Garland County Marriage License Records
Garland County sits in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas, with Hot Springs as the county seat. The Garland County Clerk issues every marriage license and keeps the permanent record after the wedding. Couples who plan to wed in the Hot Springs area apply at the clerk's office, and anyone who needs to pull a past marriage license record for Garland County, Arkansas starts at the same office. This page lays out the clerk's info, the fee, the hours, and the minister rules so you can plan the visit with less guesswork.
Garland County Marriage License Overview
Garland County Clerk for Marriage License
Sarah Smith is the elected Garland County Clerk. The office sits at 501 Ouachita Avenue, Room 103, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas 71901. Phone the clerk at 501-622-3610. The fax line is 501-624-0665. The office issues marriage licenses, keeps a bond page for permanent records, records minister credentials and DBAs, serves as secretary of the Board of Equalization, and maintains Quorum Court records.
The Garland County Courthouse on Ouachita Avenue is the main government building in downtown Hot Springs. It's a short walk from the historic bathhouse row and the federal buildings. Couples looking to get married in Hot Springs often come to this office because it's the one clerk for the whole county.
The clerk's department page confirms the address and phone.
See the Garland County Clerk page for the service list and office info.
The page is also where you'll find the minister filing steps, which matter when a couple wants a specific officiant at the ceremony.
How To Apply for a Garland County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the Garland County Clerk together. No appointment is needed. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A state driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID all work. If a name was changed through a past divorce, bring the certified decree that shows the name was restored.
The fee is the standard Arkansas rate of $60.00. Cash is easiest. Debit and credit cards are accepted with a small added fee. There is no blood test, no residency rule, and no waiting period for adults. Out-of-state couples are welcome to come in and apply, which is common in Hot Springs because of the wedding venue scene.
A party who is 17 must come in with both parents, who sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. The state's 5 business day wait applies for 17-year-olds. No one under 17 may get a license except in narrow court-reviewed cases under § 9-11-103.
What to bring when you apply:
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Divorce decree or death certificate if there was a prior marriage
- $60 cash or a debit/credit card
- Notarized parental affidavit if a party is 17
Note: Hot Springs draws out-of-town couples who want a courthouse-style wedding, and Arkansas has no residency rule, so the Garland County Clerk sees a steady stream of non-resident applicants.
Garland County Marriage License Rules
Garland County follows the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. A license is good anywhere in Arkansas for 60 days. After the wedding, the signed license must come back to the Garland County Clerk that issued it, used or not, inside 60 days. A $100 fine can be charged if the license isn't returned on time.
Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign an Arkansas marriage license. The Garland County Clerk runs a minister credentials desk for this process. The filing fee is $5, payable in cash or money order, and the clerk can file the credentials while you wait.
See the Garland County Minister Credentials page for the filing steps and a PDF example of a completed marriage license.
The page is useful for ministers coming from out of state to officiate a Hot Springs wedding because it spells out exactly what paperwork the clerk needs.
Under § 9-11-213, a judge, justice of the peace, mayor, minister, or priest may perform the ceremony. The Covenant Marriage option sits at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803, and it requires premarital counseling and a signed declaration of intent.
Certified Copies of Garland County Marriage Records
A certified copy from the County Clerk carries the clerk's raised seal. Couples use the certified copy for Social Security name changes, passport updates, pension claims, and immigration paperwork. The Garland County Clerk prints copies at the window. Mail orders take longer than a walk-in pickup.
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 state charges $10 per copy. You can order by walk-in at Little Rock, by mail, or through the state's online vendor at VitalChek.
Older Garland County marriage records sit at the clerk's office. The county was created in 1873, so marriage books go back about 150 years. The FamilySearch Garland County genealogy wiki is a good cross-reference for researchers.
The Hot Springs city resource directory listing for the clerk also confirms the Ouachita Avenue address and the phone number.
It's a handy quick reference when you need to call the clerk from a city site instead of the county page.
Garland County Marriage License Search
Garland County does not currently list a search in the CIS Arkansas statewide marriage portal, so online searches may need to run against the state vital records index or the Arkansas CourtConnect system.
CourtConnect shows civil, probate, and domestic relations cases filed in the Garland County Circuit Court. That's useful when a marriage record ties back to a divorce, a name change, or a probate case tied to the couple.
The clerk in Hot Springs can run a name search against the local index by phone or in person. Call ahead with the couple's names and an approximate wedding date, and the deputy can confirm whether the record is on file and quote the certified copy fee.
Cities in Garland County
Hot Springs is the county seat and the largest city in Garland County. The Arlington Hotel, the bathhouse row, and the national park draw couples from across the country who want to wed in a historic setting. The county also includes Hot Springs Village, Fountain Lake, Lonsdale, and Mountain Pine. Couples from any of those places apply at the same County Clerk in the Hot Springs courthouse at 501 Ouachita Avenue.
Hot Springs Village, a large retirement community that spans into Saline County, is split between the two counties. A couple who lives on the Garland County side applies in Hot Springs, while a couple on the Saline County side applies at the Benton clerk. Check a property tax bill if you are not sure which side of the line your home sits on before you drive to the wrong clerk.
Nearby Counties
If the marriage license you want isn't on file in Garland County, try one of the counties next door. Nearby clerks often hold records for couples who lived near a county line.