To get a marriage license in Comal County, TX, both applicants go to the County Clerk’s office in New Braunfels, present a government-issued photo ID, provide Social Security numbers, swear and sign the application, and pay the fee. The standard cost is $82, or $22 if you complete an approved premarital education course. A 72-hour waiting period runs from filing to issuance, and once you have the license you have 90 days to hold the ceremony.
Who Can Apply
Both applicants must be at least 18 to apply on their own. Someone under 18 can marry only if a Texas court (or another state’s court) has issued an order removing the disabilities of minority for that person.1State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 2.003 – Application for License by Minor Parental consent alone will not do it.
If either of you finalized a divorce within the past 30 days, the clerk cannot issue a license unless the divorce decree itself waives that waiting period.2State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 2.004 – Application Form Lying on the application is a Class C misdemeanor.
Texas also bars marriages between close relatives: ancestors and descendants, siblings (whole or half blood, or by adoption), aunts or uncles, nieces or nephews, stepparents and stepchildren, and first cousins. Both applicants swear under oath that none of these relationships apply.
What to Bring
Each applicant needs a valid government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID works. You both need to provide Social Security numbers, but you don’t have to bring the physical card.
The application asks for full legal names, dates and places of birth, and current addresses. If either of you divorced within the last 30 days, bring a certified copy of the decree. Make sure the names on your documents match exactly.
The Comal County Clerk’s website has an online application you can fill out ahead of time. That saves time at the counter, but you still have to appear in person to swear the oath and sign in front of the clerk.
Where to Go
Marriage licenses are issued at the Comal County Clerk’s office, 150 N. Seguin, Suite 1037, New Braunfels, Texas 78130. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a lunch closure from noon to 1:00 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted until 4:30 p.m. The phone number is 830-221-1230.3Comal County, TX. County Clerk
Cost and How to Lower It
The standard fee is $82. Couples who complete the state-approved Twogether in Texas premarital education course get a $60 discount, bringing it down to $22. That course also waives the 72-hour waiting period, so it’s worth considering if you’re on a tight timeline.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 2 – Section 2.009 The clerk’s office takes cash, credit cards, and money orders. Card payments may add a small processing fee.
The 72-Hour Waiting Period
Once you file the application, 72 hours must pass before the clerk can issue the license.4State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 2 – Section 2.009 The wait sits between filing and issuance, not between the license and the ceremony. Once the license is in your hands, you can marry the same day.
Three situations remove the 72-hour wait:
- Either applicant is an active member of the U.S. armed forces.
- You completed the Twogether in Texas course and present the certificate to the clerk.
- A judge with family-law jurisdiction, a county judge, or certain appellate judges signs a written waiver for good cause.
If One of You Cannot Appear
When one applicant can’t come to the office, any adult (or the other applicant) can apply on their behalf. The absent applicant completes, signs, and notarizes an Affidavit of Absent Applicant. The person going in brings the original notarized affidavit and a legible photocopy of the absent applicant’s ID. That visit has to happen at least 72 hours after the affidavit was signed but no more than 30 days later.
If both of you are absent, the clerk can issue a license only when each applicant submits an affidavit declaring active-duty service in the U.S. armed forces stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation. Otherwise, at least one of you has to appear in person.
After You Get the License
The license expires if no ceremony takes place within 90 days of issuance.5State of Texas. Texas Family Code Chapter 2 – Section 2.101 Miss that window and you start over, fee included.
After the ceremony, the officiant records the ceremony date and county on the license, signs it, and returns it to the Comal County Clerk within 30 days.6State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 2.206 – Return of License Penalty That return is what gets your marriage officially recorded. The clerk archives the original and mails a certified copy back to you. An officiant who misses the deadline faces a fine of $200 to $500, so a polite reminder right after the ceremony helps.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Texas law authorizes the following people to perform a marriage:7State of Texas. Texas Code Family Code 2.202 – Persons Authorized to Conduct Ceremony
- Licensed or ordained Christian ministers or priests
- Jewish rabbis
- Officers of a religious organization who are authorized by that organization to conduct marriages
- Current, former, or retired federal or state judges
Texas has no state registration process for officiants. Someone who fits one of these categories can perform the ceremony without a separate state license. If you plan to have a friend ordained online, confirm they genuinely meet the “officer of a religious organization” requirement, because disputes over officiant authority can create problems with the legal validity of the marriage.