MARRIAGE LICENSES
Frequently Asked
Questions
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What are the fees for a marriage license?
$15.00, paid for by check or cash.
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What is the minimum age for marriage in Nebraska?
Both the bride and the groom
must be a minimum age of seventeen and minors under the age of 19 must have
parental consent to marry. A valid
driver's license, picture ID or certified birth certificate must be provided
when applying for a marriage license. Parental
Consent Form
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Are rubella tests for female applicants still required?
No blood tests are required.
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How soon can parties remarry after a divorce?
In Nebraska, a decree dissolving marriage becomes final and
operative six months after the decree was rendered or upon the death of one of
the parties, whichever comes first.
Neither applicant would be able to apply for a marriage license before
the six month waiting period is over.
The applicants will be required to submit the date the previous marriage
ended.
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How closely related may the parties be?
Marriages are void when the parties are related to each
other as parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, brother or sister,
half-brother or half sister, whole first cousins, uncle and niece, or aunt and
nephew. This applies to children and
relatives born in or out of wedlock.
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Must a minister be a resident of or certified in Nebraska?
No. Nebraska
certification of residence is not needed as long as the minister is authorized
to perform marriage ceremonies by the denomination to which he or she
belongs.
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Are same-sex marriages accepted in Nebraska?
No. The State of
Nebraska does not recognize same-sex marriages from any state.
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What do we do if we want to be married by a judge?
A couple can be married by the clerk magistrate from the
County Court but an appointment must be made with her. Contact Clerk Magistrate Carol Brown at
375-1622 for details.
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Can minors be witnesses?
State marriage license statutes require that at least two witnesses,
in addition to the minister or magistrate, be present at the ceremony. State statutes do not make a distinction as
to a minimum age for these witnesses.
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Can a marriage license be issued by mail?
No, both the bride and groom must be present to sign the
paperwork, however, the bride and groom do not have to be present at the same
time.
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What kind of information is required for the marriage
application?
Birthplaces and middle names of the bride and groom,
along with the birthplaces and middle names of both sets of parents. Marriage
License Application
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How soon before the marriage ceremony can a license be
issued?
There is no waiting period before a marriage license can be
issued. Please allow a minimum of 30
minutes for the paperwork to be completed.
Licenses are valid for one year from date of issuance. Application for a marriage license can be
made in any county in Nebraska and used to be married in any other Nebraska
county.
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Can an official copy of a marriage license be obtained from
the County Clerk's office?
If you had a marriage license issued in Wayne County,
a certified copy can be obtained for $5.00.
information required is the groom's name, brides' maiden name and year
of marriage.
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Must social security numbers be included on the application?
Yes. If a party does
not possess a social security number, a written statement from the party is
required and attached to the marriage application.
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If a foreign birth certificate is presented as proof of age,
must that document be accepted?
Each party applying for a marriage license shall present
satisfactory documentary proof and shall swear to the application giving the
place, date and year of their birth, full name of each applicant and
residence. Satisfactory documentary
proof of identity includes a photo id of each party.
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Marriage License
Applications may be picked up at the Wayne County Clerk's Office
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
