Getting a Marriage License in Texas

Apply to a county clerk on the state form. The clerk must see proof of identity and age for each applicant, such as a current (or expired less than two years) driver's license or ID card, a U.S. or foreign passport, a certified birth certificate, a military ID, or certain federal immigration documents. An adult who cannot appear may have someone apply for them with a notarized affidavit. The ceremony may not take place during the 72 hours after the license is issued, unless an applicant is active-duty military or a Defense Department employee or contractor, gets a judge's written waiver, or completed a qualifying premarital education course within the past year. The license expires if the ceremony is not held before the 90th day after issuance. The county clerk's fee is $60; it is waived for Texas residents who complete an eight-hour premarital education course, and a $100 additional fee may be charged if neither applicant is a Texas resident.

A person under 18 may not marry unless a Texas court (or another state's court) has removed the person's disabilities of minority for general purposes; the clerk cannot issue a license to an underage applicant without that order. Parental consent alone is not enough.