Pulaski County marriage license
To marry in Pulaski County, you apply to the Pulaski Circuit/County Clerk — Marriage License Department. There, both applicants must appear together.
- Fee
- $60
- Waiting period
- NoneMarry the same day
- License valid
- 60 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 30, 20263 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- No
The Clerk publishes a printable application form you can fill in beforehand, but no online application and no remote issuance. Both applicants have to be at the counter.
Official requirementAll applicants must be present and together when the marriage license is issued. A Power of Attorney is unacceptable for issuing a marriage license.
- Apply in person
- Yes — Room 103, 401 West Markham Street, Little Rock.Official requirement
Both applicants must be present and apply together to obtain a marriage license. No appointment is necessary.
When to apply
We will work out when you can apply. We never ask for names, dates of birth or any other personal detail.
Who must appear
- Both applicants
- YesOfficial requirement
All applicants must be present and together when the marriage license is issued. A Power of Attorney is unacceptable for issuing a marriage license.
- Residency
- No Arkansas residency is required. Applicants do not have to live in Arkansas or in Pulaski County.Official requirement
Do you have to be a resident of the State of Arkansas? No
Identification and personal information
We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.
- Identification
- A valid government-issued photo ID showing the correct name and date of birth — for example a driver's license, passport, or military ID
- If an applicant's name changed through a divorce and the photo ID does not show the change: a certified copy of the divorce decree stating the name was restored to the original name
Applicants who are 17 must also present the parental consent paperwork described under the minor rule.
Official requirementApplicants 18 or older must present a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport, or military ID) showing their correct name and date of birth.
- Social Security number
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk publishes no Social Security number requirement for a marriage license.
Not published by this office- Age
- Applicants must be 18 or older to obtain a marriage license without parental consent.Official requirement
In Arkansas, applicants must reach the age of 18 years to contract for a marriage license without parental consent.
- Applicants under 18
- An applicant who is 17 may marry with parental consent. Both parents must be present and provide a notarized affidavit consenting to the marriage. If the parents are divorced, the custodial parent must present the latest court order indicating custody. A waiting period of five business days then applies before the license can be picked up.
The five-business-day wait applies only to applications involving someone under 18.
Applies in some casesFor applicants 17 years of age, Arkansas law (A.C.A. 9-11-102) requires both parents to be present and provide a notarized affidavit stating that the parent or parents or guardian of the minor consents to the marriage.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- A certified copy of the divorce decree is needed only when an applicant's name changed through a divorce and the photo ID does not reflect the change; the decree must state that the name was restored to the original name. The Clerk publishes no waiting period after a divorce is final.
Unlike several other counties, Pulaski County does not ask for a decree simply because a prior marriage ended.
Applies in some casesIf an applicant’s name has changed through a divorce and their photo ID does not reflect this change, they will need a certified copy of the divorce decree. The decree must state the applicant’s name was restored to their original name.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $60
No refunds are issued. Paying by card adds a transaction fee charged by the Clerk's card processing vendor.
Official requirementThe fee for a marriage license is $60.00, cash or credit card (no checks). No refunds will be issued. For credit card transactions, our credit card processing vendor will charge an additional transaction fee per marriage license.
- Payment methods
- Official requirement
- Cash
- Credit card — the Clerk's card processing vendor adds a transaction fee per license
- Checks are not accepted
The fee for a marriage license is $60 payable by cash or credit card.
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- None
This is a published zero, not silence: the Clerk states outright that there is no waiting period when everyone applying is 18 or older. A five-business-day wait applies if an applicant is under 18.
Official requirementThere is no waiting period for applications where all applicants are 18 or older. There is a five-business-day waiting period for all underage (under 18 years of age) applications for marriage licenses.
- Waiver
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
There is nothing to waive where both applicants are 18 or older. The Clerk publishes no way to shorten the five-business-day period that applies to an application involving a 17-year-old.
Not published by this office- License expires
- 60 days
The same 60 days is also the deadline to return the license to the Clerk for recording, whether it was used or not.
Official requirementMARRIAGE LICENSE VALID FOR SIXTY (60) DAYS
- Where it is valid
- Arkansas law requires a license from the clerk of the county court of some county in Arkansas — not specifically the county where the ceremony will be held.
This is the state-level rule as summarized by the Arkansas Judiciary. The Pulaski Circuit/County Clerk publishes no county restriction of its own on where the ceremony may take place.
Official requirementAll persons contracting marriage in this state are required to first obtain a license from the clerk of the county court of some county in this state.
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk publishes no witness requirement or witness count for the ceremony.
Not published by this office- Officiant
- A minister must have their credentials recorded with a county clerk's office in Arkansas before performing a ceremony. The Clerk's own office does not officiate, but publishes a contact list of Pulaski County Justices of the Peace who perform ceremonies for a fee. Arkansas also offers an optional covenant marriage: a couple declares that intent on the marriage license application and files a declaration of intent, with counseling attestation, with the office that issues the license. The Clerk publishes a Covenant Marriage Form alongside the application.
Covenant marriage is an election made at application time, and it changes the grounds on which the marriage can later be dissolved.
Official requirementMinisters performing marriages in the State of Arkansas must have their credentials recorded with a County Clerk’s Office in the State of Arkansas prior to performing a wedding ceremony. A few of the Pulaski County Justice of the Peace members officiate marriage ceremonies for a fee.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- The original license must be returned to the Clerk's Marriage License Department for recording within 60 days of issuance, whether it was used or not. Certified copies bearing the county clerk's seal cost $5.00 and can be collected in person or mailed; they cannot be emailed.
Returns may be mailed to Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk, Marriage License, 401 West Markham St. Ste 103, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
Official requirementAfter the ceremony, the original marriage license must be returned to our office for recordation, whether used or unused, within sixty (60) days of issuance.
- Processing
- Licenses are issued Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and no appointment is necessary.Official requirement
Marriage licenses are issued Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk's site publishes privacy, security and acceptable-use policies through the state portal, but no accessibility statement and no language-access notice.
Not published by this office
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in Pulaski County?
- The fee is $60, set by the Pulaski Circuit/County Clerk — Marriage License Department.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Pulaski County?
- No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
- How long is a Pulaski County marriage license valid?
- The license is valid for 60 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
- Do both partners have to appear in person in Pulaski County?
- Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
- Do we have to be residents to marry in Pulaski County?
- No Arkansas residency is required. Applicants do not have to live in Arkansas or in Pulaski County.
Each answer restates the verified rule above; the official wording and sources are in the numbered sections.
Sources and reviewed date
Every fact above is quoted from one of these pages. Reviewed July 30, 2026.
- Marriage LicensePulaski Circuit/County Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Marriage License InfosheetPulaski Circuit/County Clerk · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Arkansas Circuit Courts Judges' Benchbook — Domestic Relations DivisionArkansas Judiciary, Administrative Office of the Courts · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
Recorded conflicts
- Two clocks, one number. The Clerk's web page describes the 60 days only as the deadline to return the license for recording, while the Clerk's own Marriage License Infosheet heads the same period "MARRIAGE LICENSE VALID FOR SIXTY (60) DAYS". We record 60 days as the license's validity because that is the Clerk's explicit wording, and the return deadline runs for the same 60 days either way.
- The Arkansas Judiciary's Domestic Relations Benchbook notes Fryar v. Roberts, 346 Ark. 432 (2001), holding that failure to file a marriage license within 60 days does not by itself render a marriage void. That is a judicial view of what happens after a late filing, not permission to marry on a stale license. Plan against the Clerk's 60 days.
- The Marriage License Infosheet is dated September 2017 and prints a specific card transaction fee ($3.55 as of September 2017); the current web page states only that the card processing vendor charges an additional transaction fee. The $60 license fee, the waiting-period wording and the identification wording are identical on both, so the Infosheet is treated as current for those. The 2017 transaction-fee figure is deliberately not reproduced here.
- The Clerk's PDF forms — the application, the infosheet and the Covenant Marriage Form — are hosted on media.ark.org, the State of Arkansas media host, rather than on pulaskiclerkar.gov itself. They are linked directly from the Clerk's marriage license page and carry the Clerk's own content.
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