Marriage Licenses / Walker County, TX

Marriage Licenses

Marriage Licenses are issued by Appointment Monday - Friday

8:30 am to 11:00 am and 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm

The fee for the marriage license is $82.00 cash or credit card. (No checks accepted.)

Marriage License Waiting Period: There is a required 3-day waiting period between the time a marriage license is obtained and the ceremony (Texas Family Code, Chapter 2, Section 2.204) The marriage ceremony may not take place during the 72-hour period immediately following the issuance of the marriage license unless an applicant:

License Expiration: A marriage license is valid for 89 days from the date it is issued. A marriage license expires if it has not been used before the 90th day after it was issued. If a couple wishes to marry after the expiration date, a new license must be purchased.

You must be 18 or older to obtain a Marriage License

The Applicants must bring the following to the Walker County Clerk's Office: Proof of identity may include an official copy of the applicant's birth certificate, a driver's license or state-issued identification card, or an approved document issued by Texas or another state, the United States, or a foreign government (i.e., passport, visa, military identification, etc.). Provide Social Security Number of each applicant (if the applicant has one). Applicants do not need to show a Social Security Card.

If divorced, and the divorce was finalized in Texas within the previous 30 days, an applicant must provide a certified copy of the divorce decree which states that the 30-day waiting period has been waived. This does not apply to out-of-state divorcees. If a previously-divorced applicant wishes to use her maiden name, she will need to provide identification showing that maiden name (such as a certified copy of her birth certificate or a certified copy of her divorce decree that states her name is to be changed).

Note: The Texas Twogether Program: Allows applicants to waive a portion of the marriage license fee if they complete a premarital education course and provide a certificate that the course was completed not more than one year before the date of the marriage license.

Following the ceremony, the person authorized to conduct the service must date, sign, and note the county where the ceremony occurred on the certificate. The marriage license must then be returned (You are advised to overnight or mail with a tracking number with an enclosed return envelope) to the Walker County Clerk's Office within 30 days from the ceremony date. Once the office receives the license, it will be copied and filed and the original will be returned to you.

Special Circumstances

Absent Applicant: If an applicant is unable to appear personally before the county clerk to apply for a marriage license, any adult person or the other applicant may apply on behalf of the absent applicant. The clerk may not issue a marriage license for which both applicants are absent unless the person applying on behalf of each applicant provides to the clerk an affidavit of the applicant declaring that the applicant is: A member of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation. [Family Code, Sec. 2.006]. Please see the Absent Applicant Instructions and Form below for more information.

Proxy Information: The only absent applicants that can list a proxy on their affidavit are those that are a member of the armed forces of the United States stationed in another country in support of combat or another military operation. [Texas Family Code, Sec. 2.007]. If the absent applicant will be unable to attend the ceremony and he/she must appoint one adult, other than the other applicant, to act as proxy for the purpose of participating in the ceremony. There can only be one proxy listed and cannot be changed once the affidavit is notarized. The proxy is not required to appear at the time the marriage license is issued. Effective September 1, 2013 the Walker County Clerk's Office will only accept Proxy Marriage for Active Members of our United States Military. This was passed with HB869 on April 11, 2013.

Persons Authorized to Conduct Marriage Ceremonies: In Texas, the following persons are authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies: A person who is an officer of a religious organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a marriage ceremony, or a Justice of the supreme court, judge of the court of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal court, retired judge of a municipal court, or judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state, or retired judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state. A person meeting the above requirements does not need to apply for permission to marry couples and does not need to register with the County Clerk.

Following the ceremony, the person authorized to conduct the service must date, sign, and note the county where the ceremony occurred on the certificate. The marriage license must then be returned to the Walker County Clerk's Office within 90 days from the ceremony date. Once the office receives the license, it will be copied and filed and the original will be returned to you.

EXEMPTION FROM FEES FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL & FIRST RESPONDERS: A member of the our US Military on active duty or retired and our First Responders (Law Enforcement , Fire, EMS) are exempt from paying the following state or local governmental fees. Copies of the following: Birth/Death certificate; a Recorded Marriage License; Guardianship documents and property tax records.

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