Polk County Marriage License Records
The Polk County Clerk in Mena is the office that issues every Polk County marriage license and holds the full file of past licenses on record. The clerk's office is at 507 Church Ave., Box 9, Mena, AR 71953. This page lays out the clerk's contact info, fee, ID rules, and search tools so you can plan a trip or a records search without guessing. If you need to apply for a new license or order a copy of one from a past wedding, Mena is the stop. Out-of-state couples can apply here too.
Polk County Marriage License Overview
Polk County Clerk Marriage License Office
The Association of Arkansas Counties Polk County page lists the clerk's contact details. Lisa Standridge is the County Clerk. Phone: (479) 394-8123. Fax: (479) 394-8115. Address: 507 Church Ave., Box 9, Mena, AR 71953. Michelle Heath Schnell serves as the Circuit Clerk at (479) 394-8100. Those are two separate offices. For a Polk County marriage license or a copy of one, the correct door is the County Clerk.
Polk County sits on the state's western edge and shares a long border with Oklahoma. The clerk's office handles marriage licenses, DBA filings, voter registration, and quorum court records. One stop covers most of those paper needs. For a clean state-level entry on Polk County, FamilySearch's Polk County page sums up the record types held at each office.
The page is the quickest way to verify Lisa Standridge's current contact info and office hours before the trip to Mena.
The Arkansas vital records page for counties starting with P also lists the Polk County clerk's marriage license duties and the $60 fee. That page puts Polk in the same table as Phillips, Perry, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, and Pulaski counties, which is handy if you need to compare fees.
The overview above is the one most out-of-state family historians use as a first stop before they call the Mena clerk's office.
How To Apply for a Polk County Marriage License
Both parties must appear at the Mena clerk's office together. No appointment is needed. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID all work. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-201, the license must be pulled from the clerk of the county court. Social Security numbers are needed for the state record.
The fee is $60. Cash is safe. Some counties add a small card surcharge. A call to (479) 394-8123 will confirm whether card payment works at the Polk County window today. Adults 18 and older sign the paper and the clerk issues the license on the spot. No blood test is needed. No waiting period applies for adults. Arkansas has no residency rule, so an out-of-state couple can pull a Polk County marriage license and use it anywhere in the state.
Applicants who are 17 need both parents present plus a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102. The clerk imposes the state's mandatory 5 business day wait in that case. No one under 17 may be issued a license in most cases. A narrow pregnancy exception at § 9-11-103 sends the case to a circuit judge first. If either party was married before, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree or the prior spouse's death certificate. A prior name change must show on the paperwork.
What to bring:
- Photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Cash or card for the $60 fee
- Divorce decree or death certificate if you had a prior spouse
- Notarized parental affidavit if one party is 17
Polk County Marriage License Rules
Polk County follows statewide rules in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. The license is good anywhere in Arkansas, so a couple can pull the paper in Mena and have the ceremony in Hot Springs, Fayetteville, or any other town in the state. The signed license must come back to the Polk County clerk, used or not, inside 60 days of the issue date. A missed return can bring a $100 fine under state law.
Under § 9-11-213, the list of people who can perform a wedding covers the Governor, judges of a court of record, former Supreme Court justices, justices of the peace, ordained ministers or priests, mayors, and a few others. Ministers must record credentials with a county clerk before signing an Arkansas marriage license. The Polk County clerk keeps the local minister file. A quick call confirms a pastor's status.
Arkansas also offers covenant marriage under Arkansas Code § 9-11-803. A covenant marriage adds premarital counseling, a declaration of intent, and narrower grounds for divorce. The couple picks the option on the application. Most couples in Polk County go with a standard marriage license.
Note: Mena sits in the Ouachita Mountains, so some weather days close the courthouse unexpectedly. A quick call saves a wasted drive.
Certified Copies of Polk County Marriage Licenses
A certified copy from the Polk County Clerk runs about $5. Certified copies carry the raised seal and are what you'll need for a Social Security name change, a passport update, a pension claim, or an immigration file. The clerk can make a copy at the window during normal hours, so a drop-in works on most days.
Mail copies work when a drive to Mena is not practical. Send a written note with both parties' full legal names, the marriage date if known, a daytime phone number, the copy fee by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call (479) 394-8123 first to confirm the fee and the mailing address. Polk County is the only source for the full license paper with all signatures.
For a state-level copy, the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records holds a marriage coupon from 1917 forward at $10 per copy. You can also order online through VitalChek, the state's official online vendor. The state coupon is enough for many uses, like Social Security or a pension claim. For more personal or legal uses, the full county record is the better choice.
Polk County Marriage License Search Online
Polk County is not on the CIS Arkansas marriage license search portal at this time. That means there isn't a free online name index for Polk County marriage license records right now. A name search has to go through the clerk's office directly. Call (479) 394-8123 with the full legal names and a year range. Staff can check the index and confirm whether a record is on file.
For court cases tied to a Polk County marriage, like a divorce filing, use Arkansas CourtConnect. CourtConnect shows case party names, filing dates, and docket entries for participating circuit courts. Polk County is part of the 18th West Judicial Circuit along with Montgomery County. Divorce and name change cases often show up here.
For genealogy work, the FamilySearch Polk County wiki is a good first stop. The wiki lists the record series the clerk holds and points to imaged volumes when available.
Tip: Mena also serves as the Rich Mountain area's main records hub, so nearby residents often call this clerk for help even when they live in Oklahoma border towns.
Cities in Polk County
Mena is the county seat and home of the clerk. Other communities in Polk County include Hatfield, Wickes, Cove, Vandervoort, and Grannis. None of those towns has a separate marriage license office. Every couple in the county applies at the Mena clerk. A Polk County marriage license is good anywhere in Arkansas, so the ceremony can take place in another town or county as needed.
Polk County covers about 862 square miles and runs along the Ouachita National Forest. The clerk's office has served the area through Brandon Ellison's term as County Judge and stays open during the standard working week. For the official listing and a state directory of every Arkansas county clerk, the Association of Arkansas Counties is the spot to bookmark.
Nearby Counties
If the Polk County clerk doesn't have the record, try a county next door. A nearby clerk can often pull the license in one call.