Hot Spring County Marriage License
Hot Spring County is a small central Arkansas county with Malvern as its seat. The County Clerk in the Malvern courthouse issues every Hot Spring County marriage license and keeps the record on file once the signed license comes back after the wedding. Couples who live in Malvern, Donaldson, or the smaller towns apply here, and anyone who needs to search for a past marriage license record for Hot Spring County, Arkansas starts at the same office. This page lays out the clerk's info, the fees, and the state search tools.
Hot Spring County Marriage License Overview
Hot Spring County Clerk for Marriage License
The Hot Spring County Clerk office sits in the Hot Spring County Courthouse at 210 Locust Street, Malvern, Arkansas 72104. The phone line is 501-332-2291. The County Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps probate records. The Circuit Clerk, in a separate office in the same courthouse, handles divorce and court records.
Hot Spring County was created on November 2, 1829, from Clark County. Despite the name, Hot Spring County is not the county with Hot Springs National Park, that is Garland County to the north. Malvern sits on Interstate 30 about midway between Little Rock and Arkadelphia.
County Clerk marriage records in Hot Spring County go back to 1829, so researchers looking for 19th century Arkansas marriages may find an entry in the clerk's books. The FamilySearch wiki confirms the 1829 start date for both marriage and probate records.
See the Hot Spring County page at the Association of Arkansas Counties for the clerk contact info and office list.
The page links to the county's main office phones and confirms Malvern is the seat, which is helpful when you are not sure which office handles what.
How To Apply for a Hot Spring County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the Hot Spring 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 past divorce changed a name, 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 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: Hot Spring County and Garland County are two different Arkansas counties despite the similar names, so double-check the courthouse address before you drive to the wrong one.
Hot Spring County Marriage License Rules
Hot Spring County follows the statewide rules in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. A Hot Spring County license is good anywhere in Arkansas for 60 days. After the wedding, the signed license must come back to the Malvern 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. A phone call to the Hot Spring County Clerk at 501-332-2291 confirms a minister is on file before the wedding.
A covenant marriage option sits at Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. Covenant marriages need authorized premarital counseling, a declaration of intent, and a notarized counselor affidavit. Divorce options are narrower with the covenant license, and couples pick this option on the application form.
Heads up: Send the signed marriage license back to the Hot Spring County Clerk before the 60 day window closes, or the return may come with a fine.
Certified Copies of Hot Spring County Marriage Records
A certified copy from the Hot Spring 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 clerk prints copies at the Malvern office for a small per-copy fee that runs about $5 to $6 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 Hot Spring County marriage records, the FamilySearch Hot Spring County genealogy wiki is a useful cross-reference. It lists the older books and microfilms that index the clerk's 1829-era records.
Hot Spring County Marriage License Search
Hot Spring County does not currently appear in the CIS Arkansas statewide marriage license search, so online lookups for a Hot Spring County marriage may need to run against the state vital records index or against court filings. A phone call to the Malvern clerk is the fastest way to confirm a record.
For court matters tied to a Hot Spring County marriage, the Arkansas CourtConnect case search shows civil, probate, and domestic relations cases filed at the Malvern courthouse. That's useful when a marriage record ties back to a divorce, a name change, or a probate case.
The main Hot Spring County government website links to the other county offices, which is helpful when your records request covers more than just the marriage license.
For older Hot Spring County marriage records, the clerk's local books are the source of record. The state Division of Vital Records index does not go back before 1917, so pre-1917 marriages live in Malvern on the clerk's shelves.
Cities in Hot Spring County
Malvern is the county seat and the largest city in Hot Spring County. Donaldson, Magnet Cove, Perla, Rockport, Friendship, and Bismarck are the other small communities. None of them meet the threshold for a dedicated city page on this site, so couples from any of them apply at the same clerk's office in Malvern.
Hot Spring County sits on Interstate 30 and is a short drive from Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Arkadelphia. Out-of-state couples traveling through the state may come in and apply, since Arkansas has no residency rule for marriage licenses.
Nearby Counties
If the Hot Spring County record you need isn't on file in Malvern, try one of the counties next door. Nearby clerks often hold records for couples who crossed a county line.