Marriage
MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICATION

  • Applications for a marriage license shall be made by BOTH parties.  Both parties are required to come in a sign the application at the same time.
  • Marriage licenses are provided between 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
  • If you have been previously married and are divorced, please provide most current information on the application.
  • Identification is necessary for persons under 25.
  • The marriage license is valid for a period of 6 months.
  • The marriage license is valid only in the State of Minnesota.

Should you have any questions, please call the office at 507-238-3213.

Notice to a marriage applicant with a felony conviction.

As of August 1, 2023, Legislation does not allow for a person who has a felony conviction to change their name through the marriage process.  The name change process must be completed through the district court.

MN Residents - Minnesota Statute 259.10 lays out the requirements for a MN resident to apply for a name change through the district court.  M.S. 259.13, subd. 5 allows a person with a felony conviction to apply for a name change through the district court for no fee if the person files the action within 180 days after the marriage and a certified copy of the marriage certificate is submitted to the court.

Non-MN Residents – Contact the district court for your county of residence for further guidance.

MARRIAGE LICENSE FEE INFORMATION

Marriage License     $115.00
Marriage License / Pre-Marital Counseling     $40.00

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
Martin County marriage records date back to 1857.
Marriage Certificate    $9.00 each
Marriage records can be found in the county in which the marriage license was issued.

CHECK OUT THE STATEWIDE MARRIAGE INDEX

MOMS-LOGO_SM

MOMS® is a statewide marriage index that has been created by the 85 Minnesota counties to help locate marriage records and obtain a certified copy of that record.

The site has been updated and can be found at:
Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS®) https://moms.mn.gov


Ordination Credentials:

In order to perform marriages in this state you must be 21 years of age and a Certificate of Filing (see form below) along with ordination document or license (if applicable) must be filed in any county within the State of Minnesota.  As of August 1, 2023 the laws have changed as below as it pertains to what needs to be provided to the Recorder's office for filing.

MINNESOTA STATUTE 517.04 PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM CIVIL MARRIAGES

Civil marriages may be solemnized throughout the state by an individual who has attained the age of 21 years and is a judge of a court of record, a retired judge of a court of record, a court administrator, a retired court administrator with the approval of the chief judge of the judicial district, a former court commissioner who is employed by the court system or is acting pursuant to an order of the chief judge of the commissioner's judicial district, the residential school superintendent of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, a licensed or ordained minister of any religious denomination, an individual who registers as a civil marriage officiant with a local registrar in a county of this state, or by any mode recognized in section 517.18. For purposes of this section, a court of record includes the Office of Administrative Hearings under section 14.48.

OR

MINNESOTA STATUTE 517.05 CREDENTIALS OF MINISTER.

Ministers of any religious denomination, before they are authorized to solemnize a civil marriage, shall file a copy of their credentials of license or ordination or, if their religious denomination does not issue credentials, authority from the minister's spiritual assembly, with the local registrar of a county in this state, who shall record the same and give a certificate of filing thereof. The place where the credentials are recorded shall be endorsed upon and recorded with each certificate of civil marriage granted by a minister.

  • Ordination filing fee of $50.00 is also required.
Certificate of Filing

If you have any questions, please contact the County Recorder's office at 507-238-3213.