Lonoke County Marriage License Lookup
The Lonoke County Clerk issues every Lonoke County marriage license and keeps the records on file. The main office sits in the city of Lonoke, just east of Little Rock, and serves Cabot, Ward, England, and the rest of the county. Couples come here to apply for a marriage license, and anyone who needs to pull an older marriage license record for Lonoke County, Arkansas starts here as well. This page walks through the fee, hours, ID checklist, and online tools.
Lonoke County Marriage License Overview
Lonoke County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Lonoke County Clerk is Dawn Porterfield. The office sits at 301 N Center Street, Suite 202, in the city of Lonoke, Arkansas 72086. Mail is handled through P.O. Box 188, Lonoke, AR 72086. The phone line is (501) 676-2368. Courthouse address for other offices is 3rd and N Center Street.
The clerk runs marriage licenses, minister credentials, and DBA filings, and also processes small estates, probate, guardianships, and adoptions. The clerk serves as secretary to the Quorum Court and the Board of Equalization. A vault room in the courthouse holds historical records used for title searches and genealogy work.
The clerk's home page lists every service, the hours, and the full contact info in one place.
The page shown above gives the mailing address and the phone number side by side, which is handy when you're planning a mailed request for a marriage license record.
How to Apply for a Lonoke County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the clerk's office together to apply. The clerk does not let one party come in alone. Bring a valid photo ID. The office takes a driver's license, a state-issued ID card, a US passport, or a military ID. Each party also needs a Social Security card.
Applicants under age 21 face a longer ID checklist. Under 21, you must bring a photo ID, a Social Security card, and a birth certificate. Applicants age 21 and older only need the photo ID and the Social Security card. All fees must be paid in exact cash. The clerk does not take personal checks.
The marriage license fee is $60. A certified copy is $5. Minister credential recording is $5. Small estate and guardianship filings carry their own fees, which the clerk lists online under the fees page. For adult applicants, the license is issued the same day with no waiting period. Blood tests are not required in Arkansas.
If one party is 17, both parents must be present and sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. The mandatory 5 business day wait kicks in for underage applicants. Anyone with a prior marriage needs to bring a certified divorce decree or a death certificate for the former spouse. The clerk won't issue a license without that proof.
Note: Lonoke County requires exact cash for the $60 fee. Hit an ATM before you drive to the courthouse to avoid a second trip.
Lonoke County Marriage License Rules
The Lonoke County Clerk follows the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. Under § 9-11-201, the clerk of the county court is the officer who issues the license. The $60 fee and the 60-day life of the license are set by state law. A Lonoke County marriage license is good anywhere in Arkansas, so you can hold the ceremony in Cabot, Little Rock, or any other city in the state.
Under § 9-11-213, a short list of people can solemnize a wedding in Arkansas. Judges, mayors, justices of the peace, any regularly ordained minister, and the governor are on the list. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they sign a Lonoke County marriage license. The clerk keeps a minister registry, and the credential fee is $5.
Covenant marriage is also on offer. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803, a covenant marriage requires premarital counseling and a signed declaration of intent. The clerk files the declaration with the marriage license record. Grounds for a divorce are narrower under a covenant marriage than a regular one.
Certified Copies of Lonoke County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy of a Lonoke County marriage license is $5. The copy carries the clerk's raised seal. Use it for a Social Security name change, a passport file, a pension claim, or an immigration file. A plain photocopy has no legal weight.
Pick up the copy at the clerk's office in person. Mail requests are also accepted. Include a short letter with both parties' names, the marriage date, a phone number, a money order for the $5 fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call (501) 676-2368 to confirm the current process before you mail the request.
For a state copy of the marriage coupon, the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records keeps the central index from 1917 forward. The state fee is $10. You can walk in at the Little Rock office, mail a request, or order online through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor.
Lonoke County Marriage License Search
Lonoke County is not on the current list of counties that use the CIS Arkansas statewide portal, so the best way to look up a record is to call the clerk. Staff can search by either party's name or by a date range. The clerk's phone line is (501) 676-2368. In-person searches at the Lonoke office are also free.
For a related court case, the Arkansas CourtConnect case search shows civil filings for many courts in the state. Lonoke County is in the 23rd Judicial Circuit. Use CourtConnect to trace divorce filings, name changes, or probate cases tied to an older marriage license record.
For family history, FamilySearch has older marriage indexes for Lonoke County. The county was formed April 16, 1873 from Pulaski and Prairie counties, so very early records may sit in those two parent counties. A quick call to the Lonoke clerk before you drive over is always worth the time.
Heads up: If your file predates 1873, check Pulaski County and Prairie County too, since Lonoke was carved out of those two counties.
Lonoke County Marriage License Return and Minister Rules
After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license and the couple brings it back to the Lonoke County Clerk. The return window is 60 days from the date of issue. The clerk records the marriage in the county index and sends the coupon to the state Department of Health.
The officiant must be on the state list at § 9-11-213. Ministers also need credentials on file with an Arkansas county clerk under § 9-11-214. The minister credential filing fee at the Lonoke office is $5. A call to (501) 676-2368 can confirm whether a specific minister is on the Lonoke County registry.
A false return by a signer draws a misdemeanor charge and a fine of at least $100 under state law. That's a strong reason for the officiant to double check the dates and names on the signed license before they return it to the clerk. Simple errors can delay the recording, and couples often want the certified copy fast for a name change at Social Security.
Cities in Lonoke County
Lonoke is the county seat, and the clerk's office sits a short drive from I-40. Cabot is the largest city in the county and pulls many marriage license applicants each year. Couples in Cabot, Ward, England, Austin, and Carlisle all apply at the same Lonoke County office, not at their local city hall.
Nearby Counties
If a Lonoke County marriage license isn't on file here, try a neighbor. Couples on the edge of the county sometimes apply in the next office over.