A Douglas County marriage license costs $56, or $16 if you bring a certificate showing you completed a qualifying premarital education program. Both applicants must appear together at the Douglas County Probate Court in Douglasville with photo ID. Georgia has no waiting period, so the license is issued the same day and you can hold your ceremony that afternoon if you want to.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses
Who Can Apply
Both applicants must be at least 18, of sound mind, free of any undissolved prior marriage, and not related within the degrees Georgia prohibits (parent-child, siblings including half-siblings, grandparent-grandchild, aunt or uncle with niece or nephew, and stepparent-stepchild).2Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-2 – Who May Contract Marriage; Emancipation Requirement; Minimum Age for Marriage3Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-3 – Degrees of Relationship Within Which Marriage Prohibited A 17-year-old can apply only if legally emancipated and only after completing a premarital education program. No one younger than 17 can get a license in Georgia for any reason.
There is no blood test or medical exam. Georgia dropped that requirement in 2003.
Where You Can Apply
If at least one of you lives in Georgia, you can apply in any Georgia county and use the license anywhere in the state. If neither of you is a Georgia resident, you must apply in the county where the wedding will be held.4Georgia.gov. Apply for a Marriage License A Georgia couple can pick up a Douglas County license and marry in Savannah without any extra step.
What to Bring
Each of you needs a valid government-issued photo ID: a driver’s license, a passport, or similar.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses A certified birth certificate on its own is not enough because it has no photo. You’ll each need to provide a Social Security number as well.
If either of you has been married before, bring a certified copy of the final divorce decree, or a certified death certificate if the former spouse has died.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses The application also asks for the full legal names and birthplaces of both applicants’ parents, so have that information ready.
Fees and How to Pay
The license is $56 without a premarital education certificate and $16 with one. Payment methods depend on which fee you’re paying. For the $56 fee, the Probate Court takes cash, money orders, and certified funds only — no cards. For the $16 fee, you can also pay by credit or debit card.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses If you haven’t done the education, bring cash or a money order so you aren’t turned away at the counter.
Cutting the Fee to $16 With Premarital Education
To qualify for the reduced fee, each of you must complete at least six hours of instruction, as a couple, within the 12 months before you apply. The curriculum covers communication, conflict resolution, finances, and parenting responsibilities.5FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 19 Domestic Relations 19-3-30.1
Only certain providers count under Georgia law:
- Licensed professional counselors, social workers, or marriage and family therapists
- Licensed psychiatrists or psychologists
- Active clergy, retired clergy, or their trained designees, acting in the course of religious service
Your provider gives you a certificate of completion to bring to the Probate Court. The statute doesn’t require it to be notarized, but call the court first if you want to be sure.5FindLaw. Georgia Code Title 19 Domestic Relations 19-3-30.1
The Courthouse Visit
You can begin the application on the county website before coming in, which speeds things up but doesn’t replace the in-person visit. Both of you must appear together at the Probate Court to show ID, verify your information, and sign the license under oath in front of a clerk.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses
The office is at 8700 Hospital Drive, 3rd Floor (Judicial Side), Douglasville, GA 30134. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone number is 770-920-7249.6Douglas County, GA. Probate Court State law permits licenses to be issued Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but Douglas County’s posted hours end at 5:00 on weekdays with no Saturday hours, so plan around that.7Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30 – Issuance, Return, and Recording of Marriage Licenses
Because there’s no waiting period, you walk out with the license once the clerk processes it. The visit usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how busy the office is.
After the Wedding
Your officiant has 30 days from the ceremony to return the signed license to the Douglas County Probate Court.7Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30 – Issuance, Return, and Recording of Marriage Licenses Return and recording is what puts your marriage on the public record. Georgia doesn’t require witness signatures on the license; the officiant’s signature and return are what create the official record.
Follow up with your officiant the week after the wedding. This is where things slip through the cracks. If the license is never returned, your marriage is still legally valid, but proving it gets harder. Either spouse can repair the record by submitting sworn statements from two witnesses to the ceremony, and the court will reissue and record the license based on that evidence.7Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30 – Issuance, Return, and Recording of Marriage Licenses It’s a solvable problem but an avoidable one.
Validity and Certified Copies
A Georgia marriage license doesn’t expire. Once issued, it can be used for a ceremony anywhere in the state at any time, so pushing a wedding date back doesn’t cost you another application or fee.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses
After the court records the returned license, certified copies of your marriage certificate are $10 each.1Douglas County, GA. Marriage Licenses Order several at once. You’ll want them for Social Security, your driver’s license, bank accounts, and insurance records, and holding more than one original saves you from shuttling a single copy between agencies.