Sedgwick County marriage license
To marry in Sedgwick County, you apply to the Clerk of the District Court, 18th Judicial District of Kansas (Sedgwick County), Records Department. There, the applicants do not both have to appear, there is no residency requirement and the license is valid throughout the state.
- Fee
- $85.50
- Waiting period
- 3 daysWaiver available
- License valid
- 6 monthsFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- NoNeither of you goes to the courthouse at all
Reviewed July 30, 20266 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- Yes
The 18th Judicial District publishes only the statewide online application run by the Kansas Judicial Branch. The completed license is emailed to the address given on the application, so check the spam folder if it does not arrive.
Official requirementTo apply for a Marriage License please fill out the application at https://self-help.kscourts.gov/MarriageLicense
- Apply in person
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Clerk publishes only the online application route and does not say whether an application can still be made at the courthouse counter. Its forms page lists no marriage application. You do not need a counter visit — the electronic signature is treated as appearing before the clerk — but whether one is still possible is unpublished; call the Records Department if you have no email address.
Not published by this office
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
- No
Who has to take part is not set in Sedgwick County. Kansas district courts are units of the state judiciary, and the 18th Judicial District has no application of its own — its marriage instructions send every applicant to the Kansas Judicial Branch's single statewide online application, so that application governs. K.S.A. 23-2505(a) has the clerk issue "when applied to for a marriage license by any person who is one of the parties to the proposed marriage", and K.S.A. 23-2515 puts the pre-issuance oath on "the applicant", singular. Nothing in Article 25 requires the second party to appear.
Neither of you goes to the courthouse at all. One party fills in the statewide online application, which carries the details of both partners, and the electronic signature on it stands in law for appearing before the clerk. The license is then emailed out. The 18th Judicial District publishes no counter route, so there is nothing to attend even if you wanted to.
Official requirementNo. When you electronically sign your marriage license application, it is treated as if you appeared in person. You are not required to visit the courthouse.
- Residency
- No residency requirement. Neither party has to live in Sedgwick County or in Kansas to apply. Kansas restricts where the license may be used, not who may apply for one — see where the license is valid.
No such requirement appears in the state statute that governs how a marriage is made here. The office itself publishes nothing either way.
Chapter 23, Article 25 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A. 23-2501 to 23-2518) governs marriage license issuance in Kansas from application through to the return of the endorsed license, and no section of it conditions a license on either party's residence. K.S.A. 23-2515 goes further and enumerates what the clerk must satisfy itself of before granting a license — the incest bars in K.S.A. 23-2503 — and residence is not among them. The 18th Judicial District publishes nothing either way. What the Kansas Judicial Branch does say is the mirror-image point about the ceremony: a Kansas resident marrying in another state must get that state's license instead.
Official requirementIn all cases, before granting a marriage license the judge or clerk of the district court shall require the applicant for such license to take and subscribe to an oath to the effect that none of the reasons set forth in K.S.A. 23-2503 exist why such applicant should not be granted a marriage license
Identification and personal information
We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.
- Identification
- None. No identification and no documents are submitted or shown to apply — the Kansas Judicial Branch answers "No" to whether anything must be produced
- You do have to enter, for both parties: full legal name, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number, current address, parents' names and birthplaces, previous marriage details, plus a valid email address and an online payment method
- A copy of one party's driver's license is asked for only afterwards, and only if you email the Records Department about an error on a license already issued
There is no Sedgwick County identification list because there is no Sedgwick County application. The 18th Judicial District directs every applicant to the Kansas Judicial Branch's statewide online application and publishes no alternative, so what that application demands — and does not demand — is what applies here. Article 25 of the Kansas statutes imposes no documentary requirement of its own either.
The absence of an ID check is a consequence of how Kansas issues: the application is sworn online under penalty of perjury and the license is emailed out, so there is no counter at which to show anything. Make sure the email address on the application is one you watch, and check the spam folder.
Official requirementAm I Required to Submit Documents or Show Identification When I Apply for a Marriage License? No.
- Social Security number
- The application asks for each party's Social Security number. A party who does not have one is not turned away: the Kansas Judicial Branch says to enter 999-99-9999 in the field instead.
The field and its fallback are set by the Kansas Judicial Branch's statewide online application, which is the only route the 18th Judicial District offers. It is not a Sedgwick County rule.
The 18th Judicial District publishes nothing on this; the requirement belongs to the statewide application it sends you to.
Official requirementWhat If I Don't Have a Social Security Number? Enter 999-99-9999 as the number.
- Age
- Both applicants must be 18 to obtain a marriage license, unless a parent, guardian or judge consents.
Kansas statute forbids a clerk or judge to issue a license to anyone under 16, except that a judge may consent to the marriage of a 15-year-old after investigation and only where the marriage is in that person's best interest.
Official requirementYou must be 18 years old to get a marriage license, unless you have permission from a parent, guardian, or a judge.
- Applicants under 18
- An applicant aged 16 or 17 needs a parent or legal guardian to complete a consent form, and the judge's consent as well unless every living parent and any legal guardian consents. Apply for the license first: the court clerk then sends the consent form, which is not available online. Where both parents are dead and there is no legal guardian, a judge may give consent. A judge may consent to the marriage of a 15-year-old only after investigation and only where the marriage is in that person's best interest; no license is issued to anyone under 16 otherwise.Applies in some cases
If you are 16 or 17 years old, you will need a parent or guardian to complete the consent form. A judge may give consent if both of your parents are deceased and you do not have a legal guardian.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- Only if a party was married before. The application asks for the previous marriage details of each party. No decree, certificate or other document has to be produced, and if you do not know the date a divorce was granted the Kansas Judicial Branch says to enter 99/99/9999.
What the application asks about a prior marriage is set by the Kansas Judicial Branch's statewide online application, the only route the 18th Judicial District publishes, and not by Sedgwick County.
The 18th Judicial District publishes no rule of its own. Kansas has no post-divorce waiting period, so a recent divorce does not by itself delay the license.
Applies in some casesWhat If I Don't Know the Date of My Divorce? Enter 99/99/9999 as the date.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $85.50
A payment surcharge is added on top: $2.14 by credit or debit card, $1.25 by electronic check.
Official requirementA marriage license is $85.50. You will also be charged a $2.14 fee if you pay by credit or debit card, or a $1.25 fee if you pay by electronic check.
- Payment methods
- Credit card (adds a $2.14 fee)
- Debit card (adds a $2.14 fee)
- Electronic check (adds a $1.25 fee)
Payment is taken online as part of the application.
Official requirementA marriage license is $85.50. You will also be charged a $2.14 fee if you pay by credit or debit card, or a $1.25 fee if you pay by electronic check.
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- 3 days
The three days run from the day the application is filed, not from issuance, and Kansas statute counts Sundays, holidays and days the clerk's office is closed. Do not plan on the three days alone: after they pass, the Clerk takes up to 10 more business days to create and email the license, and you cannot marry before the license is issued.
Official requirementWhen you apply for your Marriage License there will be a 3-Day waiting period before we can start working on your License.
- Waiver
- Yes. The application contains a waiver you can choose to complete, explaining why the license is urgent. The Clerk takes the explanation to a judge, who approves or denies waiving the three-day wait, and the Clerk emails you either way. Kansas statute lets a district court judge permit issuance without waiting three days in cases of emergency or extraordinary circumstances, on proper showing.Official requirement
If you have an urgent reason to need your Marriage License before the 3-Day waiting period, there is a waiver in the application you can choose to fill out with your explanation why you need it expedited.
- License expires
- 6 months
The six months run from the date the clerk issues the license, not from the date you applied. If the ceremony does not happen within that window you must apply for a new license.
Official requirementA marriage license is valid for six months from the date it is issued by the clerk. If you do not get married within that six months, you must apply for a new marriage license.
- Where it is valid
- A Kansas marriage license may be used for a ceremony anywhere in Kansas, not only in Sedgwick County. It is not valid for a ceremony outside Kansas.
Kansas statute sets no county restriction: the license is addressed "TO ANY PERSON authorized by law to perform the marriage ceremony" and authorizes solemnization anywhere in the state. The Kansas Judicial Branch tells Kansas residents marrying in another state to obtain a license from that state instead.
Official requirementMarriage may be validly solemnized and contracted in this state, after a license has been issued for the marriage
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
- Two witnesses over the age of 18, other than the person officiating, must be present at the ceremony, and their names must be printed on the marriage license.Official requirement
Your marriage will require two witnesses over the age of 18, their names need to be PRINTED on your Marriage License.
- Officiant
- Boxes 30 through 38 of the license are completed by the officiant, the judge, or the couple themselves, and must be printed legibly. The Records Department will email a list of judges who perform marriage ceremonies on request. Kansas statute authorizes clergy and religious authorities, licentiates or appointees of a denomination, any judge or justice of a court of record including a retired one, and any municipal judge of a Kansas city; it also allows the two parties to marry without an officiant by mutual declaration under the customs of a religious society to which either belongs.Official requirement
If you need a list of judges that perform marriage ceremonies, please email us at sg.micro@kscourts.gov.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- Return the completed paper license to the Sedgwick County Records Department, 525 N Main, Wichita, KS 67203 — by mail, in person on the 6th floor of the courthouse, or in the black drop box on Main Street in front of the courthouse. Check that boxes 30 to 38 are complete and legible first. The District Court then forwards the completed license to the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics.
The Kansas Judicial Branch adds that the license must be returned to the court that issued it within 10 days of the marriage, and that either the couple or the officiant may return it. The 18th Judicial District does not restate a deadline.
Official requirementCompleted marriage licenses are first filed with the District Court in the county where the marriage license was issued. The District Courts then forward the completed licenses to the Office of Vital Statistics.
- Processing
- After the three-day waiting period the Clerk takes up to 10 more business days to create the license and email it. Allow about two weeks from the date you apply, and note that you cannot marry before the license has been issued.
Certified copies come from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics, not the court: the Clerk releases the record to Vital Statistics and says to allow 10 business days after returning the license before requesting a copy.
Official requirementOnce those 3 days have passed, it can take up to 10 additional business days for us to create and email your Marriage License to you.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- Official requirement
- The Kansas Judicial Branch states a policy of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Accommodation requests go to the 18th Judicial District ADA Coordinator, Court Administration, Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N Main St, 11th floor, Wichita — telephone (316) 660-5801, TDD 711
- Requests should be made at least five working days before a scheduled court proceeding
- The court publishes Spanish and Vietnamese versions of its website at es.dc18.org and vi.dc18.org
It is the policy of the Kansas Judicial Branch to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C.A. Section 12101, et seq.
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in Sedgwick County?
- The fee is $85.50, set by the Clerk of the District Court, 18th Judicial District of Kansas (Sedgwick County), Records Department.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Sedgwick County?
- Yes. A waiting period of 3 days applies between issuance and the ceremony. A waiver is available in some circumstances.
- How long is a Sedgwick County marriage license valid?
- The license is valid for 6 months from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
- Do both partners have to appear in person in Sedgwick County?
- No. Neither of you goes to the courthouse at all.
- Do we have to be residents to marry in Sedgwick County?
- No residency requirement. Neither party has to live in Sedgwick County or in Kansas to apply. Kansas restricts where the license may be used, not who may apply for one — see where the license is valid.
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.
- Records — Marriage License Information18th Judicial District Court of Kansas — Clerk of the District Court, Sedgwick County (Records Department) · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Americans With Disabilities Act18th Judicial District Court of Kansas · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Marriage License — Kansas Self-HelpKansas Judicial Branch, Office of Judicial Administration · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- K.S.A. 23-2515 — Proof of relationship of parties; oath required before granting a licenseKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- K.S.A. 23-2505 — Issuance of marriage license; waiting period; emergency; expiration of licenseKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- K.S.A. 23-2504 — Solemnizing marriage; persons authorized to officiateKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
Recorded conflicts
- A paper "Uniform Application and Affidavit for Marriage License in the 18th Judicial District, District Court of Sedgwick County, Kansas" was previously hosted on the court's forms server. It is no longer listed on the court's forms page, and the Clerk's own marriage instructions direct every applicant to the statewide online application and publish no counter route. The paper form is treated as superseded and no fact in this record is taken from it.
- The 18th Judicial District publishes fees, timing, witnesses and return instructions but no application of its own — it sends every applicant to the Kansas Judicial Branch's statewide online application. Who must take part, what identification is needed and what the application asks for are therefore taken from that statewide application as the Judicial Branch documents it, and from Chapter 23, Article 25 of the Kansas statutes. Each such field carries that explanation on the page. The application itself runs on a vendor portal (ks.accessgov.com); it was opened only to confirm the route and no fact in this record comes from it.
- K.S.A. 23-2510 sets the statutory license fee at $59 plus a Supreme Court surcharge of up to $26.50 that the section's own text authorizes only through June 30, 2025. Both the 18th Judicial District and the Kansas Judicial Branch publish $85.50 as the fee actually charged, and that is the figure recorded here.
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