Access Sharp County Marriage License
Sharp County sits in north central Arkansas along the Missouri line. The Sharp County Circuit and County Clerk in Ash Flat issues every Sharp County marriage license and records the return after the wedding. The same elected official runs both the circuit and county clerk duties. Couples who plan to wed here apply at the courthouse in Ash Flat. Anyone who needs to look up an old Sharp County marriage license for a name change, pension, or family tree also starts at the clerk. This page covers the office details, the fee, and the search tools.
Sharp County Marriage License Overview
Sharp County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Sharp County Circuit and County Clerk is at 718 Ash Flat Drive, Ash Flat, AR 72513. The main phone is (870) 994-7361. Sharp County is one of the Arkansas counties with a combined Circuit-County Clerk, which means one elected official handles both sets of duties, including issuing the marriage license. That setup keeps things simple when you need to pull a court file and a marriage record in the same trip.
Under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11, the county clerk is the officer that issues the license and keeps the record on file. The Arkansas Department of Health keeps a short coupon copy from 1917 forward at the state level, but the full Sharp County marriage license paper lives only at the Ash Flat courthouse.
The combined office page lays out the clerk's address, phone, and duties.
The page above names the Circuit and County Clerk address and phone, plus the separate Sharp County Health Unit for any state-level vital records questions.
How To Apply for a Sharp County Marriage License
Both parties must come to the clerk's office in Ash Flat together. No appointment is needed. Bring a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID. A state driver's license, a state ID card, a passport, a military ID, or an original birth certificate all work. If your photo ID does not show a name change from a prior divorce, bring a certified copy of the divorce decree showing the restored name.
The fee is $60. Cash is always accepted at the window. Card use may add a small surcharge, which is common across Arkansas clerks. Applicants 18 or older sign the form, and the clerk hands the license over the same day. There's no wait for adults and no blood test. The Sharp County marriage license is good anywhere in Arkansas for 60 days.
Applicants who are 17 need both parents present. The parents sign a notarized affidavit of consent under Arkansas Code § 9-11-102. The clerk then holds the license for a 5 business day wait. If the parents are divorced, the custodial parent must bring the latest custody order. No one under 17 may get a license except in narrow court-reviewed cases under § 9-11-103.
What to bring to the Sharp County Clerk:
- Valid photo ID for each party
- Social Security number for each party
- Divorce decree or late spouse's death certificate for any prior marriage
- $60 for the fee
- Notarized parental affidavit if a party is 17
Note: The Sharp County Clerk's combined role means a single office covers marriage records and court filings, so one call can often answer both questions.
Sharp County Marriage License Rules
Sharp County follows the statewide rules in the Arkansas Code. There's no residency test, so out-of-state couples may come in, pull the license, and hold the wedding anywhere in the state. The signed license must be returned to the clerk's office that issued it inside 60 days, used or not. Failure to return the license can bring a $100 fine under state law.
Who can officiate? 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 Sharp County Clerk keeps the minister file for the county.
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 cooperative extension post on combined offices covers how Sharp County's setup works.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension page lists Sharp County as one of the counties with combined clerk duties.
Sharp County Marriage License Search
Sharp 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 Sharp County Clerk's marriage index, so the results match what the clerk's staff would find at the office counter.
For related court cases tied to a Sharp 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 linked to a past marriage.
For older marriage records before the state index begins in 1917, try FamilySearch. The genealogy wiki there lists Sharp County's marriage book years and points to film copies held by archives. That helps with pre-1917 marriages not in the state index.
Certified Copies of a Sharp County Marriage License
A certified copy of a Sharp County marriage license carries the clerk's seal. The county clerk charges a small fee for a certified copy, often around $5 in most Arkansas counties. Call the clerk at (870) 994-7361 to confirm the current fee before your visit. The clerk can hand a copy over the same day at the window. Certified copies work for Social Security name changes, passport updates, pension claims, and immigration paperwork.
If a trip to Ash Flat isn't in the cards, ask by mail. 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. The clerk mails the copy once the order is pulled.
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 also handles orders for an added processing fee. The state coupon is short, so the county copy is the better option when you need the full Sharp County marriage license paper.
Tip: Ask for two or three certified copies while at the clerk's window. Extra copies save a return trip when one gets used up on a name change or a benefit claim.
Fees at the Sharp County Clerk
The state sets the Sharp County marriage license fee at $60. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-201, the clerk of the county court collects the fee and issues the license. Card surcharges are common across Arkansas. Cash keeps the total at $60 with no add-on.
Fee waivers exist for people who cannot pay. The clerk and the courts follow state rules for indigent filers. Ask at the window. The Arkansas Judiciary website has the standard form for court-related waivers. Minister credentials recording also carries a small fee at most Arkansas clerks.
Nearby Counties
If a Sharp County marriage license isn't on file, check one of the counties next door. The clerk staff can often point callers to the right office when the license was pulled nearby.