Texarkana Marriage License Records

A Texarkana marriage license is the paper a couple must get from the Miller County Clerk before they wed on the Arkansas side of town. The city of Texarkana does not issue the license. The Miller County Clerk runs that office from the courthouse on Laurel Street. This page lists the clerk's address, phone, hours, and fee so you can plan the trip. It also shows where to search older marriage license records tied to Texarkana, and how to order a certified copy by mail or in person.

Where Texarkana Marriage License Records Are Filed

Texarkana sits in Miller County on the Arkansas side of the state line. The city does not run a marriage license office. The Miller County Clerk is the office that issues every Texarkana marriage license and keeps the records on file. County Clerk Stephanie Harvin holds the elected post. The office sits at 400 Laurel Street, Suite 105, Texarkana, AR 71854. Phone the clerk at 870-774-1501. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Couples who plan to wed on the Arkansas side apply at the Laurel Street courthouse. The Texas side has its own rules and a separate office, so make sure you go to the Arkansas clerk if you want an Arkansas marriage license. The Miller County Clerk also records minister credentials, handles voter registration, and serves as a US Passport Acceptance Facility. Call ahead if you need a passport photo, which runs $15.00.

The Miller County Clerk services page spells out the marriage license fee, covenant marriage rules, and DBA filings. A second clerk site also mirrors the core info. Both pages list the same $60 fee, with a card surcharge when you pay by debit or credit.

See the state's own how-to for a quick walk through the Arkansas license steps.

The guide covers the ID list, the fee, and the 60 day return window, which apply the same way in Miller County as they do across the state.

How To Apply for a Texarkana Marriage License

Both parties must come in together. Walk-ins are fine. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID for each person. A state driver's license, state ID card, military ID, or passport all work. Miller County also accepts an original birth certificate if you don't have one of the cards.

The fee is $60.00. Cash works. Major debit and credit cards are accepted, but a card fee is added. The clerk does not take personal checks. If you were married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the prior spouse. If a past divorce restored your former name, the decree must show that line.

Applicants 17 years old need both parents present. The parents sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. A 5 business day wait kicks in before the license can be picked up. No one under 17 may get a license in most cases. The narrow pregnancy exception at § 9-11-103 sends the case to a circuit judge.

What to have with you at the window:

• Valid photo ID for each party
• Social Security number for each party
• Divorce decree or death certificate if you were wed before
• $60 cash or a card (card adds a small fee)
• Notarized parental affidavit if a party is 17

The Texarkana magazine guide lays out the Arkansas side steps in plain language and also covers the Texas side, which is a help for couples trying to pick the right state.

Texarkana Marriage License Rules

Texarkana follows the statewide rules in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. An Arkansas license is good anywhere in the state, not just in Miller County. You can pick it up in Texarkana and hold the ceremony in Hot Springs, Fayetteville, or any city you like. The paper must be returned to the same clerk that issued it, used or not, inside 60 days of the date of issue. Failure to return the license can bring a $100 fine.

Under § 9-11-213, a short list of people may sign the license as officiant. It includes the Governor, any current judge of a court of record, any former Supreme Court justice, any justice of the peace, any regularly ordained minister or priest, the mayor of any city or town, and any elected district court judge. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign an Arkansas marriage license. Miller County records the papers and then issues a certificate for the minister's file.

No blood test is required. There is no waiting period for adults. There is no residency rule. Out-of-state couples may come to Texarkana, pick up a license, and hold the wedding the same day or the next week. The license is valid for 60 days.

Miller County also offers a covenant marriage option. A covenant marriage carries extra steps under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Both parties must go through premarital counseling with a minister, priest, rabbi, or licensed counselor. The couple signs a declaration of intent, which is filed with the clerk. A covenant marriage also limits the grounds for divorce.

Certified Copies of Texarkana Marriage Licenses

A certified copy of a Miller County marriage license costs $5.00. The clerk will print the copy at the window while you wait. A certified copy carries the clerk's seal, which is what Social Security, the passport office, pension funds, and the immigration office want to see. The clerk does not email certified copies because the raised seal has to be on the paper.

You can also order by mail. Send a written request to the Miller County Clerk at 400 Laurel Street, Suite 105, Texarkana, AR 71854. Include the names of both parties, the date of the marriage if you know it, a phone number, a check or money order for the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Call 870-774-1501 first to confirm the current fee and accepted payment forms.

For a state-level copy of the marriage coupon, the Arkansas Division of Vital Records holds a central index from January 1917 forward. The fee is $10 per copy. The state only holds the coupon, not the full license. You can order online through VitalChek, by phone at (866) 209-9482, or by mail. The state's vital records office sits at 4815 West Markham Street in Little Rock.

A good quick reference is the VitalRec Arkansas page, which sums up the state office fees and hours.

Searching Texarkana Marriage License Records

Miller County is not currently on the CIS Arkansas marriage license search portal used by many other counties. That means an online search for a Texarkana marriage license record runs through the clerk's office by phone or in person, not through a public web tool. A quick call to 870-774-1501 is the fastest way to confirm a date or look up a past license.

Miller County marriage records go back to 1875 at the County Clerk's office. Older marriage records from the years before 1917 are not held at the state level, so the county clerk is the only source for them. The FamilySearch Miller County wiki has index pages for older records that can help you narrow a date before you call the clerk.

For court cases tied to a Texarkana marriage, like a divorce filing or a name change order, use Arkansas CourtConnect. The portal covers the Miller County Circuit Court and shows party names, filing dates, and docket lines. It does not hold marriage licenses, but it's useful when you need to trace a record that touches both the license and the courts.

For local case history, see the Miller County main site.

The guide shown above covers the fee, the ID list, and the return step for a Miller County license, which is the same license a couple will pick up in Texarkana.

Related Miller County Marriage License Resources

Texarkana couples often pair a marriage license trip with other records work. The Miller County Clerk also handles DBA filings, voter registration, and passports. If you run a side business in Texarkana, the clerk's office can file your assumed name papers at the same window.

For a wider view of Miller County services, visit the parent page at Miller County for clerk contact info, local fees, and online search links that apply across the county. Bowie County, Texas, on the other side of the line, is handled by a different office with its own fee.

Couples who need courthouse wedding info can ask the clerk for a list of officiants at the window. Ministers who work in Texarkana also file credentials with the Miller County Clerk under § 9-11-214, so a quick call to the clerk confirms whether an officiant is on file before the wedding day.

Nearby Arkansas Cities

Texarkana is tucked in the far southwest corner of the state, so the nearest major Arkansas cities sit a drive away. The cities below apply at their own county clerk offices, but the rules, fee, and 60 day return window are the same as Miller County.