Marriage licenses in Kansas are handled locally, and the details that matter — the fee, the wait, how long the license lasts — are set by state law. This page collects the statewide rules from Kansas’s own official sources, then links every county guide we have verified so far.
The statewide rules
- Who issues the license: Clerk of the District Court (or a district judge) (K.S.A. 23-2505); applications are now filed through the Kansas Judicial Branch online portal and routed to the chosen district court
- License fee (statewide): 85.50 (59 statutory + 26.50 surcharge)
- Waiting period: No license may be issued before the 3rd calendar day after the application is filed (Sundays, holidays, and closed days count); a district judge may waive the wait by court order for emergency or extraordinary circumstances (K.S.A. 23-2505(b))
- License validity: Expires 6 months from the date of issuance (K.S.A. 23-2505(f))
- Witnesses: Not stated in K.S.A. 23-2505
- Minimum age: 18; 16-17 with the express consent of a parent/legal guardian plus a judge’s consent (judge’s consent not required if both parents and any guardian consent); a district judge may consent for a 15-year-old when the marriage is in the person’s best interest (K.S.A. 23-2505(c))
- Residency / where to apply: No residency requirement; an applicant may choose any Kansas county/district court to process the license
- Who can officiate: Any person authorized by law (K.S.A. 23-2511 framework: judges and justices, ordained or licensed clergy/ministers, and the parties themselves by mutual declaration under a recognized religious practice)
- Courthouse ceremonies: District judges may solemnize marriages; clerks of the district court issue licenses. Courthouse ceremonies are by judge, availability varies by district
Kansas counties in this directory
We have published 10 verified county guides for Kansas so far. License fees on the verified county pages currently run from $85.50 to $85.50. 1 of them publish a separate ceremony fee. Browse them all: Browse all Kansas county guides — and use the search on the homepage to jump straight to your county.
Source for the statewide rules: https://kslegislature.org/li_2016/m/statute/023_000_0000_chapter/023_025_0000_article/023_025_0005_section/023_025_0005_k.pdf (checked 2026-11-09). County figures are checked separately against each county’s own official page and carry their own verified dates. Always confirm with your county clerk before you go — this is not a government site.