Getting married in Iowa starts at a county office, not a state agency. Each of the state's 99 counties has a recorder who takes applications and issues marriage licenses under Chapter 595 of the Iowa Code. Our database lists 86 offices, from the Linn County office on 1st Street Southwest in Cedar Rapids to small county seats such as Adel, Albia, Algona and Audubon. This page explains how the system fits together, how a metro counter differs from a rural courthouse, and what to do before you drive in. Read it first, then call the office you plan to visit, because hours and payment methods vary by county.

How Marriage Licenses in Iowa Are Issued: State Law, County Recorders

Iowa law sets the rules, and the counties run the counter. Chapter 595 covers who may marry, how to apply, the waiting period and who may perform the ceremony. The county recorder serves as the local registrar and is the person who actually issues your license. A clerk at the recorder's counter will check your application, take the fee and hand you the license once it takes effect.

The state's role is statewide vital records. Marriage records are reported upward, and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which absorbed the former Department of Public Health in 2022, oversees that system. Our database still lists the state office under its older name, Iowa Department Of Public Health, at 321 E. 12th, 4th Floor, in Des Moines, phone 515-281-4944. Departments get renamed and offices move, so call that number before you make the trip. For the license itself, though, the state office is not where you apply.

One feature makes Iowa convenient. You are generally not tied to the county where you live or plan to marry. A couple from Cedar Rapids can apply in Adel, and a couple living in Atlantic can apply in Burlington. The license is meant for use in a ceremony anywhere in Iowa. That freedom helps when one partner works in a different county or when your home courthouse keeps short hours. Confirm the details with the recorder you choose.

Metro Counties and Rural Courthouses: What Differs Across Iowa

The counter experience depends heavily on where you are. The larger counties, such as Polk County around Des Moines and Linn County around Cedar Rapids, serve many more couples than a county with a single small courthouse. Scott County in Davenport, Pottawattamie County in Council Bluffs and Dubuque County in Dubuque are also busy river and metro offices. In those places expect more foot traffic, especially before popular wedding weekends, so plan your visit for a weekday morning and allow extra time.

Rural offices work differently. In county seats like Albia, Algona, Allison, Anamosa, Corning and Audubon, the recorder's staff often handle land records, deeds and vital records at the same counter. A visit can be quick and friendly, but staff may step away to help another customer, so a short phone call beforehand pays off. The Monroe County office at 10 Benton Avenue East in Albia and the Audubon County office at 318 Leroy Street are typical examples of this smaller, courthouse-based setup.

Suburban growth adds a third pattern. Dallas County has its marriage license office at 801 Court Street in Adel, a short drive west of the Des Moines metro. Couples from the western suburbs sometimes find that a smaller county seat is more convenient than a downtown Des Moines office.

Des Moines the city versus Des Moines County

This trips up many couples. The city of Des Moines is in Polk County. Des Moines County is a separate county in southeast Iowa, and its office is at 513 North Main Street in Burlington, phone 319-753-8221. If you search for a Des Moines marriage license office, make sure you are calling the right one. A wrong turn can cost you a two-hour drive.

What to Bring and What Happens at the Counter

Requirements are fairly simple, but arriving prepared saves a second trip. Iowa recorders generally expect the following, and you should confirm the list when you call:

The fee is set under Iowa law rather than by each county, but ask the recorder for the current amount before you leave home. Small courthouses are the most likely to have limited payment options. If either of you was married before, bring the divorce decree date or other details in case the clerk asks for them.

After you apply, Iowa imposes a waiting period of three days before the license takes effect. The clerk will tell you the first date you can marry. A district court judge can waive the wait for good cause, but you should not count on that. Apply at least a week before your ceremony, and give yourself more time if your wedding falls on a weekend, since offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Iowa Marriage Rules to Know Before You Apply

Several state-specific rules affect planning. Iowa does not require a blood test for a marriage license. There is no residency requirement for the couple, so out-of-state couples can marry in Iowa. Since the Iowa Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Varnum v. Brien, same-sex couples have applied for licenses on the same terms as everyone else.

Age matters. Adults who are 18 or older apply in the ordinary way. Applicants younger than 18 face extra steps, including court involvement, so call the recorder well ahead if that applies to you.

The license is not the end of the process. An authorized officiant, such as a judge, a magistrate or an ordained member of the clergy, must perform the ceremony, and Iowa expects witnesses to be present. The officiant completes the certificate and returns it to the recorder, who records the marriage. A license also does not last forever, so ask the clerk for the exact expiration date and plan your ceremony within that window.

Picking the Right Iowa Office From Our Listings

Start with the county where you want to apply, then work outward. If you live near a county line, compare two offices. Check the phone number in our listing, such as 712-243-1692 for Cass County in Atlantic or 319-462-2477 for Jones County in Anamosa. Ask three questions: what hours the counter is open, what payment methods are accepted, and whether both of you must be present. Write down the answers, and bring this information with you on the day.

Marriage licenses in Iowa are issued by county clerks or recorders, with requirements for identification, fees, and waiting periods set by state law. Couples must obtain their license from a county within the state where the ceremony will be performed.

Marriage Licenses locations are available in 85 cities across Iowa. They are spread across 83 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Des Moines, Atlantic, Adel, which serve as county seats with the busiest marriage license offices in the state.

Couples in Iowa should verify current ID and documentation requirements directly with the issuing county clerk before applying, as requirements for previously divorced or widowed applicants may differ from those marrying for the first time.

Marriage Licenses by Counties

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Couples in Iowa should check whether their county clerk offers online appointment scheduling for marriage license applications, which can reduce wait times significantly compared to walk-in visits, especially during the busy spring and summer wedding season.

Browse Marriage Licenses by county across Iowa to find the nearest location.

Records, Copies and a Listing Note for Iowa Couples

Once you are married, the recorder's office stays useful. The county that issued your license is where the marriage is recorded, so that is the first place to ask for a certified copy. You will need one for a name change at the Social Security Administration, the driver's license office, banks and employers. Order two or three copies at once, because many agencies keep the document or want an original.

A note on our listings: the Floyd County Marriage License entry, at 101 South Main in the courthouse in Charles City, is filed in our database under Hamilton County, which is why that county shows two entries. If you are looking for the Floyd County courthouse, check there and confirm by phone at 641-257-6154. Likewise, Kossuth County in Algona, at 114 West State Street, is one of the northern Iowa offices that serves a wide rural area where the courthouse may be your only local option. Whatever county you choose, a quick call before you go is the best way to avoid surprises.

No. Iowa couples can generally apply at the recorder's office in any of the 99 counties, and the license is intended for a ceremony anywhere in the state. That means you can choose the courthouse that is closest to your job, offers the best hours or has the shortest wait. A couple living in Council Bluffs could apply in Clarinda, for example. Before you drive, call the office, confirm its hours and ask whether both of you need to appear. Keep in mind that the license is returned to the county that issued it after the ceremony, so your certified copies will come from there.

Iowa has a three-day waiting period between the application and the date the license takes effect. The clerk will tell you the first day you can hold your ceremony, so ask directly rather than counting the days yourself. A district court judge can waive the wait for good cause, but that requires a court filing and is not routine. Courthouses are closed on weekends and holidays, so apply early if your wedding falls on a Saturday. A week or more of lead time is a safe cushion, and it leaves room to fix a mistake on the application.

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID for each of you, such as a driver's license or passport. Be ready to give full legal names, dates and places of birth, and your parents' names. If either of you has been married before, know when and how that marriage ended, and bring the divorce decree if you have it. Ask about the fee and the accepted payment types, since small courthouses may not take every card. Because requirements can differ slightly by office, a short phone call, for example to Scott County in Davenport at 563-326-8621, will confirm the exact list.

No, and the confusion is common. The city of Des Moines sits in Polk County, and the statewide Iowa listing in our database is at 321 E. 12th in Des Moines. Des Moines County is a different county along the Mississippi River, with its marriage license office at 513 North Main Street in Burlington, phone 319-753-8221. The two are roughly a two-hour drive apart. Check the county name on any listing before you travel, and confirm the street address by phone. Either county can issue a license that you use for a wedding anywhere in Iowa.

Iowa does not require a blood test, and neither partner has to be an Iowa resident, so out-of-state couples can apply and marry here. Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Iowa since the state Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Varnum v. Brien, and they use the same application. Applicants under 18 face extra requirements involving the court, so contact the recorder well in advance if that applies. Because you must still serve the waiting period, out-of-state couples should plan to apply a few days before the wedding or arrive early enough to complete the process.

Start with the recorder in the county that issued your license, because that office holds the original record. Call the number in our listing, such as Linn County at 319-398-3441 or Carroll County at 712-792-3328, and ask about the fee, accepted payment and whether you can request copies by mail. Allow time for the officiant to return the signed certificate before you ask. For statewide vital records questions, the state office listed in Des Moines at 515-281-4944 can point you to the right division, although it now falls under the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Order several copies if you plan a name change.