To get an Indianapolis marriage license, both applicants go in person to the Marion County Clerk’s Office in Suite W122 of the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington Street, bring government-issued photo ID and Social Security numbers, and pay $25 if either of you lives in Indiana or $65 if neither does. Indiana has no waiting period and no blood test requirement, so you can apply and hold the ceremony the same day. The license is good for 60 days and must be used for a ceremony inside Indiana.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Apply for a Marriage License
Who Can Apply
Both applicants must be at least 18.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-1-4 – Minimum Age for Marriage A 16- or 17-year-old can marry only after a juvenile court grants both approval and full emancipation, and additional conditions apply; this is a court proceeding, not a parental consent form.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-1-5 – Marriage of Individual 16 or 17 Years of Age
Apply in the Indiana county where at least one of you lives. If neither of you is an Indiana resident, apply in the county where the ceremony will take place.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Apply for a Marriage License So Marion County is the right office if you or your partner lives there, or if you both live out of state and plan to hold the wedding in Indianapolis.
Indiana will not issue a license to a couple in certain situations. A marriage is void if either person is already married to someone else, or if the two of you are more closely related than second cousins. First cousins can marry only if both are at least 65 years old and the marriage takes place after September 1, 1977. Indiana also does not recognize common-law marriages formed after January 1, 1958.
What to Bring
Each applicant needs one form of government-issued photo identification that shows date of birth. The Clerk’s Office accepts:
- Certified birth certificate or birth record from a state health department
- Valid passport
- Driver’s license or state-issued ID with date of birth and current address
- Military ID
- Immigration or naturalization record showing date of birth
You also need your Social Security number. You do not have to bring the card itself, but you must provide the number on the application. It is kept confidential and used only for child support enforcement under federal Title IV-D requirements.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-4-4 – Application; Sexually Transmitted Disease Information
If either of you was previously married, bring documentation showing how the prior marriage ended, whether a divorce decree or a death certificate. The application requires a statement of facts showing there is no legal impediment to the new marriage.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-4-4 – Application; Sexually Transmitted Disease Information
Filling Out the Application
The Marion County Clerk’s Office runs an online kiosk you can use to start the application before your in-person visit.5Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller. Marriage License Application Doing this ahead of time saves real minutes at the counter.
The application is a sworn affidavit. For each applicant, it asks for your full name, birthplace, current residence, age, and whether you have any dependent children. It also asks for your parents’ full names (including your mother’s maiden name), their last known residence, and their birthplace. If you were adopted, you list your adoptive parents.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-4-4 – Application; Sexually Transmitted Disease Information Gather this information before you sit down. A parent’s birthplace is where people commonly get stuck.
Both applicants also sign an acknowledgment that they received information about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV testing sites, which is built into the form by statute.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-4-4 – Application; Sexually Transmitted Disease Information
The In-Person Visit
Both applicants must appear together at the Clerk’s Office in Suite W122 of the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington Street. It’s open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding court holidays.6indy.gov. Marion County Clerk’s Office An appointment is not always required, but check the Clerk’s website before you go.
The clerk compares your online submission against your physical ID, and then both of you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that everything in the application is true. If you object to taking an oath on religious grounds, you can affirm instead.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-4-4 – Application; Sexually Transmitted Disease Information
Fees
The fee is set by state statute. The clerk collects $15 for the license, plus a certificate fee that depends on residency: $10 if at least one of you is an Indiana resident, or $50 if neither of you lives in the state. Total: $25 for Indiana residents, $65 for out-of-state couples.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-32-5-1 – Marriage License and Certificate Fees Some counties tack on small document fees, so your total at the counter may run slightly higher.
The Marion County Clerk’s Office takes cash and credit or debit cards. Card transactions carry a processing surcharge. Bring cash if you want to avoid it.
No Waiting Period, 60-Day Validity, Indiana Only
Indiana imposes no waiting period. You can hold the ceremony the same day you pick up the license.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Apply for a Marriage License That makes Indianapolis a practical choice for couples who want the paperwork and the ceremony in one trip.
The license expires 60 days after it is issued. Miss that window and the license is void; you start over and pay again.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Apply for a Marriage License The ceremony has to take place inside Indiana. A Marion County license is valid statewide, but it will not work if you decide to elope to another state.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Indiana authorizes a fairly broad set of officiants.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-11-6-1 – Persons Authorized to Solemnize Marriages These include:
- Ministers, priests, bishops, rabbis, imams, and other religious leaders, including those who do not serve an individual congregation
- Any judge in the state
- Mayors, within their own county
- City or town clerks and clerk-treasurers, within the county where their city or town is located
- The clerk of the circuit court
- The governor and lieutenant governor
- Members of the Indiana General Assembly
- Certain religious organizations, including the Friends Church (Quakers), German Baptists, the Bahai faith, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to their own traditions
Indiana does not require state certification or licensing for clergy. It also does not allow self-solemnization: you cannot legally marry yourselves without an authorized officiant present.
After the Ceremony
The officiant fills in the ceremony details on the license, signs it, and returns it to the Clerk’s Office so the marriage can be recorded. That step is the officiant’s legal responsibility, not yours, but it is worth confirming that they know the requirement. A license that never gets returned can create problems later when you need proof of marriage for insurance, property, or benefits.
Once filed, the marriage record becomes a permanent public document maintained by the county. You can order certified copies of your marriage certificate from the Marion County Clerk’s Office; several institutions ask for their own original when you update your name or add a spouse to an account, so it’s worth ordering a few.