MarriageLicenseCheck

Yellowstone County marriage license

Issued by the Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court

To marry in Yellowstone County, you apply to the Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court. There, the applicants do not both have to appear and the license is valid throughout the state.

Fee
$53
Waiting period
NoneMarry the same day
License valid
180 daysFrom issuance
Both must appear
NoOnly one partner has to come to the counter

Reviewed July 30, 20267 official sourcesSee sources

Where to apply

Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court

Apply online
Yes

The online form starts the application. The license is still collected in person at the Clerk of District Court's office, where payment is taken.

Official requirement

Begin online Marriage License Application process

Apply in person
Yes

The office is in Room 704 of the Yellowstone County Courthouse, 217 N 27th St, Billings. Appointment slots are published for Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00am to 10:30am and Tuesday and Thursday 12:00pm to 4:30pm.

Official requirement

We recommend scheduling an appointment to obtain a marriage license. If you do not have an appointment or arrive late for your appointment, you may experience delays.

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 must appear is usually the issuing office's own practice, but Montana fixes it by statute. MCA 40-1-202 makes issuance a duty rather than a discretion — the clerk "shall issue" once the application is signed by both parties, at least one party has appeared, and the fee is paid — and the same sentence fixes the $53 fee this office charges. Parts 1 and 2 of Title 40, Chapter 1 were read section by section on 30 July 2026 and no provision requires both parties to attend.

Only one partner has to come to the counter, though both must complete and sign the application. Montana Code Annotated 40-1-201(3) expressly allows an applicant who lives outside the county to complete and swear their part of the application before the official who accepts license applications where they live. The Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court publishes no appearance rule of its own, so a couple sending one partner alone should call 406-256-2869 first to settle how the absent partner's signed and sworn part reaches the office.

Official requirement

Except as provided in 40-1-301, when a marriage application has been completed and signed by both parties to a prospective marriage and at least one party has appeared before the clerk of the district court and paid the marriage license fee of $53, the clerk of the district court shall issue a license to marry and a marriage certificate form upon being furnished:

Residency

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

The Clerk publishes no residency requirement. Its guidance covers Montana residents obtaining a license in any county, but says nothing either way about applicants from outside Montana.

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 driver's license, State ID or passport

Applicants must also be ready to state their birth city, county, state or foreign country; their Social Security number; each parent's full name, state or country of birth and current city and state of residence; and, where applicable, the dates and county or state of any previous marriage dissolution or spouse's death.

Official requirement

ID – Driver’s License, State ID or Passport

Social Security number
Applicants must know their Social Security number when they apply.

The Clerk lists this under "Questions Applicants Will Need to Know the Answers To" and does not publish what happens where an applicant has no Social Security number.

Official requirement

Social security number

Age
Each applicant must have reached 18 by the time the license takes effect, or be 16 or 17 with judicial approval.
Official requirement

satisfactory proof that each party to the marriage will have attained 18 years of age at the time the marriage license is effective or will have attained 16 years of age and has obtained judicial approval as provided in 40-1-213

Applicants under 18
An applicant under 18 needs three things: a parent or legal guardian must sign the marriage application; the applicant must show proof of two counseling sessions held at least ten days apart with a court-approved counselor; and a District Court judge must approve and sign the application. The judge may require a conference with the applicants and guardian or guardians.

Montana Code Annotated 40-1-213 sets the same test in statute and adds that the court must find the underaged party capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage, with pregnancy alone not sufficient.

Applies in some cases

Proof of two counseling sessions, ten days apart, with a court approved counselor.

Prior-marriage documents

If a marriage ended
An applicant who has been married before must know the date of the dissolution or of the spouse's death and the county and state where it happened. The Clerk does not publish any requirement to produce a decree or certificate.
Applies in some cases

If applicable … must know the dates of applicant’s previous marriage dissolution or spousal death and the county/state of occurrence

Fee and payment

Fee
$53

A 3% processing fee is added to credit and debit card transactions. Personal checks are not accepted.

Official requirement

$53.00 - payable by cash, money order, cashier's check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover.

Payment methods
  • Cash
  • Money order
  • Cashier's check
  • Visa (3% processing fee)
  • MasterCard (3% processing fee)
  • Discover (3% processing fee)

Personal checks are not accepted.

Official requirement

Note: If paying by credit or debit card 3% processing fee will be added to your transaction. Please note that we will not accept a personal check.

Waiting period and expiration

Waiting period
None

Montana statute states the license takes effect the moment it is issued, so a ceremony may be held the same day.

Official requirement

A license to marry is effective upon issuance and expires after 180 days.

Waiver

This does not apply here.

There is no waiting period to waive.

Not applicable here
License expires
180 days

A ceremony held after the 180th day is not covered by the license.

Official requirement

Marriage License is valid for 180 days from date of issuance to ceremony.

Where it is valid
Valid for a ceremony in any county in Montana, not just Yellowstone County.

Montana Code Annotated 40-1-201 puts the same rule in statute.

Official requirement

Montana Residents may obtain a marriage license in any county and get married in any Montana county.

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 count for a marriage solemnised under a license.

Not published by this office
Officiant
The Clerk of District Court does not perform ceremonies. Couples who would like a judge to officiate are directed to contact Justice Court on 406-256-2998.

Montana also allows a couple to marry without a ceremony by filing a Declaration of Marriage with the Clerk of District Court. The Clerk publishes that the application process and the $53.00 fee are the same, and that the couple is legally married once the declaration is filed.

Official requirement

If you would like a judge to perform your ceremony, please contact Justice Court at 406-256-2998.

Returning and recording the license

After the ceremony

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

The Clerk publishes no deadline or procedure for returning the completed marriage certificate after the ceremony.

Not published by this office
Processing
The license is issued during the office visit. Allow at least thirty minutes, and start no later than 4:30 p.m.

Arriving without an appointment, or late for one, may mean delays.

Official requirement

Please plan for at least thirty minutes for the issuance of your license. 4:30 p.m. is the latest a license can be started.

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 of District Court publishes no accessibility statement or language-assistance information for the marriage license service.

Not published by this office

Common questions

How much does a marriage license cost in Yellowstone County?
The fee is $53, set by the Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court.
Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Yellowstone County?
No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
How long is a Yellowstone County marriage license valid?
The license is valid for 180 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
Do both partners have to appear in person in Yellowstone County?
No. Only one partner has to come to the counter.

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. District Court — Marriage LicenseYellowstone County Clerk of District Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  2. District Court — Marriage License AppointmentsYellowstone County Clerk of District Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  3. Declaration of Marriage InformationYellowstone County Clerk of District Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
  4. MCA 40-1-201. License applicationMontana Legislative Services Division — Montana Code Annotated 2025 · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  5. MCA 40-1-202. License issuanceMontana Legislative Services Division — Montana Code Annotated 2025 · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  6. MCA 40-1-212. Effective period of licenseMontana Legislative Services Division — Montana Code Annotated 2025 · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
  7. MCA 40-1-213. Judicial approvalMontana Legislative Services Division — Montana Code Annotated 2025 · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30

Recorded conflicts

  • Montana's premarital rubella blood test is gone, but the Clerk's page still links the old paperwork. Under "Forms" the marriage page still offers a "Premarital Certificate Information Sheet" — a Montana DPHHS memo dated 28 September 2007 describing a medical certificate that required a physician's signature on a rubella immunity test for the female applicant — and a Premarital Certificate form. The Clerk's own current "Bring With You" requirements list only the $53.00 fee and photo ID, and the 2025 Montana Code Annotated shows the medical-certificate sections 40-1-204 and 40-1-205 as "Repealed. Sec. 4, Ch. 43, L. 2019", with 40-1-203 now titled "Proof of age" alone. No medical, blood test or rubella requirement is recorded in this record; the linked premarital forms are treated as stale content.
  • The Clerk publishes no rule of its own on whether both applicants must appear, so the appearance answer here comes from Montana statute rather than from the office. Montana Code Annotated 40-1-202 requires the application to be signed by both parties but only "at least one party" to appear before the clerk of the district court, and it makes issuance mandatory once those conditions and the $53 fee are met, leaving the office no discretion to demand more; 40-1-201(3) separately lets a party who lives outside the county swear their part of the application where they live. Parts 1 and 2 of Title 40, Chapter 1 were read section by section on 30 July 2026 and no provision requires both parties to attend. 40-1-301 additionally provides for solemnisation by proxy where one party is on federal active duty or a Montana resident, in which case one party or a legal representative appears before the clerk. Because the Clerk itself is silent, a couple sending one partner alone should call 406-256-2869 to arrange how the absent partner's signed part is delivered.
  • The Clerk publishes "valid for 180 days from date of issuance to ceremony" while Montana Code Annotated 40-1-212 says the license "is effective upon issuance and expires after 180 days". These agree; the statute is cited additionally because it is the only published statement that the license is effective immediately, which is what establishes that there is no waiting period.

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