Find Marriage License in Cleburne County

Cleburne County sits in north central Arkansas, with Heber Springs as the county seat. The County Clerk in Heber Springs is the office that issues every Cleburne County marriage license and keeps the local marriage records from 1883 forward. Couples who plan a lakeside wedding at Greers Ferry apply here, and anyone searching for an old Cleburne County marriage license record starts at this same counter. This page walks you through the clerk's address, the fee, the steps to apply, and where to look if the couple moved away years ago.

Cleburne County Clerk for Marriage License

The Cleburne County Clerk's Office sits at 301 West Main Street, Heber Springs, AR 72543. Phone the clerk at (501) 362-4620. This is the office that takes the marriage license application, collects the fee, and prints the signed paper for the couple. Office hours follow the standard county schedule, weekdays only, so don't plan a Saturday trip.

The county courthouse is at 300 Main Street in Heber Springs. The Cleburne County Circuit Clerk runs divorce, court, and land record filings from the same building complex, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 543, Heber Springs, AR 72543. The Circuit Clerk line is also (501) 362-4620 for general questions.

If you just need a phone confirmation of a record, call the Cleburne County Clerk first. Staff there can often check the county's marriage index by name and year while you are on the line. A written mail-in request is the right path if you want a certified copy sent back.

How To Apply for a Cleburne County Marriage License

Both applicants must appear at the Cleburne County Clerk office together. Each party shows a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state-issued ID card, passport, or military ID all work. The state also lists an original birth certificate as an accepted ID when the photo ID isn't handy. Bring your Social Security number for the state report.

The marriage license fee is $60 under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. Most Cleburne County applicants pay in cash. Call the clerk's office if you want to pay with a card, since some small counties add a small surcharge for cards. There is no blood test. There is no residency rule. You can apply in Heber Springs and wed at a lake chapel or a church anywhere in Arkansas.

If either of you has been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the prior spouse. A 17-year-old needs both parents present with a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. That triggers a 5 business day wait before the license is ready. No one under 17 is issued a license except in the narrow cases carved out at § 9-11-103.

Cleburne County Marriage License Rules

Cleburne County follows the statewide Arkansas rules on marriage licenses. The license lasts 60 days from the date it's issued. After the wedding, the signed license must be returned to the same Heber Springs clerk that issued it, used or not. Failure to return the license can bring a $100 fine under state law.

Under § 9-11-213, the following may perform a wedding in the state: 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 file their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a license.

Arkansas offers a covenant marriage option at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Couples who pick this form take premarital counseling and sign a notarized declaration of intent at the clerk's office. Ask the Cleburne County Clerk for the paperwork if you plan to go this route.

Cleburne County Marriage Records Search

Cleburne County is not on the CIS Arkansas online marriage search portal, so the primary way to look up a Cleburne County marriage license record is through the clerk's office. A call with the names of the couple and the approximate year is usually enough for staff to pull the file. The clerk can quote the copy fee once the record is located.

For older records, the Cleburne County genealogy wiki at FamilySearch covers the marriage index from 1883 forward and points to scanned film where the free online images exist. That's the best free stop for family history work on Cleburne County ancestors.

For a quick reference card that lists the clerk phone, address, and fees, see the Arkansas marriage records search page.

That page also sums up the Arkansas Department of Health vital records fees so you don't have to jump between sites while you plan a record order.

For a state-held coupon of the marriage, use the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records. The state index starts at January 1917 and the fee is $10. You can walk into the Little Rock office at 4815 West Markham Street, order by mail, or order online through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor.

Certified Copies of Cleburne County Marriage Licenses

A certified copy from the Cleburne County Clerk carries the raised county seal. That is the copy Social Security, passport offices, and pension funds want to see. Most Arkansas clerks charge $5 to $6 per certified copy. Call (501) 362-4620 to confirm the current cost at the Heber Springs clerk before you mail a check.

For a mail-in request, send a written letter with the names of both parties, the date of the marriage if known, a phone number, the copy fee by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include the address for the return. The clerk mails the copy back by US Postal Service.

The state-level coupon from Arkansas Vital Records is a different paper. It is the short return slip the clerk mailed in after the ceremony. That coupon is enough for many uses but won't show the officiant's signature block. Go to the county clerk for the full record.

Related Cleburne County Records

The Cleburne County Recorder of Deeds also sits at the Heber Springs courthouse. The mailing address is P.O. Box 543, Heber Springs, AR 72543 with a direct line at (501) 362-8149. The Cleburne County Health Unit at 2319 Hwy 110 West, Heber Springs, is at (501) 362-7581 for birth and death questions.

For courts and case filings that link to a marriage, like a divorce or a name change, the Arkansas CourtConnect public case search shows most civil and domestic relations filings for the Cleburne County Circuit Court. It does not hold the marriage license itself. The Association of Arkansas Counties directory lists the clerk for every county in the state.

Here are a few quick routes if the record is not in Cleburne County:

• Call the clerk in the county where the couple applied
• Order the state coupon from Arkansas Vital Records
• Use VitalChek for a mail-to-door option
• Search FamilySearch for older marriages

Nearby Counties

When the marriage license wasn't pulled in Cleburne County, the clerks in the nearby counties are a good next stop. Each office runs its own index and can check by name and year.