Courthouse clerks turn couples away every week — almost never over anything dramatic, almost always over a missing document or the wrong payment method. This checklist covers what clerks most commonly require. Treat it as general guidance: your county page lists what your clerk actually publishes, and that list wins.
For both of you
- Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport)
- Payment in the form the clerk accepts — a surprising number of clerks are cash-only or charge a card fee; the amount and the method are both on your county page
- Your Social Security numbers, if you have them (usually stated, not shown)
If either of you was married before
- A certified copy of the divorce decree or the death certificate from the prior marriage — some counties require it, some only ask for dates. Your county page says which.
Depending on the county
- Birth certificates (some counties require them, most don’t)
- Your witnesses, if the state requires them and the courthouse doesn’t provide them
- A premarital course certificate, if you’re claiming the fee discount or the waiting-period waiver
- The appointment confirmation, if your ceremony is by appointment
After the ceremony
- Cash or card for certified copies of the marriage certificate — order several; banks, insurers, and the passport office all want their own
The pattern to remember: the license desk and the ceremony are separate errands, sometimes in separate buildings. Read your county page end to end before you go — it is built from the clerk’s own published requirements, and it is the closest thing to asking the clerk directly without the hold music.