Sevier County Marriage License Records
Sevier County sits in the southwest corner of Arkansas near the Oklahoma line. The Sevier County Clerk in De Queen issues every Sevier County marriage license and records the return after the wedding. Couples who plan to wed here come to the office to apply. Anyone who needs to track down an old Sevier County marriage license for name changes, passports, or family history also starts at the clerk. This page shows the address, the fee, ID rules, and the online search tools you can use.
Sevier County Marriage License Overview
Sevier County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Sevier County Clerk is Renea Bailey. The office sits at 115 North 3rd Street, Room 102, De Queen, AR 71832. The main phone is 870-642-2852, option 0. The fax is 870-642-3896. Email: countyclerk@seviercountyar.gov. Office hours run 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, not counting holidays.
The Sevier County Clerk serves as the official bookkeeper of county government, issues marriage licenses, serves as clerk of the county and probate courts, keeps records of Quorum Court proceedings, holds adoption and guardianship records, and acts as secretary of the Board of Equalization. The office also records minister credentials so clergy can legally sign a Sevier County marriage license.
The clerk's main page lists the contact info and office duties.
The page above covers the clerk's role in probate and county court, which often ties back to related Sevier County marriage license records like name changes.
How To Apply for a Sevier County Marriage License
Both parties must come to the clerk's office in De Queen together, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. No appointment is needed. Sevier County's marriage license page lists the ID rules. Both parties must be 18 and present together. Bring a birth certificate and a photo ID. Underage marriages (under 18) carry a 5 day waiting period and need the extra underage paperwork, which the clerk walks through on request.
The Sevier County marriage license fee is $65.00, and that fee includes one certified copy. The office takes debit and credit cards. Minister credentials recording runs $5.00. The license is good for 60 days from the date of issue and must be used in Arkansas. The signed license must be returned within 60 days, used or unused, or a $100 bond applies.
For ages 16 or 17, the office will walk through the affidavit and the 5 day wait. Call the clerk at (870) 642-2852, option 0, for underage info. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102, the notarized affidavit of consent from both parents is required. No one under 17 may get a license in most cases. A narrow pregnancy rule at § 9-11-103 sends the case to a circuit judge.
What to bring to the Sevier County Clerk:
- Birth certificate for each party
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Divorce decree or death certificate for any prior marriage
- $65 for the fee (includes one certified copy)
Note: The Sevier County marriage license fee of $65 already covers the first certified copy, which is a handy setup if you need a copy right after the wedding.
Sevier County Marriage License Rules
Sevier County follows the statewide rules in Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11. There's no residency test, so out-of-state couples may come in, pull the license, and hold the wedding anywhere in Arkansas. The signed license must be returned inside 60 days. There's no blood test and no waiting period for applicants 18 and over.
Who can perform the ceremony? Under § 9-11-213, the list covers any judge of a court of record, any former Supreme Court justice, any justice of the peace who served two terms since Amendment 55, the mayor of any city or town, any regularly ordained minister or priest, and any officer picked by the quorum court. Ministers must file their credentials with a county clerk in Arkansas before they can sign a marriage license. The Sevier County Clerk charges $5 to record those credentials.
Arkansas does not require witnesses at the wedding. The couple signs, the officiant signs, and the paper heads back to the clerk. A false return by an officiant is a misdemeanor under § 9-11-219.
The clerk's marriage license page spells out all of these rules in plain terms.
The page above is the clearest plain-language guide you'll find for a Sevier County marriage license, with the fee, the 60 day return rule, and the $100 bond listed side by side.
Sevier County Marriage License Search
Sevier County takes part in the statewide CIS Arkansas marriage license search. The portal lets you search by either party's name with a date range. The date types cover the marriage date, the date the license was issued, and the date it was recorded. The tool is free to use.
The portal pulls directly from the Sevier County Clerk's marriage index, so the results match what the clerk's staff would see at the office.
For court cases tied to a Sevier County marriage, try Arkansas CourtConnect. It covers civil, probate, and domestic relations case data for many Arkansas trial courts. That helps when you need to trace a divorce file or a name change order.
For older marriage records, try FamilySearch's Sevier County wiki. The wiki notes that the County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1829 forward, with no known courthouse disasters that would have destroyed old books.
Certified Copies of a Sevier County Marriage License
A certified copy of a Sevier County marriage license is $5.00 plus postage if mailed. A plain photocopy is $0.50 in person or $0.50 plus postage by mail. The $65 license fee already includes one certified copy. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and work for Social Security name changes, passport updates, pension claims, and immigration paperwork.
The office accepts debit and credit cards. For mail orders, send a written request with both parties' names, the date of the marriage if known, your mailing address, and a phone number. Include a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
For a state-level copy of the marriage coupon from 1917 forward, order from the Arkansas Department of Health Division of Vital Records. The state fee is $10. The state's online vendor VitalChek handles orders for an added processing fee. The state coupon is short, so the county copy is the better option for the full paper.
Tip: Ask for two or three certified copies at the Sevier County Clerk's window. Extra copies save a return trip when one gets used up.
Sevier County Marriage License Older Records
Sevier County was formed on November 1, 1828 and holds marriage and probate records back to 1829. That's one of the longer record chains in the state. The wiki note that there are no known courthouse disasters means the old books are in good shape. That matters for family history work and for couples who need proof of a long-ago wedding.
Records from 1829 to the early 1900s live at the clerk's vault. A hand search may be needed for the oldest files. Call (870) 642-2852 option 0 or email countyclerk@seviercountyar.gov with both parties' full names and an approximate year. Staff can pull the ledger book and have the page ready when you walk in or mail the request.
Records from January 1917 forward are also on file at the state Department of Health, though the state holds only the short coupon, not the full license. For the full page with the officiant line, a certified copy from De Queen is the right option. A plain photocopy at $0.50 is a cheap way to confirm a name or a date, but most agencies still want the $5 certified copy with the raised seal.
Nearby Counties
If a Sevier County marriage license isn't on file, try one of the counties next door. The clerk staff can often point callers to the right office when the license was pulled nearby.