Find Marriage License in Crittenden County
Crittenden County sits on the Mississippi River with Marion as the county seat, just across from Memphis. The Crittenden County Clerk in Marion issues every Crittenden County marriage license and keeps the marriage index from 1837 on. Couples near West Memphis and Marion apply at the Court Square office. This page covers the clerk's address, hours, fee, and where to look if you need to search an older Crittenden County marriage license record by name or by year.
Crittenden County Marriage License Overview
Crittenden County Clerk for Marriage License
The Crittenden County Clerk is Paula Brown. The office is at 100 Court Square, Marion, AR 72364. Phone (870) 739-4434. Fax (870) 739-3072. Email crittcoclerk@gmail.com. Marriage licenses are issued Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The same office keeps the Crittenden County marriage index from 1837 on.
Both parties must be present at the Marion clerk with valid government-issued photo ID. The marriage license fee is $60.00, cash only. Once issued, the license is valid for 60 days. The signed license must be returned to the same office, used or unused, inside 60 days. That return is what records the marriage into the county's formal file.
The clerk page below shows the current staff contact info, email, and marriage license hours.
Call or email the clerk before you drive, since the cash only rule means you can't rely on a last-minute card payment for the Crittenden County marriage license.
Note: Bring the exact $60 in cash when you apply at the Crittenden County Clerk because the office does not accept cards for the marriage license fee.
How To Apply for a Crittenden County Marriage License
Both applicants go to the Marion clerk together between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Each shows a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID works. The clerk also records Social Security numbers for the state report, which is required under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11.
Arkansas has no residency rule, so out-of-state couples can apply in Marion and hold the wedding anywhere in the state. No blood test is required. Both parties 18 or older sign the application at the window and the clerk prints the license with no wait. A 17-year-old needs both parents present with a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102, which triggers a 5 business day wait. No one under 17 gets a license in Arkansas except in the narrow case at § 9-11-103.
If either party has been married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or the death certificate of a prior spouse. The clerk will not issue a new Crittenden County marriage license without proof that a prior marriage has ended.
What to bring to the Marion clerk:
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- $60 in cash
- Certified divorce decree or death certificate if there was a prior marriage
- Parents plus notarized affidavit if one party is 17
Crittenden County Marriage License Rules
The Crittenden County marriage license is valid anywhere in Arkansas for 60 days from issue. The signed license must be returned to the Marion clerk inside 60 days, used or unused. A $100 fine can apply for failing to return the license.
Officiants are listed at Arkansas Code § 9-11-213. Judges, ministers and priests, justices of the peace, and mayors can all perform the ceremony. Ministers register credentials with a county clerk before signing a license. The Crittenden County Clerk keeps the minister registry for the county.
Covenant marriage is a separate option at § 9-11-803. A covenant couple takes premarital counseling and signs a notarized declaration of intent at the clerk's counter. Ask Paula Brown's staff for the covenant paperwork if you plan to use this form.
Crittenden County Marriage License Search
Crittenden County is not on the CIS Arkansas online marriage search, so the clerk's office is the primary source for a Crittenden County marriage license record search. Call (870) 739-4434 with the names and an approximate year, or email crittcoclerk@gmail.com. Staff can usually check the index by phone.
For a broader review of Crittenden County court records that may tie to a marriage or a name change, see the Crittenden County court records overview. The Arkansas Department of Health also maintains marriage records at $10 per copy, and online requests for the state coupon can be placed through the Vital Records online service.
The overview page above is helpful when you need to string together a marriage license lookup with a related court case search.
For older records from 1837 to 1917, the clerk's office is the only official source since Arkansas didn't start a state marriage index until January 1917. The Crittenden County genealogy wiki on FamilySearch points to scanned film for the early index.
If you need voter and clerk contact info on a single page, the FVAP Arkansas guide lists the Crittenden County Clerk's office phone and email.
That's a quick backup when you need a single line of contact info for the Crittenden County Clerk while planning a records request.
Certified Copies of Crittenden County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy from the clerk carries the raised county seal. Most Arkansas clerks charge around $5 to $6 per copy. Call (870) 739-4434 or email the Marion clerk to confirm the current fee and the mailing steps before you send a check.
Walk-in copies are the quickest path. A mail-in request needs a letter with the 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. The office returns the copy by US Postal Service.
For the state-level coupon from 1917 on, use the Arkansas Division of Vital Records. The fee is $10 per copy. You can also order through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor.
Related Crittenden County Records
For court cases connected to a marriage, the Arkansas CourtConnect public case search covers Crittenden County Circuit Court. It shows divorce, name change, and other domestic relations filings by case number or party name. The Association of Arkansas Counties directory is the official clerk contact page statewide.
The Arkansas Vital Records certificates page lists every type of vital record the state holds. That's the page to bookmark if you expect to order more than one type of record, since marriage, birth, death, and divorce requests all route through the same Little Rock office.
Heads up: The Marion clerk takes cash only for the $60 Crittenden County marriage license fee, so plan the payment ahead of your visit.
Crittenden County Marriage License and Cross-River Couples
Crittenden County sits right across the river from Memphis. Many couples use the Marion clerk because of that short drive. Arkansas has no residency rule. A Tennessee couple can apply in Crittenden County, hold the ceremony anywhere inside Arkansas, and bring the signed license back to the Marion office inside 60 days.
Ceremonies must still take place within the state. That rule is fixed by statute. A wedding held across the river in Memphis would not be valid under the Arkansas license. Plan a venue on the West Memphis or Marion side of the river, or pick another Arkansas city for the ceremony. The § 9-11-213 list of officiants also applies. Ministers must have their credentials on file with an Arkansas county clerk.
Cash is the only payment option the Marion clerk takes for the $60 fee. An ATM is a good idea on the drive into town. Couples who want a certified copy at the same visit should bring a bit more cash for that fee. The cash rule applies to the main license fee, not the certified copy fee, but calling (870) 739-4434 first will confirm the exact amount to bring.
Nearby Counties
If the marriage license wasn't pulled in Crittenden County, the clerks next door may have the record. Each office runs its own marriage index and can usually check by name and year.