Georgia Marriage License: Fees, Officiants, and Filing

To get a Georgia marriage license application processed, both partners appear together at any Probate Court in the state, present ID and any prior-marriage records, sign the sworn application, and pay a $40 fee — or nothing if you bring a certificate showing you completed a qualifying premarital education program. The license is issued the same day, there is no waiting period, no blood test is required, and the license never expires.¹

Where to Apply

If at least one of you is a Georgia resident, you can apply at any Probate Court in the state. It doesn’t have to be your home county, and it doesn’t have to be the county where you plan to hold the ceremony.¹ If neither of you lives in Georgia, you must apply in the county where the wedding will take place.

Both applicants have to appear in person.² The whole visit is usually short: the clerk reviews your documents, watches you sign under oath, collects the fee, and hands you the license.

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be 18 or older. Georgia allows a narrow exception for a 17-year-old who has been legally emancipated and has completed a qualifying premarital education program. Anyone under 17 cannot be issued a license, even with parental consent.³

What to Bring

Come prepared with the following:

Proof of age for each applicant. The statute accepts a birth certificate, driver’s license, passport, baptismal certificate, military ID, selective service card, immigration papers, or a hospital admission card showing your full name and date of birth. In practice, most counties want a government-issued photo ID, so bring your driver’s license, state ID, or passport.⁴
A certified copy of your final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate for your most recent former spouse, if either of you has been married before. Probate Courts across the state require this before issuing a new license, and showing up without it is one of the most common reasons couples get sent home.⁵
Your premarital education certificate, if you completed a qualifying program. Presenting it at the counter waives the license fee entirely.⁶

What the Application Asks

You can pick up the form at the court or download it from many county websites. It is signed under oath, and Georgia law requires both applicants to provide:⁷

Full legal name as it appears on your ID
Date of birth
Current residential address
Parents’ names (or a statement that they are unknown)
A sworn statement that no legal impediment bars the marriage — no existing spouse, no close blood relation
Whether you completed a qualifying premarital education program

A separate supplement report collects each applicant’s Social Security number and the number of previous marriages.⁷ Some county forms also ask for parents’ birthplaces and the mother’s maiden name, so have that information ready even though state law doesn’t spell it out.

The Fee

The base filing fee set by the Georgia Probate Council is $40.⁸ Some counties add a small technology or administrative surcharge, and payment methods vary — a few offices only accept cash or money orders. Call ahead or check the court’s website for the exact total and accepted payment types.

If both applicants are at least 18 and present a valid premarital education certificate, the fee is waived in full. Georgia law says the couple “shall not be charged a fee for a marriage license” in that case.⁶

Once the clerk approves the paperwork and the fee is paid or waived, the license is issued on the spot. Georgia has no waiting period and no blood test, and the license itself does not expire, so the ceremony can happen whenever you’re ready.⁵

Premarital Education That Waives the Fee

Because completing the program eliminates the entire fee, it’s worth knowing what qualifies. The program must include:

At least six hours of instruction covering conflict management, communication, financial responsibilities, parenting, and extended family roles
Attendance by both partners together
Completion within 12 months before the license application
Instruction by a licensed professional counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or an active member of the clergy (or the clergy member’s trained designee)

The provider issues a signed, dated certificate that you bring to the Probate Court.⁹ Online programs can qualify as long as the instructor holds one of the listed credentials and issues a proper certificate. If either applicant is 17, premarital education is not optional; it is a mandatory condition of the license.³

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Georgia authorizes a broad list of officiants: the Governor or any former Governor, any judge of a state or federal court of record, a city recorder, a magistrate, and any minister or other person authorized by a religious society to perform marriages.¹ The state does not require officiants to register or be Georgia residents, though a minister must be in good standing with the organization that ordained them.

Returning the Signed License

After the ceremony, the officiant signs the license, fills in the date and county, and returns it to the issuing Probate Court within 30 days.¹ The court usually provides a return envelope. Once the signed license is recorded, the marriage is part of the state’s permanent records. Confirm with your officiant that the license was mailed back; if it never gets filed, proving the marriage later can be difficult.

After the Wedding

Changing Your Name

The license by itself doesn’t change your legal name. If you plan to take your spouse’s surname or a hyphenated version, start with the Social Security Administration. You’ll need a certified marriage certificate — the official copy generated after the officiant returns the signed license — along with proof of identity. There’s no fee for a replacement card.¹⁰ Do the SSA change first, because the IRS matches the name on your tax return to SSA records, and a mismatch can delay refunds.

Once your new Social Security card arrives, update your driver’s license at a Georgia DDS office, then your bank accounts, employer payroll records, and passport.

Filing Taxes

Your status on December 31 sets your filing status for the whole tax year. If you marry at any point during the year, the IRS treats you as married for the full year, and you’ll file as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.¹¹ Joint filing usually produces a lower combined bill and a higher standard deduction, but some couples with similar high incomes come out ahead filing separately. Run the numbers both ways before you pick.

1
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30 – Issuance, Return, and Recording of License
2
Clayton County, Georgia. Marriage License
3
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-2 – Who May Contract Marriage; Emancipation Requirement; Minimum Age for Marriage
4
Justia. Proof of Age of Applicants
5
Fulton County Probate Court. Marriage Licenses
6
Justia. Georgia Code 19-3-30.1 – Premarital Education; Fees; Special Requirements if Marriage Applicant Is 17 Years Old
7
Justia. Application for Marriage License; Contents; Supplement Marriage Report
8
Glynn County, GA. Probate Court Fees
9
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. Qualifying Premarital Education Program
10
Social Security Administration. Change Name with Social Security
11
Internal Revenue Service. Filing Status