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Marriage license icon Marriage Licenses

The Franklin County Probate Court will be closed Monday, April 8, 2024 (solar eclipse).  The court will resume normal operations on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.


While the Franklin County Probate Court Marriage Department hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30 pm the last marriage license is issued at 4:00 p.m. and both parties must be present at that time. 

The office is located at 373 South High Street on the 23rd Floor. The Probate Court is closed on all legal holidays recognized by the County. 

The Franklin County Probate Court issues marriage licenses to residents of Franklin County, Ohio who are planning to marry in the state of Ohio. Licenses may also be issued to out-of-state residents who plan to marry in Franklin County, Ohio.
Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions for additional detailed information.
 
CURRENT COVID-19 POLICY
The Franklin County Probate Court follows the guidance issued by Columbus Public Health and aligns to the building policies issued by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Do not attend a marriage license appointment at the courthouse if you have a temperature of 100.4 or above or are experiencing any COVID-like symptoms.

MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICANTS
All applicants must complete the online application before they appear in person for their license. Applications are only valid for 30 days. Please click here for requirements to obtain a license and to be directed to the online application.
Applicants may pay the $65.00 license fee in cash or via credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover). A separate 3% service charge applies to credit/debit card transactions.

ORDERING MARRIAGE ABSTRACTS (RECORD OF MARRIAGE)
After your officiant has confirmed that your marriage was solemnized by returning your signed license, you may order certified marriage abstracts (the record of your marriage). Abstracts may be obtained in person without an appointment, or ordered online or via regular USPS. Please see requirements here.

Services

Marriage License

$65.00 View requirements & apply *

Certified Marriage Abstract (Proof of Marriage)

$2.00 per copy How to obtain

* Online Marriage Application is unavailable nightly from 10:00pm to 2:00am
Preferred payment is cash or credit/debit card.  Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. There is a separate 3% service charge for all credit/debit transactions that take place in the Probate Court.
 
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Marriage Licenses

Who is allowed to apply?

Individual adults who are 18 or over who are not nearer of kin than second cousins to the other applicant, and not having a spouse living may apply for a license with their intended spouse.

What if i am under the age of 18?

Any applicant under the age of 18 must first file a petition for consent to the marriage of a minor with the Franklin County Juvenile Court. After you have obtained the consent of the Juvenile Court, a license may not be issued until 14 days after the final order of the Juvenile Court is filed. The Probate Court will not issue a license or accept an application prior to the 14 days. A certified copy of the order must be provided before an application will be accepted.
Please contact the Franklin County Juvenile Court first to confirm your eligibility and initiate the consent process before you contact the marriage license department for an appointment.

Can I receive a license if i am a Franklin county resident?

If you are getting married in the State of Ohio and are a resident of Ohio, you must obtain your license within the county where either applicant resides. The license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in the State of Ohio. If one or both applicants is a Franklin County resident who intends to marry somewhere in the state of Ohio, you may apply for your license in this Court. Proof of residency must be provided. If your photo ID does not list your current address in Franklin County, you must provide an alternate proof of residency. Accepted verifications include a bank statement, lease agreement, mortgage statement, utility bill, Social Security Statement, other government issued benefit statement, etc. dated within the last 30 days.

Can I receive a license if i am aN out-of-State resident?

If you are not a resident of Ohio, but are getting married in Ohio, you must obtain your license in the county where the ceremony will take place. If you are getting married in Franklin County, Ohio, you may obtain your license with this court.

HOW DO WE APPLY?

The online license application must be completed within 30 days of appearing in-person to complete the license process. Each applicant must provide an unexpired photo ID that includes their birth date.
To be directed to the application, please click here. 

HOW DO WE APPEAR FOR OUR License?

Licenses are inssued in-person at the courthouse on a walk-in basis from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both parties muct be present at 4:00 p.m. or the license cannot be issued. In very limited circumstances the court may be able to conduct a remote appointment for individuals with a disability that medically precludes them from coming to the courthouse, or active-duty military personnel who are deployed out of state. (This option is only for residents of Franklin County, over whom the court has jurisdiction on an ongoing basis.) Couples may also be able to schedule in-person appointments in limited and extraordinary circumstances.

WHAT IF WE NEED AN INTERPRETER?

Interpretation services can be provided. Please contact the Probate Court ahead of your appointment to request an interpreter.

MUST WE SHOW PROOF OF DIVORCES/ANNULMENTS OR THE DEATH OF A PREVIOUS SPOUSE?

If the marriage ended in divorce or annulment, the applicant(s) must provide a certified copy of the most recent divorce/annulment/dissolution decree along with case numbers/dates/locations (county/state/country) of all previous marriages, names of previous spouses and all current minor children.
Applicants are required to produce certified copies of death certificates for deceased spouses.

What if a required document is from another country? 

If a document required for a marriage license was issued by a forein government in a language other than English, it is your responsibility to have the document professionally translated and include an attestatin from the qualified translator. .

IS THERE A WAITING PERIOD?

No. After the application is accepted there is no waiting period to receive the license. The license is valid for 60 days from its date of issuance.

WHAT IF WE DISCOVER THERE'S AN ERROR ON OUR MARRIAGE LICENSE OR APPLICATION?

We encourage you to verify the information on your license before you leave your appointment.  There is a fee to correct errors that are found after the fact.  Correcting a minor error on a marriage application is $5.00.  Amending an application to include additional previous marriages is $35.00 and requires both parties to sign in front of a notary.  If you believe there is an error on your marriage application, you can visit the Court's marriage department and apply to have it corrected.  Please click here for the Application and Entry to Correct Marriage Record form.

WHO MAY SOLEMNIZE A MARRIAGE?

Only an ordained or licensed officiant who is registered with the Secretary of the State of Ohio, a judge, a mayor, or the Superintendent of the State School for the Deaf may solemnize a marriage.

To find out if your minister is registered with the Secretary of State, call (877)-767-6446 or visit Ohio Secretary of State Ministers Search.

CIVIL CEREMONY INFORMATION

The Franklin County Probate Court only issues marriage licenses, it does not perform civil ceremonies. You may contact the Franklin County Municipal Court to schedule a civil ceremony. We encourage you to make an appointment with them before you schedule your license appointment with us. This will ensure that your license is valid on the date of your scheduled ceremony in that court.
Franklin County Municipal Court
614-645-8162

I JUST GOT MARRIED, HOW DO I CHANGE MY NAME?

You do not need to apply for a legal name change if you were just married. The Certified Abstract of Marriage (green paper) obtained from the Marriage Department, can be used to legally change your last name if you wish. We recommend you obtain at least five copies of the document for the BMV, Social Security Administration, banks, employers, etc. 

WHAT IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS?

If you have additional questions, please email [email protected] or call 614-525-3108 to speak with a deputy clerk during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. We strive to respond to messages within 48 business hours.

HOW DO WE GET A CERTIFIED COPY OF OUR MARRIAGE ABSTRACT
(PROOF OF MARRIAGE)?

You can obtain a certified copy of your marriage abstract in person without an appointment, online, or through the mail.

Certified Marriage Abstracts are $2.00 per copy.

Before you order your Marriage Abstract in Franklin County, please review the following information. We cannot issue refunds for orders once they are placed, even if the license was issued in another county. Please make sure you can answer “Yes” to the following two questions:
1.)    Was the Marriage License issued in Franklin County, Ohio?
  • If not, please contact the Probate Court in the county where the marriage license was issued.
  • If “Yes” proceed to question #2.
2.)    Have you verified that your officiant has returned the signed Certification to Probate Court?
  • To confirm this, please search for your names in the Marriage License Index Search. If there is no date listed under “Certif Returned” in your case entry, contact your officiant to see when they will return the Certification to Probate Court.  The Court cannot issue a Marriage Abstract until the Certification has been signed by your officiant and returned.
  • If Married BEFORE 1/1/1995, please first email the Franklin County Probate Court Marriage Department  to verify the license was issued in Franklin County.
Order online icon
Order Online

Use your credit or debit card to order copies through Point & Pay. The cost is $2.00 for each certified copy, plus postage fees. There will also be a service fee charged by Point & Pay in the amount of $1.00 per transaction.

If you were issued your marriage license in Franklin County Ohio, the link below will take you to the Point & Pay website to process your request and make payment for your marriage abstract(s). If you did not get your marriage license in Franklin County Ohio, please contact the Probate Court of the county where your license was issued to obtain your marriage abstract.

By clicking SUBMIT to process an online order, you are agreeing to Ohio Revised Code Sections 301.28 and 2101.16 (A) that this is a service rendered and the funds in this transaction are nonrefundable.

PLACE ORDER AND MAKE PAYMENT

*Due to technical and procedural issues, the Franklin County Probate Court will no longer send certified marriage abstracts through an expedited mail delivery method. All certified marriage abstracts will be sent through standard U. S. Mail. We apologize for the inconvenience. The Probate Court will look into providing an expedited mail delivery method in the future.

Mailbox icon
Request by Mail

MAIL REQUESTS TO:
Franklin County Probate Court
ATTN: Marriage Records
373 S. High St., 22nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6311

IN YOUR REQUEST YOU NEED TO INCLUDE:

  1. APPLICANT 1 name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
  2. APPLICANT 2 name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
  3. The year of the marriage (the Court needs at least an approximate year to be able to search for the record)
  4. Daytime phone number where you can be reached
  5. $2.00 for each copy that you are requesting, payable by money order, cashier's check, attorney or perosnal check
  6. A self addressed stamped envelope so the Court can send the abstract back to you
Wedding rings icon
Request in Person

Please request your marriage abstract via the online ordering system or by mail at this time if possible, due to pandemic-related restrictions. If it is necessary to request an abstract in person, please visit the marriage department at 373 S. High Street, Floor 23, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please visit the department no later than 4:00 p.m. to ensure timely service. The court is closed on all county holidays. Due to the appointments being conducted for applicants, you may have to wait for a deputy clerk to become available between appointments to assist you. (Or in the alternative: To avoid a possible wait time at the court, please call 614-525-3108 to schedule an appointment to complete this request.)
The cost for each certified copy is $2.00. payable by cash, money order, cashier's check, attorney or personal check, or credit/debit card. There is a 3% service fee for credit/debit card transactions. 

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

  1. APPLICANT 1 Name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
  2. APPLICANT 2 Name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
  3. The year of the marriage (as the court will need an approximate year to search for the record).

Helpful Numbers

Franklin County Board of Elections
614-525-3100
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
614-752-7500
Franklin County Clerk of Courts - Auto Title Department
614-525-3090
Immigration Naturalization Service
1-800-375-5283
Franklin County Clerk of Courts - Domestic
614-525-4410
Social Security Administration or Toll Free
1-866-964-1723 or 1-800-772-1213