El Dorado Marriage License Records
El Dorado is the Union County seat in far south Arkansas. The Union County Clerk in El Dorado is the office that issues every El Dorado marriage license and holds the permanent file. The City of El Dorado itself does not keep these records. This page lays out the clerk's address, phone, hours, and fee so couples can plan a quick trip to the courthouse. It also points to the tools you can use for an online El Dorado marriage license search. Use the search widget below first for a fast name check.
El Dorado Marriage License Overview
El Dorado Marriage License Office
The office that issues an El Dorado marriage license is the Union County Clerk, Mandi Fudge. The clerk sits at 101 North Washington, Suite 102, El Dorado, AR 71730-5661. Phone the office at (870) 864-1910. The fax is (870) 864-1927. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is closed on federal and state holidays, except Columbus Day.
Union County was created in 1829 from Hempstead and Clark counties. The clerk has held marriage records from 1885 forward. That makes the office a deep source for older El Dorado marriage license records. The Union County genealogy page on FamilySearch lists the record range along with a few outside tools for early entries.
Under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11, the county clerk is the officer who issues the license, records the return, and files the permanent record. The clerk's office also files minister credentials before a wedding and handles probate and guardianship cases.
The Union County home page links to the clerk, the circuit courts, and the tax collector, which can help when you need more than one record type in a single trip.
Note: El Dorado hosts the MusicFest Arkansas each fall, which means a surge of out-of-town couples apply for a license around that week. Plan a morning visit if you can.
How to Apply for an El Dorado Marriage License
Both parties come to the Union County Clerk together. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID all work. Each party also needs a Social Security number. Couples who were married before bring a certified copy of the divorce decree, or the death certificate for the late spouse.
The license fee is $60, cash only. The clerk charges $1 for a plain copy and $5 for a certified copy. The certify and seal fee is $5. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-201, the clerk is the officer who issues the license. There is no blood test. There is no residency rule. Most adult couples walk out with the license in hand the same day.
If one party is 17, both parents must come in, sign a notarized affidavit of consent, and wait 5 business days under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. No one under 17 can get a license in most cases under § 9-11-103.
What to bring to the counter:
- Photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Divorce decree or death certificate if married before
- $60 in cash
- Notarized parental affidavit if a party is 17
El Dorado Marriage License Rules
The El Dorado marriage license is good for 60 days from the day the clerk issues it. The couple can hold the wedding anywhere in Arkansas, not just in Union County. After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license and the couple returns it to the same Union County Clerk in El Dorado that issued it. The return must happen within 60 days, used or unused.
Officiants are listed at Arkansas Code § 9-11-213. Judges, mayors, ministers and priests on file, current justices of the peace, and former JPs who served two terms since Amendment 55 can officiate. Ministers must record credentials with a county clerk before signing an El Dorado marriage license. The Union County Clerk files credentials at the window.
Arkansas also offers a covenant marriage option under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. The couple picks the option on the application, takes premarital counseling, and files a signed declaration of intent with the clerk. The option is filed at the same Union County counter.
El Dorado Marriage License Search Online
The statewide portal at CIS Arkansas covers many counties. Check the dropdown for Union County when the county is on the current release. The search takes a party name and a date range. It is free to use.
If Union County is not on the current release, call the clerk at (870) 864-1910 and ask staff to run a name search on the in-house index. The office has marriage records from 1885 forward, so a deep lookup is possible even for older El Dorado marriage license records.
The Union County court records overview gathers the main links for local research, including the clerk's hours and the circuit court contact.
For court cases tied to a marriage, try Arkansas CourtConnect. That's the place to trace a divorce filing, a name change order, or a civil case tied to an El Dorado marriage. The Union County Clerk page also lists other record types.
Certified Copies of El Dorado Marriage Records
A certified copy of an El Dorado marriage license is $5 at the Union County Clerk. A plain copy is $1 per page. The certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is what most agencies ask for when you change a name on a Social Security card, update a passport, or file a pension claim.
Walk-ins get same-day copies. Mail orders work too. Send a written request to 101 North Washington, Suite 102, El Dorado, AR 71730, with the names of both parties, the date of the marriage if known, a phone number, a check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
For the state-held copy, the Arkansas Division of Vital Records keeps a short marriage coupon from January 1917 forward. The state copy is $10. Order at the Little Rock office, by mail, or by phone through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor. The state coupon is a short slip, not the full license. For the full El Dorado marriage license with both signatures and the officiant line, return to the Union County Clerk.
Tip: Ask for two certified copies in the same visit. A single backup at home saves a return trip when one copy is used up for a name change.
Who Can Access El Dorado Marriage License Records
County-held El Dorado marriage license records are public under Arkansas law. Anyone can ask the Union County Clerk for a name search and anyone can buy a copy. No reason is required and no tie to the couple is needed.
State-level access is tighter. The state coupon follows Arkansas Statute 20-18-305, which limits release to the registrant, close family, a named agent, and select research groups. A state order calls for proof of identity and a right to the record. Social Security numbers are always redacted from any public-facing copy.
Union County and El Dorado
El Dorado is the Union County seat and the largest city in the county. The courthouse sits on North Washington Avenue downtown. For the full Union County marriage license page on this site, with more notes on the clerk and links to related records, see the Union County marriage license page.
Nearby Cities
El Dorado sits near the Louisiana line in far south Arkansas. Couples often drive to nearby cities for related court or vital records. Pick a nearby city below.