Applying for a marriage license in Kentucky is a county-level task. No single state counter issues them. Each of the state's 120 counties has an elected county clerk who handles licenses at the courthouse or a clerk's annex. Our directory lists 121 of these offices, so you can find the one nearest you, check the address, and phone ahead before driving.

How Kentucky County Clerks Handle Marriage Licenses

Marriage law in Kentucky sits in Chapter 402 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes. That chapter sets who may marry, who may perform the ceremony, and how a license is issued and recorded. County clerks put those rules into practice. They are elected to four-year terms, and marriage licenses are only one part of the job. The same office usually records deeds and mortgages, processes motor vehicle registrations, and helps run local elections.

This is why every entry in our listings is titled by county, such as Franklin County Marriage License or Knox County Marriage License. Each one is the clerk's marriage license desk for that county. None is a private chapel or wedding planner. You are dealing with a government office that keeps public records, so expect to show identification and fill out a formal application.

The state also has a central role after the wedding. The Office of Vital Statistics, part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Frankfort, holds statewide marriage records reported by the clerks. For a recent marriage, though, the county clerk who issued your license is usually the quickest place to request a certified copy.

Frankfort and Franklin County, the Capital's Marriage License Desk

Frankfort is the only city in our Kentucky data with two listings. The Franklin County Marriage License entry is at 315 West Main Street, and the phone number is 502-875-8702. Because the capital shows more than one entry, call first and confirm which counter issues licenses on the day you plan to visit. You can read more on the Franklin County page.

Kentucky Marriage License Rules: Age, Fees, and the 30-Day Window

The basic rules are the same in every county, because they come from state law. Clerks cannot waive them, and they cannot add a waiting period of their own. Here is what most couples need to know before they go.

Kentucky does not recognize a common-law marriage formed inside the state. Living together, no matter how long, does not create a legal marriage. You need a license, a qualified officiant, and a recorded certificate. Same-sex couples apply on the same terms as everyone else, a result tied to the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which included the Kentucky case Bourke v. Beshear.

Metro Corridors and Rural Courthouse Counties Across Kentucky

Where you apply changes the experience more than the rules do. Kentucky has a few busy urban corridors and many small county seats, and clerk offices operate differently in each.

Northern Kentucky and Bowling Green

Boone County and Kenton County sit across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The Boone County Marriage License office is at 2950 Washington Street in Burlington, phone 859-334-3624. Kenton County's entry is at 303 Court Street in Covington, phone 859-392-1600. Both serve large populations, so ask whether walk-ins are accepted or an appointment is smoother. In south-central Kentucky, the Warren County clerk in Bowling Green, at 429 East 10th Avenue, serves a regional hub that includes Western Kentucky University. Its number is 270-842-9416.

Rural county seats: small offices, personal service

Most of Kentucky's counties are rural, and their clerk's offices are small. Owsley County's listing is on Main Street in Booneville, phone 606-593-5735. Lee County's is at 256 West Main Street in Beattyville, phone 606-464-4115. Hickman County's is at 110 East Clay Street, Suite E, in Clinton, phone 270-653-2131. Do not confuse the city of Clinton in Hickman County with Clinton County, whose seat is Albany. Cumberland County's office is in Suite 6 at 601 Court House Square in Burkesville, so look for the suite number when you arrive.

In these counties, a small staff may handle licenses, vehicle registrations, and records requests at the same time. A phone call to confirm hours and fees takes two minutes and can save a long drive. Eastern Kentucky routes, such as the trip to Wolfe County's clerk at 10 Court Street in Campton, are slower than the mileage suggests.

Two time zones, one state

Kentucky splits between the Eastern and Central time zones. Franklin, Boone, Kenton, and Boyd counties follow Eastern time. Warren, Marshall, and Carlisle counties follow Central time. If you apply in a county on the other side of the line from your home, check closing time in local time before you leave.

Choosing a County for Your Kentucky Wedding

Many couples choose a county for the setting, not just the paperwork. Rules on where you may apply depend on residency, so ask the clerk first. In general, the clerk in the county where one applicant lives can issue the license, and couples from out of state should ask which Kentucky clerks accept their application.

Popular settings include Bardstown in Nelson County, known for My Old Kentucky Home State Park and its bourbon distilleries. The Nelson County office is at 113 East Stephen Foster Avenue, phone 502-348-1820. Marshall County's clerk in Benton, at 1101 Main Street, serves the Kentucky Lake area. Trigg County's clerk in Cadiz, at 38 Main Street, is close to Lake Barkley. Edmonson County, with its seat at Brownsville, includes part of Mammoth Cave National Park. Catlettsburg in Boyd County, at 2800 Louisa Street, sits where Kentucky meets Ohio and West Virginia.

Before You Visit a Kentucky Clerk: A Short Checklist

Start with three steps. First, choose the clerk in the county where you or your partner lives, or ask your preferred county if it will issue to you. Second, call the number in the listing to confirm hours, the fee, and which documents are required. Third, line up your officiant before you apply, so the 30-day window works in your favor.

Bring government photo ID for both of you, and know your Social Security numbers, as the application typically asks for them. Have your parents' full names and birthplaces ready, since they are usually part of the record. When you pick up the license, read every name and date before you leave the counter. Corrections are easier with the clerk standing there than after the wedding.

Marriage licenses in Kentucky 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 120 cities across Kentucky. They are spread across 120 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Frankfort, Harlan, Hazard, which serve as county seats with the busiest marriage license offices in the state.

Couples in Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky to find the nearest location.

Recording Your Marriage and Updating Your Records in Kentucky

After the clerk hands you the license, the officiant takes over. Kentucky law lets ministers and certain public officials, including judges and county judge-executives, perform ceremonies. The officiant completes the certificate portion and returns it to the issuing county clerk within the time set by statute. Ask the clerk for that exact deadline when you pick up the license. A late return can delay recording and certified copies.

Once the marriage is recorded, order two or three certified copies. Social Security, your employer, banks, and insurers may each ask for one. Update your name in a set order, beginning with the Social Security Administration. Then change your driver's license. In Kentucky, those licenses are issued through the circuit court clerk's office, which is a different courthouse office from the county clerk. Passport changes go through the U.S. Department of State.

Small county seats handle all of this with few staff. The Clinton County office at 100 South Cross Street in Albany, phone 606-387-5943, is a good example, and it sits in the Dale Hollow Lake area. The Meade County office at 516 Hillcrest Drive in Brandenburg, phone 270-422-2152, serves a county on the Ohio River, near Fort Knox. In the Jackson Purchase region, the Carlisle County office at 985 U.S. 62 in Bardwell, phone 270-628-3233, serves a county of farms and small towns. Calling ahead matters most at offices like these.

Store your certified copies somewhere safe and keep the clerk's phone number handy in case you need more later. Mortgage lenders, health insurers, and immigration offices may each want an original, so it is simpler to order a few at once.

Marriage License Questions Kentucky Couples Ask

In Kentucky, the county clerk issues marriage licenses. Each of the state's 120 counties has one, usually based at the courthouse in the county seat. Plan on an in-person visit, since the license is handed to you at the counter. Examples from our listings include Knox County at 401 Court Square in Barbourville and Taylor County at 203 North Court Street in Campbellsville. Find your county in the directory, copy the phone number, and call before you go. Confirm the hours, the fee, and the documents the office wants to see, so one trip is enough.

The standard age is 18. A 17-year-old may marry only with the approval of a district judge, and Kentucky law does not allow marriage for anyone younger than 17. Because that approval comes from a court, not the clerk, start early. Ask the clerk's office how to request it before you set a wedding date. Everyone applying should bring valid photo identification that shows a date of birth. If you are close to the age cutoff, do not assume a parent's signature is enough. The judge's order is what the clerk will need to see.

No. Kentucky has no waiting period and no premarital blood test. If you both qualify and bring the right paperwork, the clerk can usually issue the license during the same visit. The clock that matters starts after issue. The license is valid for 30 days and only inside Kentucky, so the ceremony must happen within that window. If it expires unused, you will need to apply again and should expect to pay the fee again. Book your officiant and venue first, then pick up the license close to the wedding date.

Yes. Out-of-state couples can marry in Kentucky. Boone County in Burlington, Kenton County in Covington, Trimble County in Bedford, and Boyd County in Catlettsburg all sit close to neighboring states. The Kentucky license is valid only for ceremonies held in Kentucky, so plan to marry here. Call the clerk before you travel and ask whether non-residents can apply there. Bring government photo ID for both of you. Pack documents for any earlier marriages too. Also ask whether your home state has any extra rules for recording a marriage that took place elsewhere.

Start with the county clerk who issued your license. For recent marriages, that office is usually the fastest option, and you can call the number in our listings to ask about fees and accepted ID. Statewide marriage records are also held by the Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Have both full names, the date of the marriage, and the county ready. For older records, ask the clerk whether archived books are kept on site. Order certified copies, not photocopies, for name changes, immigration filings, and loans.

Kentucky does not allow couples to create a common-law marriage inside the state. Living together, sharing finances, or calling each other spouses does not make a legal marriage. You need a license, an authorized officiant, and a certificate returned to the clerk and recorded. Kentucky may recognize a marriage that was valid where it took place, including some formed in other states. Questions about a specific case, such as benefits or inheritance, are best answered by a Kentucky family law attorney. The county clerk can explain licensing but cannot give legal advice.