Find Clarke County Marriage Records

Clarke County marriage records are kept at the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court. This unified city-county government serves over 128,000 people, most of them in the city of Athens. Home to the University of Georgia, the area sees a steady stream of marriage license applications throughout the year. The Probate Court on East Washington Street handles all marriage license applications and stores past marriage records for Clarke County. Whether you need a new license or want to look up an old marriage record, this is the office to visit. The court has specific fees and steps that are easy to follow if you know what to bring ahead of time.

Athens-Clarke County Probate Court

The Probate Court in Athens is where you go for marriage licenses in Clarke County. The office is in Suite 200 at 325 East Washington Street. Both parties must come together. You each need a valid photo ID. The court sees plenty of traffic from students, residents, and people visiting from nearby counties.

If either person had a prior marriage, bring a certified copy of the final divorce decree or a death certificate for a former spouse. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. 19-3-1 requires that all prior marriages be dissolved before a new license can be issued. The Athens-Clarke County staff will check your documents and walk you through the process. It takes about 30 minutes for most applications.

You can learn more about the court and its services at the Athens-Clarke County marriage records page.

The county website has details on fees, required documents, and office hours for marriage license applications in Clarke County.

Clarke County Marriage License Fees

Clarke County charges $67 for a marriage license without premarital counseling. With counseling, the fee drops to $27. That is a $40 savings. The premarital class must last at least six hours and be taught by a licensed provider per O.C.G.A. 19-3-30.1.

You need to finish the class within 12 months of your application date. Bring proof of completion to the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court when you apply. The fee structure follows O.C.G.A. 15-9-60. With the University of Georgia nearby, many young couples take advantage of the reduced fee by doing premarital counseling through local churches or counseling centers.

Certified copies of past marriage records have a separate fee. Call the court at (706) 613-3320 to find out the current copy fee before your visit.

How to Search Clarke County Marriage Records

To find a marriage record from Clarke County, visit the Probate Court in Athens. The clerk can search by name and date. If the record is on file, you can get a certified copy right away. Bring a valid ID and have as much detail as you can about the marriage.

The Georgia Department of Public Health also keeps marriage records from June 1952 through August 1996. You can mail a request for $10. The fee is not refundable. If they find the record, one certified copy is included. Extra copies are $5 each. Mail requests take 8 to 10 weeks. For Clarke County marriages before 1952 or after 1996, the Probate Court is the sole source.

Marriage records in Georgia are public. Anyone can request a copy of a marriage license or certificate from the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court. The marriage application is restricted to the parties named on it.

Clarke County Marriage License Requirements

Under O.C.G.A. 19-3-2, both parties must be at least 18. A 17-year-old may apply only if emancipated and the other party is within four years of age. No one under 17 can get a license. Both people must be of sound mind and free from any prior undissolved marriage.

There is no waiting period in Clarke County. No blood test is needed. The license is valid for 60 days from the date the court issues it. After the ceremony, the officiant must return the signed license to the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court within 30 days. The court records it and mails a certified marriage certificate to the couple. This takes about 30 days.

Georgia residents can apply at any county probate court. Non-residents must apply in the county where the ceremony will happen. Since Clarke County is a college town, the court handles a mix of local residents and people from other counties and states. The staff is used to working with a wide range of applicants.

Note: Foreign documents that are not in English must have a certified translation before the court will accept them.

Clarke County Marriage History

Clarke County was created in 1801. Marriage records from the early years may be at the courthouse or the Georgia Archives in Morrow. The archives have microfilm copies of county records going back to the 1800s. Some are available through their online Virtual Vault.

FamilySearch has a free index of Georgia marriages from 1808 to 1967. Ancestry.com offers records from select counties. The Georgia Probate Records portal may also have Clarke County records you can search online. These are good starting points for genealogy and family history research in Clarke County.

Cities in Clarke County

Athens is the main city in Clarke County. The unified government means the city and county share the same offices, including the Probate Court.

Other communities within Clarke County include Winterville and Bogart. All marriage licenses go through the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court.

Nearby Counties

These counties are next to Clarke County. If you are looking for a marriage record that may have been filed nearby, check these courts.