Van Buren County Marriage License
Van Buren County sits in north central Arkansas. The county seat is Clinton, and the Van Buren County Clerk's office in Clinton issues every Van Buren County marriage license. Do not confuse Van Buren County with the city of Van Buren, which sits in Crawford County. Couples who plan to wed here apply at the Clinton courthouse. Anyone tracking down an old Van Buren County marriage license for Social Security, a pension, or family history work also starts with the clerk. This page covers the office details, the fee, and the search tools.
Van Buren County Marriage License Overview
Van Buren County Clerk for Marriage License Records
The Van Buren County Clerk's office is at the courthouse in Clinton, the county seat. The clerk issues each Van Buren County marriage license, records the return after the wedding, and keeps the marriage books on file for the county. The clerk also records minister credentials, serves as probate clerk, and handles voter registration. Call the clerk's office for the current phone line and hours, as small county offices can run on short schedules.
Under Arkansas Code Title 9, Chapter 11, the county clerk is the officer that issues marriage licenses and keeps the full record on file. The Arkansas Department of Health holds a short coupon copy of the marriage at the state level from 1917 forward. The full Van Buren County marriage license paper lives only at the Clinton office.
The county's official website lists each department and the clerk contact.
The Van Buren County website is the best first stop if you need a current phone number or an address for the clerk's office in Clinton.
How To Apply for a Van Buren County Marriage License
Both parties must come to the clerk's office in Clinton 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 that divorce decree showing the restored name.
The fee is $60. Cash is always accepted. 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. No wait, no blood test. The license is good for 60 days and works anywhere in Arkansas.
Applicants who are 17 need both parents in the room. 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 in most cases. A narrow pregnancy rule at § 9-11-103 sends the case to a circuit judge.
What to bring to the Van Buren 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 Van Buren County Clerk's office handles marriage licenses for all couples who apply in the county, following the Arkansas state rules.
Van Buren County Marriage License Rules
Van Buren 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 ceremony anywhere in Arkansas. 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.
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 Van Buren County Clerk keeps the minister file on the county's books.
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.
A 2015 news story covers the clerk's office and the shift to issuing licenses under current federal law.
The Times Record news story from 2015 is a local history note; today, the clerk issues marriage licenses to all eligible couples under state and federal law.
Van Buren County Marriage License Search
Van Buren 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 Van Buren County Clerk's marriage index, so the results match what the clerk's staff would see at the office window.
For court cases tied to a Van Buren 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's Van Buren County marriage films. Those records cover 1865-1951, with an index from 1865-1977. The films are microfilm of originals held at the Van Buren County Courthouse in Clinton.
The FamilySearch catalog record is a strong reference for older Van Buren County marriage license history, and it lists each film number for the years covered.
Certified Copies of a Van Buren County Marriage License
A certified copy of a Van Buren County marriage license carries the clerk's seal. The county clerk charges a small fee for a certified copy, often around $5. Call the Van Buren County Clerk in Clinton 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 Clinton 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 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 Van Buren County marriage license paper.
Tip: Ask for two or three certified copies while at the Van Buren County Clerk's window. Extras save a return drive when one gets used up.
Fees at the Van Buren County Clerk
The state sets the Van Buren County marriage license fee at $60. Under Arkansas Code § 9-11-201, the clerk of the county court collects the fee and issues the paper. Card surcharges are common across Arkansas clerks. 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 carries a small fee at most Arkansas clerks.
Nearby Counties
If a Van Buren 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.