another qualifying document issued by the Department of Homeland Security or Department of State that includes an identification photograph

A state or Canadian driver’s license or identification card may be current or expired no more than two years before the date it is presented to the clerk. This category does not include a driver’s license issued by another country or territory.

The county’s identification document states that a Mexican Matricula Consular card is not accepted. It also indicates that qualifying consular identification from other countries may be accepted. The Dallas County fee page similarly states that the County Clerk does not accept a Matricula Consular card as identity verification for obtaining marriage-related records.

Additional Proof Options

The official identification list includes several less common documents that may establish identity and age. These include:

An original or certified Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Birth Abroad

An original or certified court order concerning a name change or sex change

Secondary school or higher-education records

An insurance policy continuously valid for the preceding two years

A motor vehicle certificate of title

Military records, including release, discharge, or draft documentation

An unexpired military dependent identification card

An original or certified marriage license or divorce decree

A voter registration certificate

A pilot’s license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration or another authorized federal agency

A Texas license to carry a handgun

A temporary driving permit or identification card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety

An offender identification card issued by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Identification should be legible and in acceptable physical condition. The county’s FAQ states that torn documents, documents taped together, and laminated documents that should not have been laminated may be rejected.

Birth Certificate Identification

Dallas County lists an original or certified birth certificate as an acceptable identity document. The county’s FAQ also describes the use of a certified birth certificate with valid photo identification. Applicants using this option should bring the certified document rather than an informal photocopy.

Marriage License Fees

Dallas County’s official pages contain two different figures for a standard formal marriage license. The county’s Vital Records fee schedule lists a marriage license without a qualifying certificate at $80, while the Vital Records FAQ states that the cost is $81. Applicants should confirm the current charge through the official county fee information before the appointment and bring a payment method that can cover the amount collected by the clerk.

The fee schedule also lists an informal marriage license at $46 and a marriage license with a qualifying premarital education certificate at $21. The county FAQ states that couples seeking the reduced fee must purchase the license through the downtown office and present the completion certificate to the clerk when purchasing the license.

Accepted Payment Methods

The Vital Records Division accepts several payment methods:

Cash
Money order
Cashier’s check
Business check
Credit card
Debit card

Personal checks are not accepted. Money orders, cashier’s checks, and business checks must be payable to John F. Warren, Dallas County Clerk.

Premarital Education Benefits

Couples who complete an approved premarital education program may qualify for a $60 reduction in the marriage license fee and a waiver of the standard 72-hour waiting period. The completion certificate must be presented to the clerk when the license is purchased.

The government-operated Twogether in Texas program allows couples to search for approved marriage education services by ZIP code, city, or county. Classes may be available in person or online. The program states that all Texans may use the services and that there are no eligibility requirements for participating in the educational program.

Premarital courses may address communication, problem solving, stress management, and ways partners can support one another. Dallas County also provides an official marriage information booklet for couples reviewing the marriage license process and related information.

Waiting Period and Expiration

After the marriage license is issued, Texas law generally requires a 72-hour waiting period before the ceremony. The county states that the waiting period may be waived by a district judge. It may also be waived when the couple presents a qualifying Twogether in Texas premarital education certificate.

A Dallas County marriage license expires on the 90th day after it is issued. The ceremony must occur before the license expires. If no ceremony is conducted within that period, the license becomes void and the couple must obtain a new license.

Couples should consider both time limits when selecting an application date. Applying too close to the planned ceremony may create a problem with the 72-hour waiting period, while applying too early may cause the license to expire before the ceremony.

Authorized Marriage Officiants

Dallas County lists religious and civil officials who may conduct a marriage ceremony. Authorized religious officials include a licensed or ordained Christian minister or priest, a Jewish rabbi, and an officer of a religious organization who is authorized by that organization to conduct marriage ceremonies.

Authorized civil officials include current and certain retired members of the judiciary. The county identifies justices and judges from the Texas Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, courts of appeals, district courts, county courts, probate courts, county courts at law, domestic relations courts, juvenile courts, justice courts, and municipal courts. A judge or magistrate of a federal court in Texas, as well as a qualifying retired federal judge or magistrate, may also conduct the ceremony.

Couples planning a ceremony outside Texas should contact the proposed out-of-state officiant before applying. Dallas County states that a Texas marriage license may be used for a ceremony in another state, but the license will be recorded in the Texas county where it was issued.

After the Marriage Ceremony

The person who conducts the ceremony is responsible for completing the license. The officiant must record the date of the ceremony, the county where it occurred, and the officiant’s name. The officiant must also sign the license.

The completed document must be returned to the Dallas County Clerk that issued it no later than the 30th day after the ceremony. Couples should make sure the officiant understands this responsibility and has the correct license document after the ceremony.

The mailing-address selection made during the online application determines whether the executed license is mailed to Applicant One or Applicant Two after processing. An incomplete or outdated address can interfere with delivery.

Formal and Informal Licenses

A formal marriage license is used when the couple obtains a license and participates in a marriage ceremony performed by an authorized religious or civil official. The completed license is then returned to the County Clerk for recording.

An informal marriage license documents an informal, or common-law, marriage. Dallas County describes an informal marriage as one in which two people agree to be married, live together as spouses, and represent to others that they are married. It is created without the usual formalities of a ceremony.

Applicants should select the correct process because the formal application, informal declaration, fees, and absent-applicant rules are not interchangeable. Dallas County states that the absent-applicant affidavit is not available for an informal marriage license.

Absent Applicant Restrictions

Both applicants ordinarily must appear before the County Clerk. Dallas County permits an absent-applicant affidavit only under restricted circumstances. The absent applicant must be a member of the United States armed forces who is stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation and is unable to attend the ceremony.

The absent applicant must personally complete the affidavit. The document must be notarized, and all questions must be answered. Dallas County will not accept an affidavit containing whiteout or mark-outs. Information should be printed or typed in blue or black ink.

The original completed affidavit must be returned to the person the absent applicant intends to marry. The absent applicant must also provide a legible photocopy of acceptable government-issued identification. The person appointed as proxy must appear when the marriage license is purchased.

Identification for an absent applicant may include a valid driver’s license, passport, state-issued identification card, military identification card, or a qualifying certified birth certificate accompanied by valid photo identification.

An absent-applicant affidavit expires 30 days after it is signed. If information is changed or corrected after the absent applicant signs the application, Dallas County requires a new application. The affidavit procedure cannot be used for an informal marriage license.

Common Application Problems

Several preventable issues can delay a Dallas County marriage license transaction. Applicants should avoid submitting inconsistent names, incomplete birth information, incorrect dates, or an address that does not match the information they intend to use. Both applicants should review the application before the clerk visit rather than relying on one person to verify all entries.

Other common problems include:

Forgetting the online application order number
Arriving without both applicants when no absent-applicant exception applies
Bringing damaged, illegible, or unacceptable identification
Attempting to use a Mexican Matricula Consular card
Bringing a personal check
Failing to present a premarital education certificate at the time of purchase
Scheduling the ceremony before the 72-hour waiting period ends
Allowing the license to reach its 90-day expiration date
Failing to give the officiant the license for completion and return
Assuming an online application means the license has already been issued

The Dallas County Vital Records FAQ should be reviewed before the appointment because it addresses the current in-person procedure, acceptable payments, formal and informal licenses, waiting periods, absent applicants, and certified copies.

Certified Marriage License Copies

A certified copy is requested after a marriage license has been recorded. It is not the same transaction as applying for a new license. Dallas County states that certified marriage license copies are available through the downtown office by mail or in person.

The county’s FAQ states that certified-copy requests are not currently accepted online or by email. A person requesting a copy in person may complete the request at the office or bring a prepared application. An in-person copy is provided after the request has been completed and processed.

Mail requests must include the required application and payment. Dallas County instructs mail applicants to use a money order payable to John F. Warren, Dallas County Clerk. Cash should never be sent through the mail.

The charge is $10 for a marriage license search and certified copy. The $10 search fee is nonrefundable when the requested marriage license cannot be found. Applicants should provide accurate names and marriage information to reduce the possibility of an unsuccessful search.

Dallas County states that mail requests may take six to eight weeks because of high request volume. Anyone who needs a certified copy by a particular date should account for that stated processing period when choosing between an in-person and mail request.

Marriage License Office

Dallas County Clerk, Vital Records Division
Records Building, 500 Elm Street, Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 653-7099

Marriage License FAQs

Do I need an appointment or can I walk in?

Dallas County’s official instructions are not completely consistent. The main marriage license page tells applicants to complete the online form, save the order number, and bring it for a walk-in visit, while the county’s Vital Records FAQ says couples must schedule an appointment. Complete the official marriage license application first, keep the order number, and review the current Vital Records instructions before visiting. Following the newest scheduling instructions can help prevent an unnecessary trip.

Can the completed license be mailed elsewhere?

The online application requires couples to choose either Applicant One’s address or Applicant Two’s address for mailing the executed license. It does not provide a separate field for a third mailing address. Before submitting the form, verify that the selected applicant’s street address, city, state, and ZIP code are complete and suitable for receiving important mail after the ceremony.

How recent must a birth certificate be?

The Dallas County FAQ says a certified birth certificate used for marriage-license identification should have been printed within the previous 10 years and must be presented with valid government-issued photo identification. The county’s broader acceptable identification list refers to an original or certified birth certificate. Applicants relying on this option should bring the certified document and accompanying photo ID rather than an ordinary photocopy.

Where is the required health information posted?

Texas law directs the state health department to make HIV and AIDS educational information publicly available online. Dallas County includes a reference to that state information on its official marriage license information page. Couples can review the county page for the government source associated with this licensing requirement.