MarriageLicenseCheck

Polk County marriage license

Issued by the Polk County Recorder's Office, Vital Records Department (County Registrar)

To marry in Polk County, you apply to the Polk County Recorder's Office, Vital Records Department (County Registrar). There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$35
Waiting period
4 daysWaiver available
License valid
Never expires
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20265 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Polk County Recorder's Office, Vital Records Department (County Registrar)

Apply online
Yes

There is no online application. The Recorder mails a paper application on request; it must be completed and signed before a notary public and returned with the fee, and the waiting period does not begin until the completed application and fee reach the office.

Official requirement

If the applicants are unable to come in to our office in person, we can mail the application out. This form must be completed and signed before an authorized notary public.

Apply in person
Yes

Applications are taken at the Recorder's Vital Records counter, Polk County Administration Building, 111 Court Avenue Suite 250, Des Moines. No appointment system is published for marriage licenses.

Official requirement

To apply for a marriage license the couple intending to marry and one witness (someone that's acquainted with the couple and is 18 or older) must come into the office and fill out the application.

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

Both applicants normally come into the office together, along with a witness aged 18 or older. If an applicant cannot attend, the Recorder will mail the application out; it must then be completed and signed before a notary public and returned with the fee.

Applies in some cases

To apply for a marriage license the couple intending to marry and one witness (someone that's acquainted with the couple and is 18 or older) must come into the office and fill out the application.

Residency

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

The Recorder publishes no residency requirement either way. It does explain how an applicant living outside Iowa can complete the application by mail before a notary public, but that is a procedure, not a residency rule.

Not published by this office

Identification and personal information

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

Identification
  • A photo ID for each applicant
  • A photo ID for the witness who signs the application

The Recorder does not publish a list of which photo ID documents it accepts.

Official requirement

The applicants and witness must have a photo I.D.

Social Security number

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

The Recorder does not publish whether a Social Security number must be given on the application.

Not published by this office
Age
Both applicants must be 18 or older, must not already be married to someone else or to each other, must not be closely related by blood or first cousins, and must be legally competent to enter into a civil contract.
Official requirement

Marriages in Iowa are between 2 people who are (1) 18 years of age and older; (2) not already or still legally married to someone else or each other; (3) not closely related by blood or first cousins; and (4) legally competent to enter into a civil contract.

Applicants under 18
An applicant aged 16 or 17 may marry only with special permission from a judge. Request a "Consent to Marriage of a Minor" form when applying; at least one parent or legal guardian must sign it. Complete the form and present it to a judge in the same judicial district as the county issuing the license, then return the signed form to finish the application. The Clerk of District Court office can give further information.
Applies in some cases

Persons aged 16 and 17 may only marry with special permission from a judge and should request a "Consent to Marriage of a Minor" form when making application for their marriage license (At least one parent or guardian must sign the consent form).

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
There is no waiting period before remarrying once a divorce is final, but you may not apply for a marriage license until the divorce is final.

The Recorder does not publish any requirement to produce a divorce decree or the date of the divorce.

Applies in some cases

None. A marriage can take place at any time once a divorce is final. However, you may not apply for the marriage license until the divorce is final.

Fee and payment

Fee
$35

The officiant brochure the Recorder distributes states that the fee includes a certified copy of the Certificate of Marriage once the record is filed and registered, and that it is not refundable if the ceremony does not take place.

Official requirement

The fee is $35.00.

Payment methods

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

The Recorder publishes accepted payment methods for the $20 certified-copy fee, but not for the $35 license fee.

Not published by this office

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
4 days

The day of application is not counted and weekend days are. Applying on a Monday gives a valid date of Friday; applying on a Friday gives a valid date of Tuesday. A ceremony held before the valid date printed on the license is not lawful.

Official requirement

When the marriage license valid date is computed, the day of application is excluded. Then 4 days after that the license is valid (weekend days are included in count).

Waiver
A judge of the district court may order a license validated before the waiting period expires, in cases of emergency or extraordinary circumstances. The application for that order is made on forms supplied by the county registrar at the same time as the license application, and a $5 fee is paid to the registrar on top of the license fee.

Iowa Code section 595.4(3). The Polk County Recorder does not set out the waiver on its own marriage pages; the officiant brochure it distributes tells couples to speak to their County Registrar about waiving the wait in an emergency.

Official requirement

A license to marry may be validated prior to the expiration of three days from the date of issuance of the license in cases of emergency or extraordinary circumstances.

License expires

This does not apply here.

The Recorder publishes that an issued license does not expire, so there is no expiry to express as a number of days and the ceremony-date planner cannot draw an outer boundary for Polk County. A separate six-month clock runs on the application, not on the license: if the license is not collected from the County Registrar within six months of the application date, the application is void and you must start again.

Not applicable here

The license does not expire unless it is not retrieved from the County Registrar within six months from the date of application, the application is then considered null and void.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony anywhere in Iowa. A license issued in Polk County may be used in any Iowa county.

The Recorder does not publish whether an Iowa license can be used for a ceremony outside Iowa.

Official requirement

Yes, the license is valid in any county in the state of Iowa.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
One witness aged 18 or older who is acquainted with the couple must come into the office with the applicants, sign the application and show photo ID. Separately, at the ceremony itself two people who were present must sign the Certificate of Marriage as witnesses.

These are two different requirements on two different days: one witness at the application, two witnesses at the ceremony. The two-witness ceremony rule comes from the officiant brochure the Recorder distributes, which is written by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Official requirement

To apply for a marriage license the couple intending to marry and one witness (someone that's acquainted with the couple and is 18 or older) must come into the office and fill out the application.

Officiant
A marriage may be solemnized by a leader of a religious institution or by an Iowa district or associate district judge. Fees and availability vary by judge. For a wedding at a time other than regular judicial working hours and at a place other than a court facility, a judge or magistrate may charge no more than $200. Call the judge in advance to arrange any ceremony, at the courthouse or elsewhere.
Official requirement

A leader of a religious institution or an Associate District or District Judge. The fees and availability for each Judge may vary.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony

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

The Recorder publishes no return deadline on its own marriage pages. The officiant brochure it distributes, written by the Iowa Department of Public Health, tells officiants to return the completed Certificate of Marriage to the County Registrar in the county that issued the license, and states that by law officiants must file the record for registration within 15 days.

Not published by this office
Processing

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

The Recorder does not publish how soon the license itself is ready. It does publish that same-day service in the Vital Records Department ends at 3:30pm, and that the license is collected from the County Registrar.

Not published by this office

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • Polk County states it is making its best efforts to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA
  • Accessibility problems and suggestions can be emailed to ADACompliance@polkcountyiowa.gov
  • The Vital Records Department can be reached on 515-286-3781, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Official requirement

Polk County, Iowa is committed to making its websites accessible and usable for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. We are making our best efforts to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards.

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Polk County?
The fee is $35, set by the Polk County Recorder's Office, Vital Records Department (County Registrar).
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Polk County?
Yes. A waiting period of 4 days applies between issuance and the ceremony. A waiver is available in some circumstances.
How long is a Polk 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 Polk County?
Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.

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 RecordsPolk County Recorder's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. FAQ — MarriagesPolk County Recorder's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Accessibility StatementPolk County, Iowa · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. Solemnizing Marriages in IowaIowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Statistics (distributed by the Polk County Recorder) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. Iowa Code Chapter 595 — MarriageIowa Legislature — Iowa Code chapter 595 (Marriage) · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • The Recorder's marriage FAQ describes the wait as "The waiting period of 3 business days begins once the application is complete and received in our office with the appropriate fee." The dedicated marriage-records page instead publishes a table computing the valid date as four calendar days after the application date with weekend days counted, and the officiant brochure the Recorder distributes gives the same rule ("the 4th day after the date of application"). The four-calendar-day rule is recorded here: it is the more specific statement, it is the one the office publishes on its marriage page, and it matches Iowa Code section 595.4(2), which makes the license valid on the expiry of three days after issuance. The FAQ's "business days" wording appears nowhere else and would give a later date.

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