To complete a Missouri marriage license application, both people getting married must appear together in person at a county Recorder of Deeds office, present valid photo ID, provide their Social Security numbers, and pay a fee of roughly $50 to $60. The license is issued the same day with no waiting period, and the ceremony has to take place within 30 days.
Who Can Apply
Both applicants must be at least 18 years old. Missouri removed the earlier parental-consent pathway for 16- and 17-year-olds, so neither a parent nor a judge can authorize a marriage below that age.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 451.090 – Issuance of License Prohibited, When – Proof of Age2St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds. New Marriage Law: Applicants Must Be 18 Years Old or Older
Missouri also prohibits marriages between close relatives: parent and child (including grandparents and grandchildren at any degree), siblings of the half or whole blood, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew, and first cousins. A recorder who knowingly issues a license inside those categories commits a misdemeanor.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 451.020 – Certain Marriages Prohibited
Residency isn’t required for in-person applications. Out-of-state couples can walk into any Missouri Recorder of Deeds office and apply. The one exception is online pre-filing, where at least one applicant must live in the county taking the application.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 451.040 – Marriage License Required, Waiting Period
What to Bring and Know Before You Go
Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID all work. The recorder uses it to confirm your identity and your age.
You also need your Social Security number. Missouri law requires it on the application to meet federal child support enforcement rules. If you genuinely don’t have one, you can sign a statement at the office saying so instead of leaving the field blank.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 451.040 – Marriage License Required, Waiting Period
Beyond ID, the form asks for each person’s full legal name, date of birth, birthplace (state or country), current address, and both parents’ full names. If either of you was previously married, you’ll provide the date that marriage ended. Most offices don’t ask for a divorce decree or death certificate, just the date.5Clay County, MO. Marriage License
Have all of this ready. The recorder completes the form with you present, and a missing piece means coming back.
Where to Apply
Every Missouri county processes marriage licenses through the Recorder of Deeds. Not the courthouse clerk, not the vital records office, not an entirely online process. Both applicants must appear together to sign the application in front of the recorder or a deputy.
Some counties offer an online pre-application that lets you enter your information ahead of time to speed up the visit. Boone County provides one on its recorder’s website.6Boone County, Missouri. Marriage License Filing Requirements A handful of counties share a portal at marriage.icounty.com for the same purpose. In every case, you still have to show up together to sign.
Office hours and appointment rules vary. Check the county recorder’s website before you go, because smaller offices sometimes close for lunch or restrict walk-ins to certain days.
Fee, Waiting Period, and the Office Visit
When you both arrive, you’ll sign the application under oath, confirming the information is truthful. The recorder issues the license on the spot. Missouri has no waiting period, no blood test, and no medical exam.
Fees run about $50 to $60, and some counties bundle a certified copy into that total. The City of St. Louis charges $60, broken down as a $48 license fee plus a $12 certified copy.7City of St. Louis. Apply for a Marriage License Cape Girardeau County also charges $60, split between a $51 license fee and a $9 copy fee.8Cape Girardeau County. Marriage License Cash is accepted everywhere; card acceptance varies. The fee is nonrefundable even if you don’t go through with the wedding.
The 30-Day Expiration
Your license is valid for 30 days from the date the recorder issues it. If the ceremony doesn’t happen within that window, the license is void and you start the whole process over: new application, new fee, new visit.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 451.040 – Marriage License Required, Waiting Period There is no extension. If your wedding is more than a month out, wait to apply.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Missouri recognizes three categories of officiants: active or retired clergy in good standing with a Missouri church or synagogue; any judge, including municipal judges, who cannot accept payment; and a religious society that solemnizes marriage according to its own customs, provided at least one of you is a member.9Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 451.100 – Marriages Solemnized by Whom Witnesses sign the license alongside the officiant, and most recorders advise having at least two present.10Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 193.185 – Marriage Certificate
After the Ceremony
The officiant, not the couple, is responsible for completing the license and returning it to the Recorder of Deeds. The deadline is 15 days from the date the license was issued. Failing to file on time, or filing a false return, is a misdemeanor carrying a $5 to $100 fine.11Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 451.130 – Penalty for Failure to Issue, Record or Return License
This is where couples sometimes get caught off guard. You held the ceremony, assumed it was handled, and months later find out the officiant never filed the paperwork. Call the recorder’s office a few weeks after the wedding to confirm the license came back and was recorded.
Once filed, the license becomes an official marriage record. You can order certified copies of the marriage certificate from the Recorder of Deeds in the county where you married. A separate document called a Certified Statement Relating to Marriage is available from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in Jefferson City, but it only shows the spouses’ names, the date, and the county, which is mainly useful if you’ve forgotten where the marriage was recorded.12Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Order a Copy of a Vital Record Only people with a direct and tangible interest in the record, including the spouses and certain family members, can request certified copies.
If you’re changing your name, the certified marriage certificate is your starting document. Update Social Security first through the Social Security Administration, either online or at a local office; the replacement card arrives in 5 to 10 business days.13Social Security Administration. Change Name With Social Security After that, move on to your driver’s license, bank accounts, and anything else, since most agencies want the SSA change processed first.
Common Law Marriage Doesn’t Count
Missouri voids common law marriages formed in the state. Living together, sharing property, or calling each other spouses doesn’t create a legal marriage without a license.4Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 451.040 – Marriage License Required, Waiting Period The one exception is a common law marriage validly formed in a state that recognizes them, such as Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, or Texas. Missouri will honor those, but the person claiming the marriage has to prove it was properly established under the other state’s law.