To get a marriage license in Ohio, both of you go together to a probate court, show ID, answer a short application under oath, and pay a county fee that usually runs between $44 and $75. There is no waiting period for adults and no blood test, so you can leave with the license the same day. It stays valid for 60 days from issuance.
Who Can Get Married in Ohio
You must be at least 18 to apply on your own.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.01 – Persons Who May Be Joined in Marriage A 17-year-old can marry only after a juvenile court files its consent with the probate court, and the probate court cannot issue the license until at least 14 calendar days after that consent is filed.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101 – Marriage When only one person is 17, the other cannot be more than four years older.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.02 – Persons Under Age of Eighteen No one younger than 17 can legally marry in Ohio.
Ohio also bars marriage between close relatives. The statute draws the line at second cousins, so first cousins cannot marry each other.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.01 – Persons Who May Be Joined in Marriage And neither of you can have a living spouse from a prior marriage that has not been ended by divorce, dissolution, or annulment.
One boundary worth naming: Ohio abolished common law marriage on October 10, 1991. If you have been living together without a license, you are not married under Ohio law no matter how long it has been.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3105.12 – Common Law Marriages
Which Probate Court to Apply At
Where you file depends on residency. If at least one of you lives in Ohio, apply at the probate court in the county where either of you resides. If neither of you is an Ohio resident, you apply in the county where the ceremony will take place, and the wedding has to happen in that same county.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.05 – Application for Marriage License That rule catches out-of-state couples planning destination weddings: a license issued in Franklin County will not cover a ceremony held in Hocking County if neither of you lives in Ohio.
Ohio residents have more room. Once you have the license, you can hold the ceremony anywhere in the state, not just the county where you applied. A couple in Cuyahoga County can apply at home and get married on a Lake Erie island in Ottawa County without issue.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Bring proof of age and identity. Ohio accepts birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, government-issued or school-issued ID cards showing your date of birth, baptismal records, immigration records, and naturalization records.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.05 – Application for Marriage License One document is enough, but a backup is useful if your primary ID has a damaged photo or unclear date.
You also need your Social Security number. The court may store it in a separate record rather than printing it on the application, but you still have to provide it. During the application each of you will state, under oath, your name, age, residence, place of birth, occupation, father’s name, mother’s maiden name if you know it, and the name of your officiant if you have one picked.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.05 – Application for Marriage License
If either of you has been married before, bring documentation for every prior marriage: the names of the parties, the names of any minor children, and for divorces, the jurisdiction, date, and case number. Most counties want a certified copy of your divorce decree, or a death certificate if you were widowed.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.05 – Application for Marriage License Some counties ask for decrees from all prior marriages, not just the most recent one, so call the court ahead if you have a complicated history.
How Much It Costs
Fees are set by county and generally fall between $44 and $75. Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) charges $60, Franklin County (Columbus) charges $65, and Hamilton County (Cincinnati) charges $75.6Hamilton County Probate Court. Marriage License Most courts take cash and credit or debit cards, though some add a surcharge for card payments. A few will not accept personal checks, so bring cash or a card to be safe.
What Happens at the Probate Court
Both of you have to appear in person at the same time. No one can apply on your behalf, and there is no workaround. A deputy clerk verifies your documents, walks you through the application, and has you sign it under oath. Lying is not a technicality here: knowingly making a false statement under oath is falsification under Ohio law, a first-degree misdemeanor.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2921.13 – Falsification
Some counties offer an online pre-application that lets you enter your information in advance and shorten the counter visit.6Hamilton County Probate Court. Marriage License You still both have to show up in person to finish. Check your county probate court’s website to see what it offers.
There is no waiting period for adults, so the license is valid as soon as it is issued. You can legally marry the same day. Ohio also does not require a blood test or physical.8Hancock County, OH. Marriage License The whole appointment usually runs under 30 minutes if your paperwork is in order.
How Long the License Is Valid
Your license expires 60 days from the date it was issued. If the ceremony does not happen inside that window, the license is void and you start over, fee included.9Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.07 – Expiration Date of License The expiration date is printed on the license itself. If your wedding is months away, do not apply early. Wait until you are inside the 60-day window.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Ohio law limits officiants to a specific list:10Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.08 – Who May Solemnize Marriages
- An ordained or licensed minister of a religious society or congregation within Ohio who is licensed to perform marriages.
- A county court judge, municipal court judge, or probate judge.
- The mayor of any Ohio municipality, who can perform a ceremony anywhere in the state.
- A religious society acting according to its own customs and rules.
Online ordinations sit in a gray area. The statute calls for a minister who is “ordained or licensed” and affiliated with “any religious society or congregation within this state.” Whether a quick online ordination from an internet ministry meets that standard has been debated and not definitively resolved by Ohio courts. If a friend plans to officiate on the strength of an online ordination, ask the issuing probate court whether it will accept a certificate signed by that person. Finding out before the wedding is far better than finding out after.
Filing the Certificate After the Wedding
After the ceremony, your officiant has a legal duty to complete the marriage certificate and return it to the probate court that issued the license within 30 days.11Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 3101.14 – Notice on License of Penalty for Failure to Return Certificate of Solemnized Marriage An officiant who misses that deadline is guilty of a minor misdemeanor and can be fined $50. The duty is theirs, but you are the one who pays for the delay: without the certificate on file, you cannot get certified copies, and you need those for name changes, insurance updates, and other legal paperwork.
Follow up with your officiant a few days after the wedding to confirm the certificate has been mailed. A polite reminder about the 30-day deadline tends to work. You can also call the probate court after a couple of weeks to confirm it arrived. Once the certificate is on file, you can order certified copies from the probate court. Fees vary by county but generally run between $15 and $35 per copy. Order several, because every agency that handles a name change will want its own.