Paragould Marriage License Records
Paragould is the county seat of Greene County in northeast Arkansas. The Greene County Clerk in Paragould is the office that issues every Paragould marriage license and holds the permanent record file. The City of Paragould itself does not handle these records. This page lays out the clerk's address, phone, hours, and fee so couples in Paragould can plan a short trip to the courthouse. It also points to the state tools that help with an online Paragould marriage license search. Use the search widget below first.
Paragould Marriage License Overview
Paragould Marriage License Office
The office that issues a Paragould marriage license is the Greene County Clerk. The clerk sits in Room 102 of the county courthouse at 320 West Court Street, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone the office at (870) 239-6311 for license questions, or (870) 239-6345 for general clerk calls. The fax is (870) 239-6320. Email is greeneclerk@arkansasclerks.com. The City of Paragould does not keep marriage records, so every license application lands at the county clerk.
Greene County was created in 1833 from Lawrence County and the county clerk has held marriage records from 1876 forward. That's a deep file. A Paragould marriage license record from any decade of the last 150 years is likely still on the shelf at the courthouse.
Under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11, the county clerk issues the license, records the return, and holds the permanent copy. The Greene County genealogy wiki on FamilySearch lists the record start years and a few outside tools for older entries.
The Association of Arkansas Counties page for Greene County lists the clerk contact and basic county info, which is a solid first stop when you plan the trip to Paragould.
Note: Greene County sits on the Missouri border, so couples sometimes apply in Arkansas and hold the wedding just north of the state line. An Arkansas license is not valid for a Missouri ceremony.
How to Apply for a Paragould Marriage License
Both parties come to the Greene County Clerk in Paragould together. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID is fine. Each party also needs a Social Security number for state reporting.
The fee is $60. Call the clerk to confirm the current payment methods. If you've been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree, or the death certificate for the prior spouse. If a prior name change came from a divorce, the decree must show the name was restored.
There is no blood test. There is no residency rule, so out-of-town couples can apply in Paragould and hold the wedding anywhere in Arkansas. There is no wait for applicants 18 or older. Most adult couples walk out with the license in hand after 20 to 30 minutes at the counter.
If one party is 17, both parents must come in, sign a notarized affidavit of consent, and the clerk imposes a 5 business day wait under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. No one under 17 can get a license in most cases under § 9-11-103.
What to bring:
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Divorce decree or death certificate if married before
- $60 fee
- Notarized parental affidavit when a party is 17
Paragould Marriage License Rules
A Paragould marriage license is good for 60 days from the date the clerk issues it. The license is valid anywhere in Arkansas, so a Paragould couple can hold the wedding in any of the 75 counties. The signed license must come back to the same Greene County Clerk in Paragould that issued it. Returns are made within 60 days, used or unused.
Officiants are listed at Arkansas Code § 9-11-213. Judges, the mayor of any city, ministers and priests on file, current justices of the peace, and former JPs who served two terms since Amendment 55 all qualify. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a Paragould marriage license. The Greene County Clerk files credentials at the window for a small fee.
Couples who want a covenant marriage pick the option under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Covenant marriage calls for premarital counseling with a minister or a licensed counselor, a signed declaration of intent, and an attestation from the counselor. The clerk files the form with the license.
The statute page above lays out the whole framework for a Paragould marriage license, from the application to the officiant list and the return rule.
Paragould Marriage License Search
The statewide portal at CIS Arkansas marriage license search covers many counties. Use the dropdown to pick Greene County if it is on the current release. A direct name search at the clerk's office is the quickest path when the online tool does not include your year or county.
Call the Greene County Clerk at (870) 239-6311 to ask staff to run a name search on the in-house index. The office keeps marriage records from 1876 forward, so a deep search is possible even for older entries.
For court cases tied to a marriage, try Arkansas CourtConnect. That's the place to track a divorce filing, a name change order, or a civil case tied to a Paragould marriage. The Greene County government site also links to other county offices.
The CIS Arkansas portal lets you search by party name and by date type, which is the fastest online way to confirm a Paragould marriage license record exists.
Certified Copies of Paragould Marriage Records
A certified copy from the Greene County Clerk carries the clerk's seal. That seal is what you'll need for a Social Security name change, a passport update, a pension claim, or most immigration steps. Call ahead for the current copy fee. County copy fees across Arkansas usually run $5 per copy.
Walk in during clerk hours for a same-day copy, or mail a written request with a check and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The clerk cannot email a certified copy because the seal must be on the paper.
For the state-held coupon, the Arkansas Division of Vital Records keeps a short coupon of every Arkansas marriage from 1917 forward. The state copy is $10. Order at the office in Little Rock, by mail, or by phone through VitalChek, which is the state's official online vendor.
Tip: Order two certified copies at once. A single extra copy at the window saves a second trip to the Greene County Clerk later on.
Who Can Access Paragould Marriage License Records
County-level Paragould marriage license records are public under Arkansas law. Anyone can ask the Greene County Clerk to look up a license by name or by date. Anyone can buy a certified copy. No reason is required.
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 proof of the right to the record. Social Security numbers are always redacted from any public-facing copy.
Greene County and Paragould
Paragould is the Greene County seat and the largest city in the county. The courthouse is a short drive from downtown. For the full Greene County marriage license page on this site, with more notes on the clerk's office and links to related records, see the Greene County marriage license page.
Nearby Cities
Paragould sits in the northeast corner of Arkansas. Couples often drive to nearby cities for related court or vital records. Pick a nearby city below.