Find Marriage License in Madison County
The Madison County Clerk in Huntsville issues every Madison County marriage license and keeps the official marriage license record for the county. Austin Boatright holds the elected post. Couples can apply in person, pay the $60 fee, and walk out with the license the same day. This page breaks down the clerk's address, the ID rules, the return window, and the online search tools, so you can plan a clean trip to the clerk or track down an older record.
Madison County Marriage License Overview
Madison County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Madison County Clerk's office sits at 1 Main Street, Huntsville, Arkansas 72740. The phone line is 501-738-6721. Clerk Austin Boatright is also the county comptroller and serves as the clerk of county court and secretariat to the Quorum Court. He's the ex officio clerk for the probate division of the Circuit Court. One office covers a lot of ground.
The clerk issues marriage licenses, DBA certificates, and minister credentials. The clerk also has the power to solemnize marriages in the office under Madison County Code § 210.00, which is handy for couples who just want a quick ceremony on the same day they pick up the license. Call ahead if you'd like to ask the clerk to officiate.
The clerk's own page lists the full ID rules and the cash-only payment policy.
The page above spells out the $60 fee and notes that both parties must be present, which saves a second trip if one of you shows up alone.
How to Apply for a Madison County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the clerk's office together. Bring a valid, non-expired, government photo ID for each party. A driver's license, state ID card, US passport, or military ID all work. Each party needs to provide a Social Security number for state reporting.
The fee is $60 in cash. The exact amount is required, and the clerk does not take personal checks. Applicants 18 or older sign the application and the clerk issues the license on the spot. There is no waiting period for adults. A blood test is not required anywhere in Arkansas.
If either party was married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or the prior spouse's death certificate. The clerk keeps a copy on file with the marriage license record. For applicants age 17, both parents must be present with valid ID and sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. The mandatory 5 business day wait applies for any 17-year-old applicant.
What to bring to the clerk:
- Photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- $60 in exact cash
- Divorce decree or death certificate if you were married before
- Notarized parental affidavit for a 17-year-old
Note: Under Madison County Code §210.00, the clerk can perform your wedding right at the counter. That makes it a one-stop trip for couples who don't plan a big ceremony.
Madison County Marriage License Rules
Madison County follows the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. Under § 9-11-201, the clerk of the county court issues the license. The license is good for 60 days from the date of issue. After the ceremony, the signed license must be returned to the same clerk that issued it, used or not, within the 60-day window. A late return can bring a $100 fine under state rules.
Under § 9-11-213, a short list of people can solemnize a wedding in the state. Judges, mayors, justices of the peace, any regularly ordained minister, and the governor are all on the list. Ministers must record their credentials with a county clerk before they can sign a Madison County marriage license. The clerk keeps a minister registry, and credential recording costs $5 under the clerk's fee schedule.
Covenant marriage is the second option. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803, a covenant marriage requires premarital counseling by a minister, priest, rabbi, licensed counselor, or licensed marriage and family therapist. Both parties sign a declaration of intent that the clerk files with the marriage license record. Grounds for a divorce from a covenant marriage are narrower than a regular divorce.
Certified Copies of Madison County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy of a Madison County marriage license is $5, payable in cash or money order. The copy carries the clerk's raised seal and is what you'll need for Social Security name changes, passport updates, immigration files, and pension claims. A plain photocopy has no legal weight.
Marriage records in Madison County go back to 1902. Courthouse fires in 1863, 1879, and 1902 destroyed older books, so pre-1902 marriage records are thin. For family history work, check with the FamilySearch Madison County wiki for the few scattered records that survived.
For a state-level marriage coupon, the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records keeps a central index from January 1917 forward. The state fee is $10. Order by walk-in, by mail, or online through VitalChek. VitalChek adds a processing fee and mails the paper from the state office to you.
Madison County Marriage License Search
Madison County takes part in the CIS Arkansas statewide marriage license search, which is the fastest online option. You can search by either party's name, by a date range for the marriage date, the issue date, or the recorded date. The portal is free to use. Results list the couple's names, the issue date, and the book and page number.
A certified copy still has to come from the clerk, but the online search saves time when you know the decade but not the exact year. Call the clerk at 501-738-6721 after you find the record in the CIS portal to order the certified copy.
The Madison County Circuit Clerk and Recorder is a different office. The Circuit Clerk is the keeper of court records for the fourth judicial district and is the ex-officio recorder of the county. Deeds, mortgages, and liens are filed there, not at the county clerk. Divorce cases are filed at the Circuit Clerk.
The Circuit Clerk page above is a useful side link, since a divorce case often shows up in the court file even when the original marriage license record was filed at the county clerk.
Related Records and Secondary Sources
Court cases can be pulled from the Arkansas CourtConnect system. Madison County is part of the fourth judicial district. Use CourtConnect to find civil, probate, and domestic relations cases tied to an older marriage license record.
The Madison County government main site links every office in the courthouse. Use it when you need to reach the assessor, the treasurer, or the collector. The Association of Arkansas Counties directory is a good second stop when you need a phone number for another county clerk in the state.
The county's main page also lists which records sit with the county clerk and which sit with the circuit clerk.
The page above is the fastest way to find the right office when you're not sure which clerk holds the Madison County marriage license record you need.
Nearby Counties
If a license isn't on file in Madison County, try one of the next-door counties. Couples in the northwest corner of the state often apply in the nearest county to the wedding site.