Marriage

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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 limitedand extraordinary circumstances.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The Franklin County Probate Court only issues marriage licenses, it does not perform civil ceremonies. You may schedule a ceremony with the Franklin County Municipal Court online at:https://franklincountymunicourt.org/Departments-Services/Weddings
We encourage you to make an appointment with thembeforeyou schedule your license appointment with us. This will ensure that your license is valid on the date of your scheduled ceremony in that court.

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.

If you have additional questions, please emailmarriage@franklincountyohio.govor 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.

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 & 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.

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 personal check
6. A self addressed stamped envelope so the Court can send the abstract back to you

Application for Certified Abstract of Marriage Form(PDF, 131KB)

Please request your marriage abstract via the online ordering system or by mail if possible. 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. 

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).