Getting a Marriage License in Kansas

A marriage license is issued by the clerk or a judge of the district court; in Kansas you can apply online through the Judicial Branch's statewide marriage license application, and you only need an email address and the personal details the form asks for. The Kansas Judicial Branch says you do not have to submit documents or show identification to apply, and that signing the online application electronically counts as appearing before the clerk. By law the license cannot be issued before the third calendar day after the application is filed, unless a judge allows it sooner in an emergency; the Judicial Branch says to allow at least two weeks for processing. The license expires six months after it is issued. The Judicial Branch lists the license cost as $85.50, plus a card or e-check processing charge. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the license to the issuing court within 10 days.

A license will not be issued to anyone under 16, except that a district judge may consent for a 15-year-old after investigation if the marriage is in that person's best interest. A 16- or 17-year-old needs the written consent of a parent or legal guardian plus the judge's consent; the judge's consent is not needed if both parents (or all living parents) and any legal guardian consent. If a 16- or 17-year-old's parents have died and there is no guardian, a judge may consent. Kansas does not recognize a common-law marriage if either party is under 18.