Search Columbia County Marriage License
Columbia County sits in south Arkansas with Magnolia as the county seat. The County Clerk in Magnolia issues every Columbia County marriage license and keeps the county's marriage records back to 1853. Couples who plan a wedding here apply at the Court Square office, and anyone looking up an older Columbia County marriage license record can run a name search online or call the clerk direct. This page walks you through the office, the fee, the rules, and the search path for both brand new and older marriage records.
Columbia County Marriage License Overview
Columbia County Clerk for Marriage License
The Columbia County Clerk is Tammy Wiltz. The office sits at 1 Court Square, Suite 1, Magnolia, AR 71753. Phone (870) 235-3774. This is the office that issues Columbia County marriage licenses and keeps the local marriage index. The clerk's counter also handles voter registration, absentee ballots, and probate filings.
The Columbia County Circuit Clerk is Lisa Lewis, reachable at (870) 235-3700. The Circuit Clerk runs divorce, civil, and court records separate from the marriage license work. If you need a divorce decree from a prior marriage for your license application, that's the office that issues certified copies of the decree.
The Columbia County Courthouse on Court Square has a small but helpful staff. A call ahead is smart if you have special paperwork, like a translated birth certificate for a non-US party. The clerk can tell you whether extra steps are needed for your Columbia County marriage license.
How To Apply for a Columbia County Marriage License
Both applicants go to the Magnolia clerk together. Each brings a valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID works. If your ID doesn't reflect a name change from a prior divorce, bring a certified copy of the decree that shows the name change. Social Security numbers are required for the state report under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11.
The Columbia County marriage license fee is $60. Payment options can shift, so call the clerk at (870) 235-3774 to confirm whether cards are taken on the day of your visit. No residency requirement applies in Arkansas, so out-of-state couples and couples from other counties can apply in Magnolia.
Arkansas does not require a blood test or premarital class for a regular marriage. The license is valid statewide and lasts 60 days from issue. If one applicant is 17, both parents must appear and sign a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102, which triggers a 5 business day waiting period. No one under 17 may be issued a license in Arkansas except in the narrow case set out at § 9-11-103.
Note: Columbia County, like the rest of the state, does not require witnesses at the ceremony, but many officiants still ask for one or two signatures.
Columbia County Marriage License Rules
The Columbia County marriage license lasts 60 days from the date the clerk issues it. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to the same clerk in Magnolia, used or not. Failure to return the license can bring a $100 fine under state law. The return is what enters the marriage into the formal county record.
Under § 9-11-213 a short list of people may perform a wedding in Arkansas. The list covers judges, ordained ministers, justices of the peace, and mayors. Ministers must file their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a marriage license. The Columbia County Clerk keeps the minister registry for the county. A short call to (870) 235-3774 can confirm a minister's status.
A covenant marriage is an option at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Both parties take authorized premarital counseling and sign a notarized declaration of intent. The declaration is filed with the clerk along with the regular application.
Columbia County Marriage License Search
Columbia County is on the CIS Arkansas online marriage license search for Columbia County. The tool lets you search by name or by date range. Date types cover the marriage date, the issue date, and the recorded date. It is free to use.
See the portal for the full search form and results layout.
The page above is the fastest way to confirm that a Columbia County marriage license exists in the index before you request a certified copy.
For older marriages back to 1853, the index file at the clerk's office is the primary source. The Columbia County genealogy wiki at FamilySearch is a helpful backup, with pointers to scanned film for early years. Arkansas marriages before 1917 are not at the state level, so the county clerk is the only place that holds those.
For state-level coupons from 1917 forward, use the Arkansas Division of Vital Records. The fee is $10 per copy, and VitalChek is the state's official online vendor.
Certified Copies of Columbia County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy from the Columbia County Clerk carries the raised county seal. That's the copy most Social Security offices, pension funds, and passport offices want to see. Copies from most Arkansas clerks run $5 to $6 each. Call the Magnolia office to confirm the current fee.
Mail-in requests to the clerk need a written letter with the full names of both parties, the marriage date if known, a phone number, the fee by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Expect one to two weeks for the return if you mail the request.
The state coupon through the Arkansas Department of Health is a different paper. It's the short return slip the clerk mails in after the wedding, and the state holds the coupon from January 1917 on. The state fee is $10. VitalChek charges an extra processing fee on top of the state's $10 for an online order.
Related Columbia County Records
For court cases linked to a marriage, try the Arkansas CourtConnect public case search. It does not hold marriage licenses, but it covers divorce, name change, and other domestic relations filings in the Columbia County Circuit Court.
The Association of Arkansas Counties directory is the official source for clerk contacts statewide. The Columbia County page lists phone numbers for every major office in the courthouse.
If you want the state-level records on a single page, the Arkansas Vital Records certificates page lists every type of vital record the state holds and the fee for each.
Heads up: Fees and hours can change. Always check the Columbia County Clerk by phone before you mail a check or plan a trip to Magnolia.
Columbia County Courthouse Visit Tips
The Columbia County Courthouse is small. Parking on Court Square fills up around 11 a.m. on weekdays, so plan an early morning or mid-afternoon trip for the license. Both parties need to be together at the clerk's window. Each party signs the application under oath. Staff can walk a first-time couple through the form step by step.
Couples may prefer to call the clerk before the drive to Magnolia. A call confirms that cards are taken that day, since the small office sometimes prefers cash. Checks are also a safe option. The clerk at (870) 235-3774 will answer questions on hours, the current fee, and the minister registry under § 9-11-214.
Columbia County marriage license records from 1853 through the early 1900s are on microfilm. A hand search may be needed for the oldest entries. Give the clerk a date range and both names, and the office will pull the right ledger. Records from 1917 forward are also indexed through the state Department of Health.
Nearby Counties
If the marriage license isn't on file in Columbia County, try the clerks in the counties next door. Most south Arkansas clerks can do a quick phone check if you have the names and an approximate year.