REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING

 A MARRIAGE LICENSE

A marriage license is valid in any parish in the State of Louisiana. Application for a marriage license may be made by the bride or groom; only one party needs to be present, but must present all required documents for both parties.

1)      Age Requirement – Applicants must be 18 years of age. If an applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, both parents must appear with photo identification to sign a consent form. If under the age of 16, in addition to parents written consent, you must have written consent from a judge.

2)      Birth Certificates/Birth Cards - Applicants must present an original or certified copy of their birth records. If either party was born outside the United States he/she must present the original or certified copy of their birth certificate. (Foreign language birth certificates must be translated into English by: that country’s consulate, a court approved translator, or LSU School of Languages, and must be notarized. Foreign languages originals must be presented along with original translations.) If born outside the United States and the birth certificate is not available, he/she must present a valid visa/passport, U.S. Citizenship/naturalization papers, or a permanent resident card (green card).

3)      Social Security Numbers – Applicants must provide both Social Security numbers. If no number has been issued, that person must appear in person and sign a statement to that effect.

4)      Prior Marriages – If either party has been married before, he/she must provide the month and year of the divorce or death of the previous spouse, as well as the number of this marriage.

5)      Time Requirement – Applicants must obtain the marriage 3 days (72 hours) prior to the ceremony. This can be waived by a judge or justice of the peace authorized to perform the ceremony. A marriage license is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance.

6)      Covenant Marriage – A Covenant Marriage requires the same as above in addition to premarital counseling. Applications wanting to obtain a Covenant Marriage must submit a declaration of intent and affidavit and attestation.

7)      Other Information – You will be required to know the following information when applying for a marriage license:  Highest grade of education completed; father’s full name and state of birth; mother’s full name (Maiden Name) and state of birth.

8)      Fees – The fee of obtaining a marriage license is $30.00.

     ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.