Access Pope County Marriage License

The Pope County Clerk in Russellville is the office that issues every Pope County marriage license and holds the full file of past licenses on record. Russellville is the county seat and home of Arkansas Tech University, so the office processes a steady number of applications year-round. This page sums up the clerk's address, phone, fee, and the online search tools that cover Pope County marriage records. If you need to apply, order a copy, or track down an older record, start here.

Pope County Clerk for Marriage License Records

The Pope County government website lists the clerk and the rest of the county offices. Russellville is the county seat, and the clerk's office is at the county courthouse in town. The County Clerk is the elected officer who issues a Pope County marriage license, takes the signed return after the ceremony, and sends the short coupon to the state for the central index. Hours run during the working day Monday through Friday.

Pope County's marriage license steps follow the statewide rules at Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. The Arkansas County Clerks 2022 Procedures Manual lays out the steps each clerk's office follows, from the notice of intention to wed, to the $100 bond that ensures the license comes back within 60 days, to the heirloom marriage certificate option for couples who want a nicer keepsake.

The vital records reference for Arkansas counties starting with P also names the Pope County Clerk as the office that issues the license. That page is useful when you want to confirm the fee and the clerk's role before you head to the courthouse.

The table shown above lines up the fees and offices for Pope, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, and the other P counties, which helps when you're comparing across counties.

How To Apply for a Pope County Marriage License

Both parties must appear at the Russellville 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 § 9-11-201, the license must be pulled from the clerk of the county court.

The fee is $60. Cash is safe at every Arkansas county office. Some counties add a small card surcharge. A call to the clerk will confirm whether card payment works at the Pope County window. Adults 18 and older sign the papers and the clerk issues the license on the spot. No blood test. No waiting period for adults. Arkansas has no residency rule, so an out-of-state couple can pull a Pope County marriage license here and have the wedding anywhere in Arkansas.

Applicants who are 17 need both parents present plus a notarized affidavit of consent under § 9-11-102. The clerk then imposes the state's 5 business day wait. 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 has been 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 as well.

What to bring:

• Photo ID for each party
• Social Security number for each party
• Cash or card for the $60 fee
• Divorce decree or prior spouse's death certificate
• Notarized parental affidavit if one party is 17

Pope County Marriage License Rules

Pope 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 Russellville and have the wedding in Little Rock, Fayetteville, or any other town in the state. The signed license must come back to the Pope 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 officials 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 more. Ministers must register credentials with any county clerk before signing. The Pope County clerk keeps the minister file and can confirm a pastor's status by phone.

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. Couples pick the option on the application. Most applicants in Pope County go with a standard license, but the clerk can print either form.

Certified Copies of Pope County Marriage Licenses

A certified copy from the Pope County Clerk runs about $5. Certified copies have the clerk's seal and are the version you'll need for a Social Security name change, a passport update, a pension claim, or immigration paperwork. The clerk can make a copy at the window during regular hours.

Mail copies work when a trip to Russellville isn't practical. Send a letter with both parties' full legal names, the marriage date if known, a daytime phone number, the fee by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Call the clerk first to confirm the fee and the right mailing address.

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. For a full license with all signatures, the Pope County clerk is the source.

The county's site points to the other records the clerk keeps, which helps if you also need a voter record, a DBA filing, or a county court order while you're there.

Pope County Marriage License Search Tools

Pope County is not on the CIS Arkansas marriage license search portal at this time, so a free online name index isn't available for Pope County marriage license records. A name search has to go through the clerk's office directly. Call the clerk with the full legal names and a year or two of year range. Staff can check the index and confirm whether a record is on file.

For court cases tied to a Pope County marriage, like a divorce filing, use Arkansas CourtConnect. The tool shows civil, probate, and domestic relations case info for participating circuit courts. Pope County is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit along with Franklin, Johnson, and Johnson adjoining counties.

For genealogy work, the FamilySearch Pope County wiki is a good first stop. The wiki lists the record series the clerk holds and points to imaged volumes. Older Pope County marriage records are also indexed in Ancestry, FindMyPast, and at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock.

Cities in Pope County

Russellville is the county seat and home of the clerk. The city is the largest in the county and a qualifying city with its own page on this site. Other communities in Pope County include Atkins, Dover, Pottsville, London, Hector, and Hartman. None of those towns has a separate marriage license office. Every couple in the county applies at the Russellville clerk. The ceremony can happen anywhere in Arkansas since the license is good statewide.

Nearby Counties

If the Pope County clerk doesn't have the record, try a county next door. A nearby clerk can often pull the license in one call.