Clarke County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses in Clarke County are issued by Clarke County Probate Court. The office is in Suite 200 of the Clarke County Courthouse, 325 East Washington Street, Athens, Georgia 30601, and the phone number is 706-613-3320. Probate Court accepts marriage license applications Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The general Probate Court counter is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for copies and other records work.
The local marriage license page lists the Clarke County marriage license fee as $26. Georgia's statewide marriage guidance says applicants must be at least 18, of sound mind, and not already married to a living spouse from an undissolved marriage. A 17-year-old may receive a license only under limited Georgia law conditions. Georgia does not require a blood test.
Because the license is a Probate Court record, later certificate-copy requests should go back to Probate Court rather than the Superior Court clerk.
The official Clarke County marriage license page is the source for local license hours and fee details.
Those local rules matter because the Probate Court application window is shorter than the general courthouse day.
Apply for Clarke County Marriage Records
Applicants should treat the license visit as an in-person Probate Court filing, not as a statewide vital-record order. The local application process requires the couple to go to Probate Court during the license application hours, bring proper identification, pay the license fee, and confirm any special eligibility issue before arriving. Probate Court accepts cash, check, money order, credit card, and debit card. Card payments add a service fee of the higher of 3.5% or $2.95.
- Confirm both applicants meet Georgia marriage-license eligibility rules, including age, sound mind, and no living spouse from a prior undissolved marriage.
- Go to Probate Court, 325 East Washington Street, Suite 200, Athens, GA 30601, during the 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM application window.
- Bring proper identification and any documents needed to explain a prior marriage or age-related eligibility issue.
- Pay the $26 license fee by an accepted payment method. Use cash, check, or money order to avoid the card service charge.
- After the license is issued, arrange the ceremony separately. Clarke County Probate Court generally does not perform wedding ceremonies.
The county marriage application page is the source for the local application process.
The application process also explains why a courthouse visit can involve Probate Court for the license and Magistrate Court for a ceremony.
Clarke County Marriage Form Fields
The research source did not capture a public online application form with every input field, so the field inventory below stays tied to the official process notes and Georgia eligibility rules. Applicants should verify accepted ID types directly with Probate Court before the visit, especially if a prior marriage, age issue, or name variation may need proof.
| Field or item | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Used to create the marriage license and later certificate record. |
| Proper identification | Yes | Official page requires proper identification; confirm accepted ID with Probate Court. |
| Age eligibility | Yes | Georgia.gov lists 18 as the standard minimum, with limited conditions for age 17. |
| Sound mind confirmation | Yes | Georgia.gov includes sound mind in statewide eligibility guidance. |
| No undissolved prior marriage | Yes | Applicants cannot have a living spouse from a prior undissolved marriage. |
| Payment method | Yes | Cash, check, money order, credit card, and debit card are accepted. |
The Georgia.gov marriage license guidance supplies statewide eligibility rules for Clarke County applicants.
State guidance is useful for eligibility, while the local Probate Court controls local hours, fees, and copies.
Clarke County Marriage Divorce Fees
Clarke County marriage and divorce fees are split by office. Probate Court publishes the marriage license fee and its card service charge. Divorce filings and certified divorce copies are Superior Court records handled by the Clerk of Superior and State Courts, but the research file did not locate an official divorce filing fee or certified decree copy fee. Those amounts should be confirmed with the Clerk before payment.
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $26 |
| Probate card service charge | Higher of 3.5% or $2.95 |
| Marriage certificate copy | Amount not located in official sources reviewed |
| Divorce filing | Confirm with Clerk of Superior and State Courts |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Confirm with Clerk of Superior and State Courts |
Note: Do not quote a divorce filing or certified decree fee without checking the Clerk's current fee schedule.
Search Clarke County Marriage Records
Clarke County marriage records can be checked through the Probate Court record path. The Probate case-search site states that online public records include marriage licenses dating back to 1934. Older records may also appear as they are scanned into the case management system on a case-by-case basis. For legal use, a person should obtain the official certificate or copy from Probate Court rather than relying only on courtesy online information.
Certified marriage certificate copies may be requested in person during regular Probate Court hours or by written request. The marriage certificate page says a written request should be mailed to Probate Court and include a return address or self-addressed envelope and contact information. A useful request includes both spouses' names, the approximate license date or marriage date, and the requester's contact details.
The official marriage certificate copy page gives the in-person and written request route for Clarke County marriage records.
That copy route is separate from applying for a new marriage license.
Historical Clarke County Marriage Records
Historical Clarke County marriage records may include more than a modern certificate. The county's historical marriage records page says older marriage materials may show the groom name, bride name, date the license was issued, marriage date, judge name, and the name of the person who performed the ceremony. That can help when a user is tracing a family record and does not know the exact certificate date.
The official historical marriage records page describes the contents of older Clarke County marriage records.
Historical record fields can differ from current certificate-copy requests, so names and date ranges are important.
Clarke County Marriage Ceremonies
Probate Court issues the marriage license, but it generally does not perform wedding ceremonies. The county weddings guidance says residents may schedule a wedding ceremony in Magistrate Court, Room 240, after obtaining the license. That means the license and the ceremony can involve two different courthouse offices, even though the marriage record itself remains tied to Probate Court.
For a ceremony question, contact the Magistrate Court office before assuming a same-day ceremony is available. Magistrate Court is in Suite 240 of the same courthouse and can be reached at 706-613-3310. Couples should obtain the Probate Court license first, then follow the Magistrate scheduling process.
After the ceremony, the completed license must be returned through the proper court process so the marriage can be recorded. A later certificate search is easier when the couple keeps the license date, marriage date, officiant name, and both names as they appeared on the license. Those details also help Probate Court staff distinguish between similar names in historical marriage records.
Find Clarke County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Clarke County are Superior Court records, not Probate Court records. Georgia.gov states that a person files for divorce with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where either spouse has lived for at least six months. In Clarke County, the filing office is the Clerk of Superior and State Courts, 325 East Washington Street, Suite 450, Athens, GA 30601, phone 706-613-3190.
A divorce file may include the complaint or petition, answer, financial affidavits, child support worksheets, parenting plans, temporary orders, settlement agreement, final decree, and later contempt or modification filings. Some parts may be redacted or restricted when they involve minors, financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, domestic violence protection details, or sealed family matters. A certified divorce decree should be requested from the Clerk when a court-stamped proof of divorce is needed.
Divorce records also have a different privacy profile than marriage records. A marriage certificate is usually a narrow proof of the license and ceremony. A divorce case file may contain pleadings, financial schedules, custody terms, child-support calculations, addresses, and protective-order references. Public access can therefore be narrower for family details even when the existence of the case and final decree are available from the Clerk.
The Georgia.gov divorce filing guidance explains the statewide filing path and residence rule.
For Clarke County divorce copies, the statewide rule points back to the local Superior Court clerk.