Franklin County marriage license
To marry in Franklin County, you apply to the Franklin County Probate Court, Marriage Department. There, both applicants must appear together.
- Fee
- $65
- Waiting period
- NoneMarry the same day
- License valid
- 60 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 30, 20264 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- Yes
The online application is mandatory but it is not the license and does not replace the in-person appearance. It must be completed within 30 days of appearing in person — a 30-day application clock that is separate from the 60-day life of the issued license. Fully remote appointments exist only in very limited circumstances: a disability that medically precludes coming to the courthouse, or active-duty military deployed out of state, and only for Franklin County residents.
Official requirementAll applicants must complete the online application before they appear in person for their license.
- Apply in person
- Yes
Licenses are issued at the courthouse on a walk-in basis from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 373 South High Street, 23rd Floor, Columbus. In-person appointments can be scheduled only in limited and extraordinary circumstances.
Official requirementThe Franklin County Probate Court Marriage Department hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30 pm. However, the last marriage license is issued at 4:00 p.m. and both parties must be present at that time.
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 last license is issued at 4:00 p.m. and both parties must be present at that time. Remote appearance is possible only in very limited circumstances (a disability that medically precludes attendance, or deployed active-duty military), and only for Franklin County residents.
Official requirementBoth applicants are required by law to appear in the Probate Court to obtain their marriage license.
- Residency
- Ohio residents must obtain the license in a county where either applicant resides, so at least one applicant must live in Franklin County for this Court to issue it, and proof of residency is required. If an applicant's photo ID does not show a current Franklin County address, an alternate proof dated within the last 30 days is required — a utility bill, lease agreement, mortgage statement, bank statement, Social Security statement or other government benefit letter. Couples where both applicants reside out of state may obtain a Franklin County license only if the ceremony will take place in Franklin County.Official requirement
Ohio residents may obtain a marriage license within the county where either applicant resides. At least one applicant must live in Franklin County for a marriage license to be issued by this court.
Identification and personal information
We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.
- Identification
- An unexpired photo ID that includes the applicant's birth date, for each applicant
- Each applicant's Social Security number, if they have one
- Proof of Franklin County residency from at least one applicant if the photo IDs show an address in another county or state — a utility bill, lease agreement, mortgage statement, bank statement, Social Security statement or other government benefit letter dated within the last 30 days
- If a previous marriage ended in divorce or annulment: a certified copy of the most recent decree
- If a previous marriage ended in death: a certified copy of the death certificate
- Proof of any legal name change granted to an applicant
- Any required document issued by a foreign government in another language must be professionally translated, with an attestation from the qualified translator
The Court does not publish a list of which photo-ID document types it accepts.
Official requirementBoth applicants must provide a valid photo ID and provide their social security number if they have one.
- Social Security number
- Each applicant must provide their Social Security number if they have one. Social Security numbers do not become part of the Court's public records.Official requirement
Both applicants must provide a valid photo ID and provide their social security number if they have one. Social security numbers do not become a part of the Court's public records.
- Age
- Adults aged 18 or over may apply. Applicants may not be nearer of kin than second cousins to each other and may not have a living spouse.Official requirement
Individual adults who are 18 or over, who are not nearer of kin than second cousins to the other applicant, and who do not have a living spouse may apply for a license with their intended spouse.
- Applicants under 18
- An applicant under 18 must first file a petition for consent to the marriage of a minor with the Franklin County Juvenile Court. The Probate Court will not accept an application or issue a license any sooner than 14 days after the Juvenile Court's final order of consent is filed, and a certified copy of that order must be provided before an application will be accepted.
The Court directs applicants to contact the Franklin County Juvenile Court first, to confirm eligibility and start the consent process, before contacting the Marriage Department.
Applies in some casesAny applicant under the age of 18 must first file a petition for consent to the marriage of a minor with the Franklin County Juvenile Court.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- If a previous marriage ended in divorce or annulment, the applicant must provide a certified copy of the most recent divorce, annulment or dissolution decree, along with the case numbers, dates and locations (county, state, country) of all previous marriages, the names of previous spouses and all current minor children. If a previous marriage ended in death, a certified copy of the death certificate is required. Franklin County sets no time limit — the certified copy is required however long ago the marriage ended.
A decree or certificate issued by a foreign government in another language must be professionally translated with a translator's attestation.
Applies in some casesIf the marriage ended in divorce or annulment, the applicant(s) must provide a certified copy of the most recent divorce/annulment/dissolution decree along with case numbers/dates/locations (county/state/country) of all previous marriages, names of previous spouses and all current minor children.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $65
The license fee is non-refundable. A 3% service fee applies to all credit/debit card transactions. Certified marriage abstracts are $2 per copy. Correcting a minor error found after issuance is $5; amending an application to add previous marriages is $35 and requires both parties to sign before a notary.
Official requirementThe fee for the license is $65.00.
- Payment methods
- Cash
- Money order
- Credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard and Discover)
A 3% service fee applies to all credit/debit card transactions, and card transaction fees are non-refundable.
Official requirementFee is payable in cash, money order, or credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted).
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- None
Unlike some Ohio counties, Franklin County publishes this itself, in its own FAQ. It matches R.C. 3101.05, under which a probate judge may grant the license at any time after the application is made. Arrive by 4:00 p.m. with all required documents and the license is issued the same day. Exceptions: an applicant under 18 faces a statutory 14-day delay after the Juvenile Court files its consent order, and an applicant under guardianship will not receive same-day issuance because a magistrate must review the application.
Official requirementNo. After the application is accepted there is no waiting period to receive the license.
- Waiver
This does not apply here.
There is no waiting period to waive.
Not applicable hereA probate judge may grant a marriage license under this section at any time after the application is made.
- License expires
- 60 days
The 60 days run from the date of issuance; if the ceremony is rescheduled outside that window, another license must be issued. Do not confuse this with the 30-day validity of the online application — that is a separate clock and it does not extend the license.
Official requirementThe license is valid for 60 days from its date of issuance. If applicants reschedule their ceremony outside of that time, another license must be issued.
- Where it is valid
- Where at least one applicant is an Ohio resident, the license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in the State of Ohio. Where both applicants reside out of state, the license must be obtained in the county where the ceremony will take place, so a Franklin County license serves such a couple only for a ceremony in Franklin County.
Franklin County publishes both branches of Ohio's rule itself. The out-of-state branch mirrors R.C. 3101.05, which provides that if neither party is an Ohio resident the marriage may be solemnized only in the county where the license is obtained.
Official requirementThe license is valid anywhere in the State of Ohio.
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
This office does not publish this. Confirm with them directly before relying on it.
The Probate Court publishes no witness requirement or count, and no witness requirement appears in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3101. This is recorded as unpublished rather than as "no witnesses required".
Not published by this office- Officiant
- Only an ordained or licensed officiant registered with the Ohio Secretary of State, a judge (a municipal court judge, or another judge with an order from the probate judge), a mayor, or the Superintendent of the State School for the Deaf may solemnize a marriage. Officiant registration can be checked through the Ohio Secretary of State's ministers search. The Probate Court itself does not perform civil ceremonies; couples may schedule one with the Franklin County Municipal Court, and the Court encourages booking that ceremony before the license appointment so the license is still valid on the ceremony date.Official requirement
Only an ordained or licensed officiant who is registered with the Secretary of the State of Ohio, a judge, a mayor, or the Superintendent of the State School for the Deaf may solemnize a marriage.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- After the ceremony the officiant must sign and return the certification to the Probate Court. The Court cannot issue a certified marriage abstract until the signed certification has been returned; couples can confirm it was filed by checking the "Certif Returned" date on their entry in the Marriage License Index. The Court publishes no filing deadline for the return.Official requirement
The Court cannot issue a Marriage Abstract until the Certification has been signed by your officiant and returned.
- Processing
- Same-day issuance: arrive by 4:00 p.m. with all required documents and the license is issued during the visit. The last license is issued at 4:00 p.m. and both parties must be present at that time. An applicant under guardianship will not receive same-day issuance because a magistrate must review the application.
Certified marriage abstracts are $2 per copy; mailed abstracts are sent by standard U.S. Mail only — the Court no longer offers expedited delivery.
Official requirementIf you arrive by 4:00 p.m. with all of your required documents, we will be able to issue your license the same day.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- Official requirement
- Interpretation services can be provided; contact the Probate Court ahead of the appointment to request an interpreter
- In very limited circumstances the Court may conduct a remote appointment for an applicant with a disability that medically precludes coming to the courthouse (Franklin County residents only)
- The Marriage Department answers email (marriage@franklincountyohio.gov) and phone (614-525-3108) questions during business hours, aiming to respond within 48 business hours
Interpretation services can be provided. Please contact the Probate Court ahead of your appointment to request an interpreter.
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in Franklin County?
- The fee is $65, set by the Franklin County Probate Court, Marriage Department.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in Franklin County?
- No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
- How long is a Franklin County marriage license valid?
- The license is valid for 60 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
- Do both partners have to appear in person in Franklin County?
- Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
- Do we have to be residents to marry in Franklin County?
- Ohio residents must obtain the license in a county where either applicant resides, so at least one applicant must live in Franklin County for this Court to issue it, and proof of residency is required. If an applicant's photo ID does not show a current Franklin County address, an alternate proof dated within the last 30 days is required — a utility bill, lease agreement, mortgage statement, bank statement, Social Security statement or other government benefit letter. Couples where both applicants reside out of state may obtain a Franklin County license only if the ceremony will take place in Franklin County.
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.
- MarriageFranklin County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Marriage License RequirementsFranklin County Probate Court · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Ohio Revised Code Section 3101.05 — Application for marriage licenseOhio Laws and Administrative Rules, Legislative Service Commission · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
- Ohio Revised Code Section 3101.07 — Expiration date of licenseOhio Laws and Administrative Rules, Legislative Service Commission · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-30
Recorded conflicts
- Two different clocks appear in the Court's own material. The mandatory online application is valid for 30 days and must be completed within 30 days of appearing in person, while the issued license is valid for 60 days from issuance. The 30-day figure is an application lifespan, not the license.
- Franklin County publishes its nil waiting period itself — "No. After the application is accepted there is no waiting period to receive the license" — unlike some Ohio probate courts that leave it to statute. R.C. 3101.05's "at any time after the application is made" is cited as corroboration, not as the substitute for county silence. The zero-day figure applies to standard adult applications: an under-18 applicant faces a statutory 14-day delay after the Juvenile Court files its consent order, and a guardianship case loses same-day issuance to magistrate review.
- Ohio's ceremony-location rule is conditional, not general. The Court states the license is valid anywhere in Ohio, and separately that couples where both applicants reside out of state must obtain their license in the county where the ceremony will take place — mirroring R.C. 3101.05, which confines such a couple's ceremony to the issuing county. Both branches are recorded so that neither is over-generalized.
- Payment methods differ slightly between the Court's pages: the Marriage overview page says the fee "can be paid by cash or credit/debit card", while the Marriage License Requirements page adds money order and names Visa, MasterCard and Discover with a 3% card service fee. The fuller requirements-page list is recorded.
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