Fulton County Marriage License: Requirements, Fees, and Copies

A Fulton County marriage license costs $68.50, or $28.50 if you bring a certificate showing you completed a qualifying premarital education program.¹ Both applicants must appear together, by appointment, at a Fulton County Probate Court location with valid photo identification. Georgia has no waiting period and no blood test requirement, so the license is printed and handed to you the same day. Once issued, it never expires.

Who Qualifies to Apply

Georgia requires both applicants to be at least 18, of sound mind, unmarried to anyone else, and not closely related.² Prohibited relationships include parent and child (including stepchildren), siblings of whole or half blood, grandparent and grandchild, and aunt or uncle with niece or nephew.³

A 17-year-old may apply only if they have been legally emancipated for at least 15 days, the other partner is no more than four years older, and the 17-year-old completes a premarital education program. No one under 17 can be issued a license.²

If at least one of you lives in Georgia, you can apply at any probate court in the state, including Fulton. If neither of you is a Georgia resident, you must apply in the county where the ceremony will be held.⁴ Citizenship is not required. Foreign applicants can use a valid passport, and any supporting document not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

What to Bring

Each applicant needs one valid, current photo ID. Any of the following works:

A driver’s license or state ID from any U.S. state
A U.S. or foreign passport
An original or certified birth certificate (with certified translation if not in English)
A current military ID

If either of you was married before, bring a certified copy of the final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate from the most recent prior marriage. Without it, the court will not issue the license.¹

Fulton County allows you to fill out the application online in advance. Print it and bring it with you. The form asks for full legal names, dates of birth, parental information, and Social Security numbers.¹ Completing it ahead of time saves time at the counter but does not replace the in-person visit.

Fees and the Premarital Education Discount

The standard fee is $68.50, which includes one certified copy of the marriage certificate mailed to you after the signed license is returned and recorded. If both of you complete a premarital education program and bring the certificate, the fee drops to $28.50.¹ Fees are nonrefundable whether or not the wedding takes place.

To qualify for the discount, the program must include at least six hours of instruction on topics such as conflict management, communication, financial responsibilities, and parenting. It can be completed through a licensed counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, marriage and family therapist, or an active member of the clergy.⁵ The provider issues a certificate of completion that you present at your appointment.

Where and When to Apply

Fulton County Probate Court operates its main office in downtown Atlanta and satellite offices at the North and South Service Centers. Appointments are required, and you’ll only be admitted at your scheduled time. Georgia law authorizes probate courts to issue marriage licenses Monday through Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.⁴

Payment rules differ by location. Credit and debit cards work everywhere except American Express. Cash is accepted only at the downtown courthouse; the North and South Service Centers are cashless. Personal checks are not accepted for license fees at any location.¹ If you’re going to a satellite office, bring a card.

Once the clerk verifies your IDs and reviews your application, the license prints on the spot. Georgia dropped its blood test requirement in 2003 and has no mandatory waiting period, so you walk out ready to marry. Read the printed license carefully for spelling errors before leaving the counter.

After You Have the License

The license itself does not expire, so there is no deadline to hold the ceremony. The ceremony does, however, have to take place within Georgia. The following people are authorized to officiate:

Any judge of a state or federal court of record in Georgia
Magistrates
Ministers or any other person authorized by a religious society to perform marriages
City recorders
The Governor or any former Governor of Georgia

The officiant fills in the certificate portion of the license with the date and location of the ceremony. That signed license must be returned to the Fulton County Probate Court within 30 days of the wedding so the marriage can be recorded.⁴ If your officiant fails to return it, you can establish the marriage by submitting affidavits from two witnesses to the ceremony.

Certified Copies of Your Marriage Certificate

After the signed license is returned and recorded, Fulton County Probate Court can issue certified copies of your marriage certificate for $10 each on-site. The records division accepts credit cards, debit cards, cash, money orders, and cashier’s checks. Personal checks are not accepted.⁶ Order several at once; you’ll want extras for name changes, insurance, and other paperwork.

Certified copies are also available through the Georgia Department of Public Health, which charges a $10 search fee that includes one certified letter if the record is found, plus $5 for each additional copy.⁷

1
Fulton County Probate Court. Marriage Licenses
2
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-2 – Who May Contract Marriage; Emancipation Requirement; Minimum Age for Marriage
3
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-3 – Degrees of Relationship Within Which Marriages Are Prohibited
4
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30 – Issuance, Return, and Recording of Marriage License
5
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30.1 – Premarital Education; Fees; Special Requirements if Marriage Applicant Is 17 Years Old
6
Fulton County Probate Court. Records Division
7
Georgia Department of Public Health. Marriage Records