Alabama does not issue marriage licenses. Since August 29, 2019, the state has replaced the traditional license-and-ceremony process, so the current Alabama marriage requirements are paperwork-based: you and your spouse complete a state Marriage Certificate form, sign it in front of an Alabama notary public, and file it with any county probate court within 30 days.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-9-1 – Requirements for Marriage; Validity No judge, officiant, or ceremony is required. Your legal marriage date is the day the second spouse signs the form, not the day the probate court records it.
You can still hold a wedding ceremony if you want one, but it carries no legal weight. The signed and recorded certificate alone creates the marriage.
Who Can Legally Marry in Alabama
Both parties must be eligible before completing the form. Each person signs a notarized affidavit on the Marriage Certificate declaring that they meet these requirements:1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-9-1 – Requirements for Marriage; Validity
- Neither party is currently in an undissolved marriage to someone else.
- Each party is at least 18 years old, or 16–17 with parental consent.
A minor aged 16 or 17 may marry only if a parent or legal guardian signs a separate notarized affidavit consenting to the marriage and files it with the probate court.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-5 – Consent of Parents Required for Marriage of Certain Minors The Alabama Department of Public Health publishes a separate version of the Marriage Certificate for minors that includes the parental consent section.3Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Marriage Certificates Anyone under 16 cannot marry in Alabama.
What to Gather Before You Fill Out the Form
For each spouse, you’ll need full legal name, current mailing address, date of birth, place of birth, and Social Security number. The SSN is collected for administrative purposes and does not appear on certified copies of the recorded certificate.3Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Marriage Certificates You’ll also need each party’s parents’ full legal names as they were before their first marriage.
Bring a valid photo ID when you go to file. A driver’s license, state-issued ID card, or passport all work. If either spouse is a non-U.S. citizen without a Social Security number, call the probate court where you plan to file to confirm what alternative documentation they accept. The form has a field for the SSN, but probate offices have handled filings without one.
Completing and Notarizing the Marriage Certificate
The official form is on the Alabama Department of Public Health’s vital records page as a fillable PDF, with one version for adults and one for minors aged 16–17. Download the version that applies to you and type your information into the fields where you can. Handwritten forms are accepted, but the court can reject anything illegible. Print single-sided on standard 8.5-by-11-inch white paper, and set your printer to “actual size” rather than “fit to page.”4Mobile County Probate Court. Instructions for Completing and Filing an Alabama Marriage Certificate – Adults
Both parties then sign the printed form in front of an Alabama notary public. This is the step where filings most often go wrong. Each spouse signs in a separate block, and each signature must be notarized. The notary applies their official seal or stamp and commission expiration date to the form. A notary from another state will cause the probate court to reject the document, so don’t sign it at an out-of-state notary while traveling.4Mobile County Probate Court. Instructions for Completing and Filing an Alabama Marriage Certificate – Adults Electronic signatures are not accepted for either the spouses or the notary.
One critical detail: once the form is notarized, nothing on it can be changed or added. A single typo means starting over with a fresh form and a fresh notarization. Read every field twice before signing.
Filing With the Probate Court Within 30 Days
After both signatures are notarized, submit the original form to any county probate court in Alabama. You are not restricted to the county where you live. The document must reach the probate court within 30 days of the date the second spouse signed. This deadline is a hard requirement. If you miss it, the marriage is not valid and you’ll have to complete and notarize an entirely new form.1Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-1-9-1 – Requirements for Marriage; Validity
The probate court charges a recording fee, and the amount varies by county. Mobile County, for example, charges $73.5Mobile County Probate Court. Document Recording Most counties accept cash, credit or debit cards, and money orders. Personal checks are often refused. If you plan to mail the form rather than deliver it in person, call the specific probate office first to confirm accepted payment methods and any mailing instructions.
Once the probate judge’s office records the certificate, your marriage is legally finalized. The court can issue certified copies, which are your official proof of marriage. You’ll need them for nearly every follow-up task, from adding a spouse to health insurance to filing joint tax returns.
Fixing an Error After the Certificate Is Recorded
If you spot a mistake after the probate court has already recorded your Marriage Certificate — a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, or similar problem — the correction has to be handled by the same probate court that recorded the original.3Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Marriage Certificates
The correction uses a separate document called the Amendment to Alabama Marriage Certificate and Decree of Correction. As with the original certificate, the amendment must be notarized and then filed with the probate office within 30 days of being signed. An additional filing fee applies.6Shelby County, AL – Official Website. Marriage License Contact your probate court for the current fee and to confirm they have the amendment form on hand.
What Happens After Recording
Recording the certificate makes the marriage legal, but nothing else updates automatically. If either spouse is taking a new last name, request several certified copies from the probate court and use them to update your records agency by agency. Start with the Social Security Administration; the SSA recommends waiting at least 30 days after your marriage date so Alabama has time to update its state records before you apply.7Social Security Administration. Just Married? Need to Change Your Name? Once your Social Security record reflects the new name, use it to update your Alabama driver’s license or state ID at the DMV, and then your passport, bank accounts, vehicle titles, voter registration, and employer records.