Cross County Marriage License Records
Cross County sits in eastern Arkansas with Wynne as the county seat. The Cross County Clerk in Wynne issues every Cross County marriage license and keeps the marriage index from 1862 on. Couples apply at the courthouse on East Union Street. This page lays out the clerk's address, phone, fee, and the search path for both new and older Cross County marriage license records so you can plan the trip or the mail-in request.
Cross County Marriage License Overview
Cross County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Cross County Clerk is Mary Beth Sanders. The office is at 705 E. Union St., Suite 8, Wynne, AR 72396. Phone (870) 238-5735. Fax (870) 238-5739. Email crossclerk@arkansasclerks.com. This is the office that takes the Cross County marriage license application, collects the $60 fee, and keeps the marriage index on file.
The Cross County Circuit Clerk is Rhonda Sullivan, reachable at 705 E. Union St., Suite 9, Wynne, AR 72396. Phone (870) 238-5720. The Circuit Clerk handles divorce, civil, and court records separate from marriage work. Same day e-filing is available through the Circuit Clerk for attorneys and eligible self-represented filers.
The Association of Arkansas Counties Cross County page pulls all courthouse contacts into one official directory.
That directory is a good first check when you're not sure which office handles your record request.
Note: The County Clerk and the Circuit Clerk are in the same building but are separate offices, so confirm which one you need before you leave home.
How To Apply for a Cross County Marriage License
Both parties appear at the Wynne clerk together. Each shows a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID works. The state also accepts an original birth certificate as an alternate ID. The clerk records a Social Security number for each party for state reporting under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11.
The Cross County marriage license fee is $60. Call (870) 238-5735 to confirm current payment options because small Arkansas clerks sometimes swap card readers. Cash is always taken. Arkansas has no residency requirement and no blood test, so the clerk can issue a license to an out-of-state couple as easily as a local one.
If either party has a prior marriage, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or a death certificate for the prior spouse. If one party is 17, both parents must appear with a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102, which triggers a 5 business day wait. No one under 17 gets a license except in the narrow case at § 9-11-103.
Bring these to the Cross County Clerk:
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- $60 for the fee
- Divorce decree or death certificate if you were married before
- Parents and notarized affidavit if one party is 17
Cross County Marriage License Rules
The Cross County marriage license is valid statewide for 60 days from issue. The signed license must be returned to the Wynne clerk inside that 60 day window, used or not. Failure to return can bring a $100 fine under Arkansas law. The return is what adds the marriage to the official county record.
Officiants are listed at Arkansas Code § 9-11-213. Judges of a court of record, ministers, priests, justices of the peace, and mayors all qualify. Ministers register their credentials with a county clerk, and the Cross County Clerk keeps the minister registry for the county.
Covenant marriage is a separate option at § 9-11-803. Couples on the covenant path take authorized premarital counseling and sign a notarized declaration of intent at the clerk's counter. The declaration is filed with the standard application.
Cross County Marriage License Search
Cross County is not on the CIS Arkansas online marriage search portal, so the clerk's office in Wynne is the main way to look up a Cross County marriage license record. Call (870) 238-5735 or email crossclerk@arkansasclerks.com with the names of the couple and an approximate year.
For contact info on the office, the FVAP Arkansas guide lists the Cross County Clerk phone, fax, and email. That's a handy one-page backup when you just need the contact line.
The FVAP guide is useful when the county's own site is down or slow to load, since the contact info stays the same.
For older Cross County marriage license records from 1862 forward, the clerk is the only official source since Arkansas did not keep a state marriage index before January 1917. The Cross County genealogy wiki on FamilySearch lists the dates the clerk's office holds and points to scanned film where available.
For the state coupon from 1917 forward, use the Arkansas Division of Vital Records. The state fee is $10 per copy, and VitalChek is the state's official online vendor.
Certified Copies of Cross County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy from the Cross County Clerk carries the raised county seal. Most Arkansas clerks charge around $5 to $6 per copy. Call (870) 238-5735 or email for the current fee and the mailing steps before you send a check.
Walk-in copies are the quickest route. A mail-in request should include 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. Mail to Cross County Clerk, 705 E. Union St., Suite 8, Wynne, AR 72396.
For a state-held coupon, order from Arkansas Vital Records for $10. The state keeps the $10 as a non-refundable search fee, so a record must exist for you to get a copy. Turnaround is about 4 to 6 weeks by mail or 7 to 14 days plus shipping through VitalChek.
Related Cross County Records
For court cases tied to a marriage, such as a divorce or a name change, the Arkansas CourtConnect public case search covers the Cross County Circuit Court. That shows the case number, party names, and docket entries.
The Association of Arkansas Counties keeps the statewide directory of clerks. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension site has a county-by-county page with general contact info and local resources.
For related vital records in Arkansas, the Arkansas Vital Records certificates page lists fees for marriage, birth, death, and divorce records, plus the ID rules for each type.
Heads up: Always confirm the Cross County Clerk's current fee and payment options by phone before a mail-in order or a long drive to Wynne.
Cross County Marriage License Mail Requests
A mailed request to the Cross County Clerk is a good option for out of town requesters. Write a short note. Include both full names at the time of the marriage, the date if you know it, a phone number, and a check. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope so staff can send the certified copy back fast.
Send the packet to Cross County Clerk, 705 E. Union St., Suite 8, Wynne, AR 72396. Call 870-238-5735 before you drop it in the mail if you want to double check the fee. Email is also an option at crossclerk@arkansasclerks.com. Staff can often confirm that a record exists in the index by email before you spend the check and postage.
A mail request for a very old Cross County marriage license record, say from the 1860s to the early 1900s, may take longer. Staff pull the ledger by hand for those years. Give the clerk a date range rather than a single date when you ask. The state Department of Health cannot help with pre 1917 records under § 20-18-305, so the Wynne office is the only source.
Nearby Counties
If the marriage license wasn't pulled in Cross County, the clerks in the neighboring counties may have the record. Each keeps its own index.