Faulkner County Marriage License Lookup

Faulkner County is one of the busier marriage license offices in central Arkansas. The County Clerk in Conway issues every Faulkner County marriage license and files the record after the wedding. Couples who plan to wed in the county come here to apply, and anyone who needs to pull a past marriage license record for Faulkner County, Arkansas starts here too. This page has the clerk's address, hours, fees, and the online tools that speed up the search or the application.

Faulkner County Clerk for Marriage License

The Faulkner County Clerk is the office that issues and files the marriage license. Margaret Darter is the elected County Clerk. The office sits at 801 Locust Avenue, Conway, Arkansas 72034. Phone the clerk at 501-450-4909. The fax line is 501-450-4938. Hours run 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Chief Deputy Stephanie Haile and deputies Ruby Highfill, Carol Walters, Teresa Bonds, Peyton Dockery, Misti Weatherley, Donna Rappold, and Brooklyn Sisk handle the counter. Marriage license applications don't need an appointment. Walk in, fill out the short form with both parties present, and the clerk can issue the license on the spot once the fee is paid.

Faulkner County marriage records at the clerk's office go back to 1873, the year the county was created. The FamilySearch wiki notes there was no record loss despite a courthouse fire, so the older books are intact and open to the public.

See the Faulkner County apply for a marriage license page for the step-by-step process.

The page also notes the marriage license hours, the no-appointment rule, and the Conway courthouse address so you know what to expect when you walk in.

How To Apply for a Faulkner County Marriage License

Both parties must appear at the Faulkner County Clerk's office together. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. Applicants ages 18 to 21 must also provide a birth certificate under Faulkner County's listed rule. A state driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID all count as the photo ID.

The license fee is $60.00 in cash. Debit and credit cards are accepted with a small added fee. The clerk takes all fees at the window. There is no blood test in Arkansas, and there is no residency rule, so an out-of-state couple is welcome to come in and apply.

A party who is 17 needs both parents in the room. The parents sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102, and Faulkner County imposes the state's mandatory 5 business day waiting period before the license can be picked up. If the parents are divorced, the custodial parent must bring the latest custody order. No one under 17 may get a license except under § 9-11-103 in narrow court-reviewed cases.

What to bring when you apply:

• Valid photo ID for each party
• Birth certificate if you are 18 to 21
• Social Security number for each party
• $60 cash or a debit/credit card
• Notarized affidavit and custody order if a party is 17

The County Clerk department page lists fees, ID rules, and covenant marriage info in one place.

The department page is also the place to check for holiday office closures before you drive in from Conway's outlying neighborhoods or from a nearby city.

Faulkner County Marriage License Rules

Faulkner County follows the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. A Faulkner County license is good anywhere in the state, not just in the county, so couples can apply in Conway and hold the ceremony in Little Rock, Hot Springs, or any small town. The signed license must return to the same Faulkner County Clerk that issued it inside 60 days, used or not.

Under § 9-11-213, a list of officials and clergy may perform the ceremony. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a marriage license in Arkansas. A quick call to the Faulkner County Clerk at 501-450-4909 confirms a minister is on file before the ceremony.

Covenant marriage is an option at the Faulkner County Clerk. The rules sit at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. A covenant marriage requires authorized premarital counseling, a signed declaration of intent, and a notarized affidavit from the counselor. Divorce options are tighter with a covenant license.

Certified Copies of Faulkner County Marriage Records

A certified copy from the County Clerk carries the clerk's raised seal and is the copy you'll need for Social Security name changes, passport updates, pension claims, and immigration paperwork. The clerk issues copies in person at the Conway office. You can also mail in a written request with the names of both parties, the date of the wedding if known, a phone number, a check for the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

For a state-level coupon copy, go through the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records, which holds the central index from 1917 forward. The fee is $10 per copy. You can also order through the state's official online vendor, VitalChek, which ships the certified copy by mail.

For older Faulkner County marriage records, the FamilySearch Faulkner County genealogy wiki lists the books and microfilms that index the 1873 to 1900 era. The clerk in Conway is the source of record for every year.

Faulkner County Marriage License Search

The Faulkner County Clerk takes part in the CIS Arkansas online marriage license search. Search by either party's name and filter by the marriage date, issued date, or recorded date. The lookup is free, and a match shows the filing info you'll need to order a certified copy.

The Faulkner County search page is shown below.

The portal pulls from the clerk's own database, so the info you see there matches what the clerk has on file in Conway.

For court cases tied to a marriage, the Arkansas CourtConnect case search shows civil, probate, and domestic relations filings for the Faulkner County Circuit Court and the local district courts. That's useful when a marriage record ties back to a divorce, a guardianship, or a probate matter.

For older and genealogical records, the FamilySearch Faulkner County genealogy page is a good cross-reference that points back to the clerk for the originals.

Cities in Faulkner County

Conway is the county seat and the largest city in Faulkner County. The city is home to the University of Central Arkansas and sits right on Interstate 40. Couples from Conway apply at the same clerk's office at 801 Locust Avenue. The county also includes Mayflower, Vilonia, Greenbrier, Wooster, and Guy, plus a piece of the Little Rock metro. Residents of Cabot in Lonoke County sometimes apply in Faulkner because of the short drive to Conway.

Nearby Counties

If the marriage license you're after isn't on file in Faulkner County, try one of the counties next door. A quick call to a nearby clerk can save a second trip.