Search Chicot County Marriage License

Chicot County marriage license records are kept by the County Clerk at the courthouse in Lake Village. The clerk's marriage index reaches back to 1839, which makes this one of the deeper local record sets in south Arkansas. Couples who plan to wed in Chicot County come to the clerk's office in Lake Village to apply. This page walks through the clerk's address, phone, the $60 fee, and the online tools you can use to look up a Chicot County marriage license record from home.

Chicot County Clerk for Marriage License Records

Pam Donaldson is the elected Chicot County Clerk. The clerk's office sits at 108 Main Street, Lake Village, AR 71653. Call the office at (870) 265-8000. Fax is (870) 265-8006. Email the clerk at chicotclerk@arkansasclerks.com. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for court-approved holidays.

The Circuit Clerk is Josephine Griffin at (870) 265-8010. The Assessor is Faye Tate at (870) 265-8025. Marriage licenses are handled by the County Clerk, not the Circuit Clerk, so call 870-265-8000 for the license or a copy of a Chicot County marriage license record.

The clerk issues every Chicot County marriage license and keeps the record on file. The office also records minister credentials, keeps probate records from 1839, and serves as the official bookkeeper of the county. For the full signed Chicot County marriage license with the officiant line, this office holds it.

The Chicot County services directory lists every elected office in the courthouse.

The page above has the emails and phone numbers for each Chicot County office, which is useful when you need more than just the marriage license.

How To Apply for a Chicot County Marriage License

Both parties must appear in person at the Lake Village office. 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 Chicot County marriage license fee is $60. Cash is accepted. The office may take a card at the window with a small extra fee for card use. Applicants 18 or older sign the application and the clerk issues the license on the spot. No blood test is required and no waiting period applies to adults.

Applicants who are 17 must bring both parents. 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 under the narrow pregnancy exception at § 9-11-103.

Items to bring:

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

Chicot County Marriage License Rules

Chicot County follows the state rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. The marriage 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 Chicot County Clerk in Lake Village, used or not, inside of 60 days, or a $100 fine can apply.

Under § 9-11-213, the list of officiants covers judges, justices of the peace, mayors, ministers, and a few others. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk in Arkansas before they can sign a marriage license. A call to the Chicot County Clerk confirms whether a minister is on file.

The state offers a covenant marriage option at § 9-11-803. Covenant couples must take authorized premarital counseling and sign a declaration of intent with the clerk. That option limits the grounds for a later divorce and is not the default.

Chicot County Marriage License Search

For online searches, try the statewide portal at CIS Arkansas. Not every county takes part in the online index. If Chicot County is not listed in the county drop-down, the clerk's office in Lake Village is the way to confirm a record.

For court cases tied to a Chicot County marriage license, the Arkansas CourtConnect case search is a solid backup. It covers divorce, probate, and domestic relations cases for many of the state's trial courts.

The FamilySearch Chicot County wiki is a helpful stop for older marriage license records that reach back to 1839. That wiki lists microfilm reels and early record sets held at the county and state level. For a deeper look at the county directory, the Association of Arkansas Counties lists the current clerk's contact info for Chicot County and every other county in the state.

Certified Copies of Chicot County Marriage Licenses

A certified copy of a Chicot County marriage license is a short trip to the Lake Village office. The fee runs around $5 to $6. The copy carries a raised seal, which is what Social Security, passport services, pension funds, and immigration offices ask for. The clerk can hand the copy to you the same day at the window.

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 the fee. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can mail the copy back. Call (870) 265-8000 if you need to confirm the fee before mailing.

For a state-level copy of the marriage coupon, the Arkansas Vital Records office is the stop. 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. The state index begins in 1917, so older Chicot County marriage license records from 1839 to 1916 live only at the county clerk.

Chicot County Marriage License Office Details

The Lake Village office sits on Main Street, a short walk from Lake Chicot. Parking is free at the courthouse. The clerk's counter opens at 8 a.m. Plan to arrive before 4 p.m. so staff has time to check IDs, collect the $60 fee, and print the license the same visit.

The clerk takes checks, cash, or a card. A card fee may apply at the window. Couples should write a personal check to Chicot County Clerk if that is the payment option. A receipt comes with the license and should be kept with the paperwork until the signed return is on file.

Since the county record set runs back to 1839, some older Chicot County marriage license records are in bound volumes in the vault. Those lookups can take a day or two. Call ahead and share a name and approximate year, and the clerk can pull the ledger and have the page ready when you walk in. The state index at the Department of Health only reaches back to 1917, so pre-1917 Chicot County marriage license records live only at the county level.

Nearby Counties

If the license is not on file in Chicot County, try a county next door. Chicot sits in the bottom corner of Arkansas along the Mississippi River.