MarriageLicenseCheck

Fulton County marriage license

Issued by the Fulton County Probate Court, Licensing Division

To marry in Fulton County, you apply to the Fulton County Probate Court, Licensing Division. There, both applicants must appear together.

Fee
$68.50$28.50 when a certificate of completion of a qualifying premarital education program is handed to the Court at the time of applying — the certificate must be in hand
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
Never expires
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 202610 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Fulton County Probate Court, Licensing Division

Apply online
No

The Court publishes a fillable PDF application that applicants may complete on a computer, but nothing is submitted to the Court remotely. The completed form must be printed and carried into the office, where both parties appear.

Official requirement

If you have filled out an application online, it must be printed out, in hand at the time of arrival

Apply in person
Yes

Applications are taken at the downtown Licensing Division at 136 Pryor Street SW and at the North and South Service Centers.

Official requirement

Both parties must be present in the office with your current identification to obtain a marriage license.

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
Yes

The Court admits applicants only — no one else is allowed into the Licensing Division office.

Official requirement

Both parties must be present in the office with your current identification to obtain a marriage license.

Residency
If either applicant is a Georgia resident, the license may be obtained in any Georgia county, including Fulton. If neither applicant is a Georgia resident, the license must be obtained in the county where the ceremony will be performed.

This is the county-of-issuance rule, not a residency bar: non-residents of Georgia may marry here, but only if the ceremony itself takes place in Fulton County.

Official requirement

Any Georgia resident may apply for a license in any county in the State of Georgia. However, if neither applicant is a resident of Georgia, you may only obtain your license in the county where the ceremony is to be performed.

Identification and personal information

We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.

Identification
  • Proof of age — any one of: valid state-issued driver's license or State ID
  • Original or certified copy of your birth certificate (certified translation into English if applicable)
  • Valid passport
  • Valid military ID

Identification must be current and carried into the office by both parties. If either applicant has been married before, a certified copy of the final divorce decree, annulment or death certificate of the most recent marriage must be presented as well. A printed marriage license application must also be in hand on arrival.

Official requirement

You must have proof of age by presenting one of the following:

Social Security number

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Court's marriage license page states no Social Security number requirement either way.

Not published by this office
Age
Both applicants must be at least 18, of sound mind, with no living spouse from an un-dissolved prior marriage and not related in a degree prohibited by law. A 17-year-old may be issued a license only if a separate set of conditions is met.

Backed by the State of Georgia and the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, which set this rule uniformly for every Georgia probate court.

Official requirement

You must be at least 18 years old, of sound mind, and have no living spouse from a prior un-dissolved marriage in order to be issued a marriage license. A 17-year-old may be issued a marriage license if certain conditions are met.

Applicants under 18
An applicant who is 17 must show they have been emancipated by juvenile court order for not less than 15 days and must present a certificate of completion of separate specialised premarital counselling for each applicant, even where the other applicant is over 18. Since 1 July 2019 no one under 17 may be issued a Georgia marriage license, and parental consent is no longer accepted.

The Council of Probate Court Judges adds that the older party may be no more than four years older than the younger party.

Applies in some cases

As of July 1, 2019: You must be at least 17 years of age to obtain a marriage license in Georgia. If you are 17 years of age when applying for a marriage license, you must show that you have been emancipated for not less than 15 days and present a certificate of completion of separate specialized premarital counseling for each applicant, even if one applicant is over 18.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
If either applicant has been married before, a certified copy of the final divorce decree, annulment or death certificate ending the most recent previous marriage must be presented in person at the time of application.

The Court requires the document in hand — it does not accept the date of the divorce alone, and sets no cut-off after which the decree stops being required.

Applies in some cases

Please be advised if either party has been previously married you must be prepared to present, in hand, a certified copy of the final divorce decree, annulment, or Death Certificate of the most recent previous marriage

Fee and payment

Fee
$68.50$28.50 when a certificate of completion of a qualifying premarital education program is handed to the Court at the time of applying — the certificate must be in hand, not sent later. Both figures include one mailed certified copy of the marriage certificate. All fees are non-refundable.
Official requirement

The marriage license fee is: $68.50, includes one mailed certified copy of the marriage certificate

Payment methods
  • Credit or debit card at all three locations — American Express is not accepted
  • Cash at the downtown/central location only; the North and South Service Centers are cashless for license fees

The Records Division separately accepts money orders and cashier's cheques for record copies, and takes no personal cheques.

Official requirement

Annex locations have converted to cashless for license fees. Cash will only be accepted at the downtown/central locations. Credit and debit cards are accepted at all locations. No American Express

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

No such requirement appears in the state statute that governs how a marriage is made here. The office itself publishes nothing either way.

Georgia fixes this by statute, not county by county. Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated — "marriage license and ceremony" — is the whole scheme for issuing a Georgia marriage license, and it interposes no interval anywhere: Code Section 19-3-36 directs that applicants who have proved they have reached the age of majority may be issued the license immediately, and Code Section 19-3-30(c) makes the license itself the authority for the marriage, the chapter's only deadline running for 30 days after the ceremony. The Probate Court publishes nothing either way; its Forever Fridays page, which asks ceremony participants to arrive 90 minutes early for license processing, is consistent with same-day use.

Official requirement

Applicants who have satisfactorily proved that they have reached the age of majority may be issued a marriage license immediately.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

Georgia law imposes no waiting period between issuance and the ceremony, so there is nothing for the Probate Court to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires

This does not apply here.

The Probate Court states that a Fulton County marriage license carries no expiration date, so there is no expiry to express as a number of days and the ceremony-date planner has no outer boundary to draw. The separate return deadline after the ceremony still applies.

Not applicable here

The license does not have an expiration date.

Where it is valid

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Court publishes where a license may be issued but not where a Fulton County license may be used for a ceremony. Its free Forever Fridays ceremonies accept Fulton County licenses only, but that is a rule about the ceremony programme, not about the license's legal reach.

Not published by this office

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses

This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.

The Court publishes no witness requirement or count.

Not published by this office
Officiant
The Court publishes a Public Wedding Officiant List and holds free Forever Fridays group ceremonies at the North Service Center (11:00 a.m.) and South Service Center (3:00 p.m.) on published Fridays. Those ceremonies accept Fulton County marriage licenses only, participants must arrive 90 minutes early for license processing, guests are limited to two per couple, and the marriage certificate is mailed within 30 days rather than issued on the day.

Ceremonies are public and participants consent to being photographed and posted on the Court's social media. The Court reserves the right to refuse participation.

Official requirement

Forever Fridays free ceremonies are available for Fulton County marriage licenses only. No exceptions. Out-of-county wedding licenses will not be honored.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
After the ceremony the completed license must be mailed to Fulton County Probate Court, Attn: License Division, 136 SW Pryor Street, 2nd Floor C230, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. The State of Georgia states that the signed license should be returned to the probate court within 30 days of the ceremony.

The 30-day return window is the State's published figure; the Probate Court publishes the address but not a deadline of its own.

Official requirement

Please mail the completed Marriage Licenses (following the ceremony) to: Fulton County Probate Court Attn: License Division

Processing
Allow up to 30 days from the date the Court receives the returned license for the marriage to be recorded; the prepaid certificate is mailed once it is recorded. The Court asks that status enquiries wait until 45 days after the license was returned.

Marriage certificate copies are $10 each and marriage application copies are $10 each, the latter available only to the couple.

Official requirement

Please allow up to 30 days from the date we receive your marriage license in office for the court to record your marriage license.

Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page

Access and language

Published notes
  • The Court states its website is designed to comply with Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA
  • Supported assistive technology: JAWS for Windows, NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for macOS, and keyboard-only navigation
  • Material in an accessible alternative format can be requested by contacting the Court and stating the preferred format
Official requirement

We work to comply with Section 508 as well as WCAG 2.0 A and AA referring to website accessibility standards.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Fulton County?
The fee is $68.50, set by the Fulton County Probate Court, Licensing Division. $28.50 when a certificate of completion of a qualifying premarital education program is handed to the Court at the time of applying — the certificate must be in hand.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Fulton County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Fulton County marriage license valid?
It does not expire — once issued, the license remains valid until used.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Fulton County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
Do we have to be residents to marry in Fulton County?
If either applicant is a Georgia resident, the license may be obtained in any Georgia county, including Fulton. If neither applicant is a Georgia resident, the license must be obtained in the county where the ceremony will be performed.

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.

  1. Marriage LicensesFulton County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  2. Records DivisionFulton County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  3. Forever Fridays Courthouse WeddingsFulton County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  4. Fee ScheduleFulton County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  5. Website AccessibilityFulton County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
  6. House Bill 228 (As Passed House and Senate) — enacted text of O.C.G.A. § 19-3-36, proof of age of applicantsState of Georgia — Office of the Governor, signed legislation archive (House Bill 228, 2019 Act 187) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  7. Senate Bill 238 (As Passed) — enacted text of O.C.G.A. § 19-3-30(c), issuance, return, and recording of licenseGeorgia General Assembly (Senate Bill 238, 2009-2010 Regular Session, 2010 Act 439) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  8. Summary of General Statutes Enacted at the 2010 Session of the Georgia General AssemblyGeorgia General Assembly, Office of Legislative Counsel · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  9. Marriage LicensesCouncil of Probate Court Judges of Georgia (Judicial Council of Georgia, Administrative Office of the Courts) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
  10. Apply for a Marriage LicenseState of Georgia (Georgia.gov) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26

Recorded conflicts

  • Georgia does not publish the Official Code of Georgia Annotated on a state website — the General Assembly's own "Georgia Code" link hands off to a commercial publisher. The statutory text recorded here is therefore quoted from the enacted Acts themselves, on the General Assembly's bill archive (legis.ga.gov) and the Governor's signed-legislation archive (gov.georgia.gov). Currency was checked against the Office of Legislative Counsel's annual Summary of General Statutes for every session from 2006 through 2026, which indexes each Code section amended.
  • Search engines still surface staging copies of a Fulton County page (cd.fultoncountyga.gov and testcd.fultoncountyga.gov) quoting a $56 marriage license fee and a $16 fee with premarital education. Those hosts are not reachable content on the live county site: searching www.fultoncountyga.gov for "marriage license" returns only the Probate Court page recorded here, and the Court's own fee schedule notes that Senate Bill 232 updated all statutory fees effective 1 January 2026. The Court's published $68.50 / $28.50 figures are recorded as current and the older pair is treated as stale.
  • The Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia states that a couple presenting a qualifying premarital education certificate "shall not be assessed a marriage license fee(other charges may apply)", while Fulton County Probate Court charges $28.50 in that case. The Court describes its figure as including one mailed certified copy of the marriage certificate, which the Council's parenthetical treats as a separate charge. The issuing authority's published figure is what is recorded.
  • The Council of Probate Court Judges requires at least six hours of premarital education completed together within 12 months of the application; the Probate Court's page does not restate those conditions on its own fee line, and refers to "separate specialized premarital counseling" only in the rule for 17-year-old applicants. Couples relying on the reduced fee should confirm the course meets the Council's conditions.

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