Apply for a marriage license at the County Clerk's office in Lockhart. No appointment is necessary. Both applicants must appear in person with valid identification, and licenses are issued between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Fees
| License | Fee |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $81.00 |
| Marriage license with a valid Texas Premarital Education Certificate | $21.00 |
| Informal (common-law) marriage license | $46.00 |
A premarital education course must run at least eight hours and must be completed within the year before you apply. Bring the signed completion certificate with you — it both reduces the fee and waives the 72-hour waiting period described below.
Payment is by business check, cashier's check, money order or credit card. Cash is not accepted.
What to bring
- Both applicants, in person. If one applicant cannot appear, ask the Clerk about the absent-applicant affidavit before you come in.
- Proof of identity and age for each applicant. A current driver's license or state ID card, a U.S. passport, a military ID, a certified birth certificate or a permanent resident card all qualify.
- Your Social Security number, if you have one.
- The premarital education certificate, if you have one.
Applicants under 18
A person under 18 cannot marry in Texas on a parent's consent. The applicant must present a court order removing the disabilities of minority for general purposes, granted by Texas or another state. This has been the law since September 1, 2017 (Texas Family Code §§ 2.003 and 2.101).
After the license is issued
- A ceremony may not take place during the 72 hours immediately after the license is issued (Texas Family Code § 2.204). The wait is waived if either applicant is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces or works for the Department of Defense, if a judge signs a written waiver, or if you present a premarital education course certificate.
- The license expires on the 90th day after it is issued if the ceremony has not taken place (Texas Family Code § 2.201).
- Whoever conducts the ceremony must return the completed license to this office within 30 days.
Application forms
You can fill these in before you arrive, but do not sign them — the application is sworn in front of the Clerk.