GA Marriage License
Every state has different marriage licensing laws. And each of the 159 counties within the State of Georgia has slightly different procedures for obtaining a marriage license. Be sure to contact the county Probate Court office where you will get your marriage license and follow their specific protocols. The following information is intended to break down the most important information for you, but may not contain everything you need to know. Here are links for Probate Courts in a few GA counties:
Most Important things to know
If you are getting married in Georgia, then here are the 4 most important things to know:
- If you and your partner are not residents of Georgia, then you must both appear in person at the Probate Court office in the county where you are getting married. If either of you is a Georgia resident, then you can acquire the license in any county in the state of GA. Specific rules vary county to county, and some counties may have alternatives to appearing in person.
- You must each a valid form of ID, sometimes two forms, such as a driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport.
- You must pay a fee directly to the Probate Court office when you acquire the license (this fee is not included in our package prices). The fee varies from $56 – $76 depending on the county. They provide a discount of around $40 if you have taken a qualified premarital counseling program.
- The license has no expiration, and there’s no waiting period between the time the application is completed and the time the license is issued. You may get married immediately after recieving the license.
Additional Things to Know
- You do not need to be a resident of Georgia to get married in the state. However, if you are not a resident, you must acquire the license from the county where the ceremony is taking place.
- Bring your marriage license and IDs to your wedding to be completed by your officiant.
- The officiant must mail the completed license back to the Probate Court where it was issued within 30 days.
- GA does not require any witnesses at the ceremony to sign the marriage license.
- If you are divorced or widowed, then you must present Divorce Papers or a Death Certificate.
- Blood tests are not required.
- Individuals under the age of 18 must present additional documentation and permissions to get married (contact the Probate Court office for details).
Marriage Certificate
- The document which provides legal proof that you are married is called the Marriage Certificate. This is not the same as the completed Marriage License copy that you will have immediately after your wedding. You can request a certified original of your Marriage Certificate after your completed Marriage License has been returned and processed.
- You will need to contact the Probate Court where you acquired the license to request your Marriage Certificate. The cost and procedure varies by county because they like to make things difficult in government.
- The DMV, Social Security office, and Passport agency do not accept copies of the Marriage Certificate, only original certified documents issued by the Probate Court.
- You are still legally married even if you don’t have the physical Marriage Certificate, but you will need it to make a legal name change. To change your last name, go to the Social Security office first with an original Marriage Certificate. Then go to the DMV, and then the Passport agency with an original as well. Or just click here to avoid all the hassle!