How to Fill Out a Kentucky Marriage License Blank Form

To get a Kentucky marriage license, both applicants go together in person to any county clerk’s office in the state, show valid photo ID, and pay a $60 fee. The license is issued the same day, is good for 30 days, and Kentucky has no waiting period and no blood test requirement. A Kentucky marriage license application is straightforward if you know what to bring and what the clerk will ask.

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be at least 18. Kentucky prohibits marriage for anyone under 18, with only a narrow court-approved exception under KRS 402.210.¹ Each of you needs a current, unexpired photo ID: a driver’s license, state ID card, or passport all work.²

Kentucky also bars marriage between people who are closer relatives than second cousins, whether whole or half blood. A marriage that crosses this line is void.³ The form asks whether you’re related, and you’ll confirm you aren’t within the prohibited range.

Where to Apply

Any county clerk in Kentucky can issue your license when both applicants are 18 or older and apply in person.⁴ You don’t have to use the county where either of you lives, and you don’t have to marry in the same county that issued the license.

Both applicants must show up together. There’s no online application, and no one can apply on your behalf. The form is standardized statewide by the Department for Libraries and Archives, so the questions are the same wherever you go.⁵

What the Application Asks

Under KRS 402.100, the license form collects the following for each applicant:⁵

Full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, race, and gender
Current marital status (single, widowed, or divorced) and number of previous marriages
Occupation, current residence, and your relationship to the other applicant
Full names of each applicant’s parents, using the mother’s maiden name rather than her married name

You do not need a divorce decree or an explanation of how a prior marriage ended. The form only asks your current status and how many times you’ve been married.⁶ You’ll also give the intended wedding date and the name of the person performing the ceremony.²

The clerk may ask to see your Social Security card or another government-issued ID to verify identity, but Kentucky law prohibits recording the SSN on the license or in county records.⁵

Once the clerk verifies your information, both of you sign a sworn statement on the form itself, affirming your answers are correct.⁵ Falsifying identity on a marriage license application is a Class D felony,⁷ so read the completed form carefully before you leave; corrections found later can mean a return trip and a fee.

What It Costs

The license fee is $60 in most counties and typically includes one certified copy of the marriage certificate.⁸ It’s due at the time of application and is non-refundable, even if you never use the license.⁹

Additional certified copies, which you’ll want for name changes and benefits enrollment, generally run about $5 to $6 each, with the exact amount depending on the county. Some clerks let you order the extra copies at the same time you apply, which saves a second trip.

The Ceremony: Officiant and Witnesses

Only certain people can legally solemnize a marriage in Kentucky: ministers and priests of any denomination; justices and judges of the Court of Justice, including retired ones unless removed for cause or convicted of a felony; county judge-executives; and justices of the peace or fiscal court commissioners specifically authorized by the Governor or the county judge-executive. Some religious societies without an officiating minister can also solemnize marriages at their usual place of worship.¹⁰ Performing a ceremony without legal authority is a Class D felony,⁷ so confirm your officiant’s status before the day of the wedding.

You need at least two witnesses besides the couple and the officiant.¹⁰ Their names go on the marriage certificate portion of the form.⁵ Kentucky doesn’t set a minimum witness age, but witnesses should be old enough to understand what they’re attesting to.

During the ceremony, both spouses and the officiant sign the license and certificate, and the officiant provides a statement confirming they’re legally qualified under Kentucky law.

The 30-Day Deadline and Returning the License

A Kentucky marriage license is valid for 30 days, counting the day it’s issued. After that, it expires.¹¹ If the ceremony doesn’t happen inside that window, you have to reapply and pay the full fee again.

After the wedding, the officiant returns the completed, signed license and certificate to the issuing county clerk. Kentucky law requires this within one month of the ceremony.¹² That’s the officiant’s obligation, not yours, but follow up. If the signed license never makes it back to the clerk, the marriage won’t be recorded, and you’ll have trouble later proving you’re legally married.

After the Wedding

Changing Your Name

If either of you plans to change last names, start with the Social Security Administration. Complete Form SS-5 and bring your certified marriage certificate along with proof of identity such as a driver’s license or passport. Only originals or agency-certified copies are accepted.¹³ Your new card keeps the same number under the new name.

Do this before you update your name anywhere else. If a tax return shows a name different from what the SSA has on file, it can delay your refund; the IRS specifically tells newlyweds to update Social Security first.¹⁴

Taxes

Your marital status on December 31 sets your filing status for the whole tax year. Marry any time in 2026 and the IRS treats you as married for all of 2026, meaning you file as married filing jointly or married filing separately.¹⁴ For 2026, the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is $32,200, compared with $16,100 for single filers. Worth thinking about if you’re choosing between a late-December and early-January date.

Health Insurance

Marriage is a qualifying life event that opens a 60-day special enrollment window. During that period you can add a spouse to an employer plan or enroll through the Health Insurance Marketplace. The 60 days run from the date of the marriage, not the date the license was issued, so start the enrollment process as soon as the ceremony happens rather than waiting for the certified certificate to arrive.

1
Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.020 – Other Prohibited Marriages
2
Kenton County Clerk. Kenton County Clerk – Marriage License
3
Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.010 – Degree of Relationship That Bars Marriage
4
Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.080 – Marriage License Issued by County Clerk
5
Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.100 – Marriage License
6
Nelson County, KY – County Clerk. Nelson County Clerk – Marriage License
7
FindLaw. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.990 – Penalties
8
Franklin County Clerk. Franklin County Clerk – Marriage License
9
Letcher County Clerk. Marriage Licenses
10
Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 402.050 – Who May Solemnize Marriage
11
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Code 402.105 – Marriage License Valid for Thirty Days
12
Office of the Attorney General. County Clerk’s Guide to Kentucky Marriage Law
13
Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
14
Internal Revenue Service. Tax To-Dos for Newlyweds to Keep in Mind