Find Marriage License in Greene County
Greene County sits in northeast Arkansas on the Missouri state line. The County Clerk in Paragould issues every Greene County marriage license and keeps the signed record once it comes back after the wedding. Couples from Paragould, Marmaduke, and the smaller rural towns apply at the courthouse, and anyone who needs to pull a past marriage license record for Greene County, Arkansas starts at the same office. This page lays out the clerk's contact info, the fee, the rules, and the online tools.
Greene County Marriage License Overview
Greene County Clerk for Marriage License
The Greene County Clerk office sits at 320 West Court Street, Paragould, Arkansas 72450, in the Greene County Courthouse. Call the clerk at 870-239-6312. A second line, 870-239-6311, rings at the same courthouse. The main Greene County Arkansas site links to the clerk and the other elected officials.
The County Clerk issues marriage licenses, holds probate filings, and keeps the county's permanent records. The Circuit Clerk, in a separate office in the same building, handles divorce filings and civil court records. If your search involves a divorce tied to a marriage, you may need to stop at both offices.
Greene County was created in 1833, so the clerk's books include some of the oldest records in the northeast part of the state. Marriage records at the clerk cover the 19th century forward, though some older records have aged and may need a staff member's help to pull.
The Association of Arkansas Counties page for Greene County lists the elected officials and the office phones.
The page is a helpful quick reference when you need to confirm the current County Clerk or the phone number before you call.
How To Apply for a Greene County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the Greene County Clerk office 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 past divorce changed a name, bring the certified decree that restored the name.
The fee is the standard Arkansas rate of $60.00. Cash is easiest. Debit and credit cards are accepted at most clerk offices with a small added fee. There is no blood test, no residency rule, and no waiting period for adults in Arkansas. The license is valid for 60 days from the date it was issued.
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 a 17-year-old. 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: Greene County sits right next to the Missouri state line, and Arkansas has no residency rule, so a Missouri couple can come in and apply here with no extra steps.
Greene County Marriage License Rules
Greene County follows the rules in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. A Greene County license is good anywhere in the state, so couples can wed in Jonesboro, Memphis-adjacent venues in eastern Arkansas, or anywhere else they like. After the wedding, the signed license must return to the same Greene County Clerk that issued it, used or not, inside 60 days. Failure to return can bring a $100 fine.
Under § 9-11-213, a judge, justice of the peace, mayor, minister, or priest may perform the ceremony. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a marriage license in Arkansas. A phone call to the Greene County Clerk at 870-239-6312 confirms a minister is on file.
A covenant marriage option is also available, as set out at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Covenant marriages require premarital counseling, a declaration of intent, and a notarized counselor affidavit. Divorce options are narrower with a covenant license.
Heads up: Return the signed marriage license to the Greene County Clerk before the 60 day window closes, or the return may come with a fine.
Certified Copies of Greene County Marriage Records
A certified copy from the Greene 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 prints copies at the Paragould office. The fee runs about $5 to $6 per copy in most Arkansas counties.
You can also mail the clerk 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. 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 also order through the state's online vendor, VitalChek.
For older Greene County marriage records, the FamilySearch Greene County genealogy wiki is a useful cross-reference. It lists the older books and microfilms that index marriages from the county's earliest years.
Greene County Marriage License Search
Greene County does not currently appear in the CIS Arkansas statewide search list, so online lookups for Greene County marriages may need to run against the state vital records index or against court filings. A phone call or a written request to the Paragould clerk is the most reliable way to confirm a Greene County record.
For court matters tied to a marriage in the county, the Arkansas CourtConnect system shows civil, probate, and domestic relations cases filed at the Greene County Circuit Court. That's useful when a marriage record ties back to a divorce, a name change, or a probate case.
Genealogy researchers can cross-check Greene County entries at the FamilySearch county page, which points back to the clerk for the original records.
Cities in Greene County
Paragould is the county seat and the largest city in Greene County. It sits in the northeast corner of Arkansas, a short drive from Jonesboro. Marmaduke, Walcott, Lafe, and Oak Grove Heights are the other small communities. Couples from any of them apply at the County Clerk in Paragould. Paragould is the only Greene County city with a dedicated page on this site.
Greene County borders Craighead County to the south, and Paragould sits close enough to Jonesboro that some couples check both clerks for older records. Arkansas has no residency rule, so a Craighead County couple can apply at the Greene County Clerk if that's the more convenient office. The signed license still returns to the office that issued it, used or not.
Nearby Counties
If the Greene County marriage record you need isn't in Paragould, try one of the counties next door. The northeast Arkansas clerks often hold records for couples who crossed a county line.