Boone County Marriage License Records

Boone County marriage license records are kept by the County Clerk in Harrison, the county seat. The clerk has held marriage and probate records here since 1869, so the local index runs deep. Couples who plan to wed in Boone County come to this office to apply. Anyone looking up an older Boone County marriage license record also starts here. This page lays out the clerk's address, phone, fee, and the online tools you can use to search from home.

Boone County Clerk for Marriage License Records

The Boone County Clerk runs the marriage license office. The office sits at 220 North Arbor Drive, Suite 101, Harrison, AR 72601. Call the clerk at (870) 741-8428. The Boone County Circuit Clerk, who handles court and divorce records, sits at 100 North Main, Suite 203, Harrison, AR 72601. The circuit phone is (870) 741-5560, and the email is jkharriscircuitclerk@boonecounty-ar.gov.

The County Clerk issues every Boone County marriage license. The clerk also records minister credentials and keeps probate records. Marriage records are available for $5 from the County Clerk's office. That fee buys a certified copy with the clerk's raised seal, which is what most agencies ask for.

Boone County's record set goes back to 1869, so the office can often pull old licenses for genealogy searches by hand from ledgers. Call first to confirm what the clerk has on file before you plan a long drive.

For the mix of court records that often goes along with a marriage search, see the Boone County court records guide.

The page above ties together the Boone County Clerk, the Circuit Clerk, and the state health department so you can pick the right office for the record you need.

How To Apply for a Boone County Marriage License

Both parties must appear at the Harrison office in person. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID works. If either of you has been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or the death certificate of the prior spouse.

The Boone County marriage license fee is $60. Cash is always welcome. A credit or debit card may carry a small card-use fee. Applicants 18 or older sign the application and the clerk issues the license the same day. There is no wait for adults and no blood test.

Applicants who are 17 need both parents present. The parents sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. A 5 business day wait applies. No one under 17 may be issued a license except in the narrow pregnancy exception at § 9-11-103, which goes before a circuit judge.

Items to bring:

• Valid photo ID for each party
• Social Security number for each party
• Divorce decree or death certificate if there was a prior marriage
• Cash or card for the $60 fee
• Notarized parental affidavit if a party is 17

Boone County Marriage License Rules

Boone County follows the state rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. The license is good anywhere in the state. It is valid for 60 days from the date of issue. The signed license must be returned to the Boone County Clerk that issued it, used or not, inside of 60 days. A missed return can bring a $100 fine.

Under § 9-11-213, a list of officials and clergy may perform the ceremony. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk in Arkansas before they can sign a license. A quick call to the Boone County Clerk can confirm whether a specific minister is on file for the county.

The state also offers a covenant marriage option at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. A couple who wants the covenant option must take authorized premarital counseling and sign a declaration of intent filed with the same clerk. The covenant option limits the grounds for a later divorce.

Certified Copies of Boone County Marriage Licenses

A certified copy of a Boone County marriage license is $5.00 at the County Clerk's office. The copy carries a raised seal that makes it valid for Social Security name changes, new passports, pension claims, and immigration paperwork. The clerk can hand it over at the window on the same day.

Mail requests work too. Send a written note with both parties' names, the date of the marriage if known, your phone number, and a check for $5. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can mail the copy back. Mail takes longer than a walk-in trip to Harrison.

For a state-level copy of the marriage coupon, the Arkansas Vital Records office is the right spot. The fee is $10 per copy. You can also order online through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor. VitalChek adds its own processing fee on top of the state fee.

Boone County Marriage License Search

For online searches, start with the statewide portal at CIS Arkansas. Not every county takes part, so if Boone County is not shown in the county list, call the clerk in Harrison at (870) 741-8428 to confirm a record.

For court cases tied to a Boone County marriage, like a divorce or a name change, the Arkansas CourtConnect case search is a solid next stop. It does not hold the Boone County marriage license paper itself, but it shows case filings that often pair with a marriage record.

Older Boone County marriage license records back to 1869 may need a hand search at the clerk's office. The FamilySearch Boone County wiki lists microfilm reels and early record sets that help fill in the gaps for genealogy work.

The Boone County government site is the single starting point for any of the county's offices. It links to the clerk, the circuit clerk, the assessor, and other county functions.

Boone County Marriage License Tips

The Harrison clerk has two offices, and it's easy to mix them up. Marriage licenses are at 220 North Arbor Drive, not at the Main Street courthouse. Court cases, including divorce, are at the 100 North Main address. Drive to Arbor Drive for the license.

Office hours run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The clerk closes on state holidays. Try to arrive before 4 p.m. so the staff has time to print, stamp, and record the license. Call (870) 741-8428 if you want to confirm the office is open on a given day.

Since the Boone County record set runs back to 1869, some older lookups need a hand search in the vault. Couples who need a record from the 1800s should call ahead and give the clerk a date range. The state index at the Arkansas Department of Health only starts in 1917, so any Boone County marriage license record before that is a county-level search only. The ledger pages are often hand written, which means the clerk may need an extra day or two to pull a clean copy.

Nearby Counties

If the license is not on file in Boone County, try one of the counties that border it. Boone sits in the Ozark region and shares traffic with its neighbors.