MarriageLicenseCheck

Jefferson County marriage license

Issued by the Jefferson County Clerk's Office, Professional License Department

To marry in Jefferson County, you apply to the Jefferson County Clerk's Office, Professional License Department. There, both applicants must appear together.

Fee
$60
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
30 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
YesTogether, at the same time

Reviewed July 30, 20262 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Jefferson County Clerk's Office, Professional License Department

Apply online
No

No online application is offered. Although Louisville and Jefferson County operate under the consolidated Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government, the license is issued by the Jefferson County Clerk's Office — a Kentucky county office — not by a Metro agency.

Official requirement

An application for a marriage license must be made in person by both parties at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.

Apply in person
Yes

Apply at any of the Clerk's seven branch locations or at the Professional License Department in Metro Hall, 527 W. Jefferson St., Room 100A, Louisville, KY 40202. Branches accept walk-in traffic.

Official requirement

In Jefferson County, you may make application in person at any of our seven Branch Locations. Or, you may make an application in person at our Professional License Department, located in Metro Hall, 527 W. Jefferson St., Room 100A.

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
Official requirement

Both must be present to obtain a license.

Residency

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

The Clerk states that applicants "may go to any county in Kentucky" for a license, which addresses choice of county, not residency. No residency requirement for applicants is published either way.

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
  • One of: Driver's license
  • Current state picture ID
  • Passport

A birth certificate is not required unless the applicant is under 18. The Clerk's checklist also asks applicants to bring the $60 fee.

Official requirement

Identification is required. Acceptable forms of ID in accordance with the statue and KCCA’s recorder’s manual include: Drivers License, current state picture ID or passport.

Social Security number
A Social Security card is not required.
Official requirement

No, you don't need to bring your social security card.

Age
Both applicants must be 18 or older to apply without a court order.

Kentucky also prohibits marriages between first cousins or persons nearer of kin than second cousins, marriage while an earlier marriage is undissolved, marriage with a person who is mentally incompetent, and common-law and proxy marriages.

Official requirement

Both parties must be 18 years old or older.

Applicants under 18
A 17-year-old must present the Clerk with an order from District Court before applying for a marriage license. No one under 17 may marry in Kentucky under any circumstances.
Applies in some cases

A person 17 years old must present the clerk with an order from District Court first, before applying for a marriage license. No one under 17 years old may marry in Kentucky, under any circumstances.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
No divorce decree is required.

Kentucky law still prohibits marrying while an earlier marriage is undissolved; the Clerk simply does not require the decree as a document.

Official requirement

No, you don't need to bring your divorce decree.

Fee and payment

Fee
$60

The fee rose from $50 to $60 on June 27, 2025. The page's own checklist confirms the current $60 figure.

Official requirement

There is a $50.00 fee ($60 starting June 27, 2025) for a marriage license.

Payment methods
  • Cash
  • Check
  • Money order
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Discover

Money order appears only in the page's checklist ("Check, Credit Card, Cash or Money Order"); the application-process section names cash, checks, Visa, MC and Discover.

Official requirement

We accept cash, checks, Visa, MC and Discover.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
No waiting period

There is also no blood test requirement.

Official requirement

No, there is no waiting period or blood test requirement.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires
30 days

The 30 days include the date of issuance. If the marriage is not solemnized within the 30-day period, the couple must apply for a new license.

Official requirement

Marriage licenses are valid for 30 days, including the date it is issued, and after that time it is invalid.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony in any Kentucky county, but cannot be used outside Kentucky.

A couple may obtain the license in one Kentucky county and marry in another.

Official requirement

Marriage licenses may be used in any Kentucky county and cannot be used anywhere but in Kentucky.

Witness and ceremony notes

Witnesses
At least two people, in addition to the couple and the officiant, must be present at every marriage.
Official requirement

At least two persons, in addition to the parties and the person solemnizing the marriage, must be present at every marriage.

Officiant
Marriages may be solemnized only by clergy; justices and judges of the Court of Justice, including retired justices and judges not removed for cause or convicted of a felony; county judge/executives; justices of the peace and fiscal court commissioners authorized by the Governor or the county judge/executive; and certain religious societies. Ministers and priests need no residency or licensing to perform marriages anywhere in Kentucky.
Official requirement

There are no residency requirements or licensing requirements applicable to ministers or priests who wish to perform marriages in Kentucky.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony
After the ceremony the completed license may be returned to any of the Clerk's branch locations or to the Professional License Department at 527 West Jefferson St., Room 100A, Louisville, KY 40202. No return deadline is published.

The FAQ lists seven branch return locations with their hours.

Official requirement

Where can I return my marriage license after the ceremony?

Processing

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

The Clerk publishes no issuance timeframe. The FAQ is framed for couples marrying within the next 30 days — the license's validity window — and branches accept walk-ins, but same-day issuance is not stated.

Not published by this office

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

Access and language

Published notes
  • Site pages can be viewed in Spanish, French, German, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Japanese, Tagalog (Filipino), Arabic, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Punjabi, Sundanese and Afrikaans via the site's language selector

The site footer links an Accessibility Statement, but the link currently resolves to the site home page.

Official requirement

Select this as your preferred language

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Jefferson County?
The fee is $60, set by the Jefferson County Clerk's Office, Professional License Department.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Jefferson County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Jefferson County marriage license valid?
The license is valid for 30 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Jefferson 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 License Frequently Asked QuestionsJefferson County Clerk's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. Marriage License CopyJefferson County Clerk's Office · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • The FAQ's application-process section still prints the fee as "a $50.00 fee ($60 starting June 27, 2025)". That effective date has passed, and the same page's checklist lists $60, so $60 is recorded as the current fee.
  • The FAQ's checklist lists "Check, Credit Card, Cash or Money Order ($60)" while the application-process section states "We accept cash, checks, Visa, MC and Discover." Both are recorded; money order appears only in the checklist, and the named card brands come from the application-process section.

Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction or read how corrections work.

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