Marriage Licenses

Holiday Notice: The Records & Licenses office will be closed Thursday, November 23rd, 2023, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Please, observe all recommended health precautions in affect at the time of your appointment.

We've MOVED: The Records & Elections Department has relocated our offices from the historic Courthouse to our new location in the Kalapuya Building, 4500 SW Research Way in Corvallis.

A marriage licenses issued may be used anywhere within the State of Oregon. However, the  license must be returned to the issuing county following the marriage ceremony.

Marriage License Application Rules and Regulations

You must present your drivers license, passport or other government issued ID to obtain a marriage license. No blood tests or physicals are required.

When applying for your marriage license, please, call our office to schedule and appointment.  If no appointment is made, please, plan on arriving no later than 4:00 p.m. to allow sufficient time for the application process and understand that applicants that have made appointments will be processed first and may require that you return at a later date. We do NOT issue marriage licenses through the mail. Both parties to the couple must complete the marriage license application process IN-PERSON. There are NO exceptions.

Payment must be received at the time of application via check, cash, money order or recognized PIN debit or credit card.

You must be 18 years of age or older to obtain a license without the consent of a parent or guardian. Persons 17 years of age may obtain a marriage license by either presenting a notarized consent form or by bringing their parent or legal guardian with them when they apply. No person under 17 years of age is allowed to be married in Oregon - there are NO exceptions.

As required in ORS 106.050, we require identification sufficient to determine that each person applying for the license is eligible to be married in the State of Oregon.  If a person does not have a driver's license, passport or other identifying government issued documentation the County Clerk may require a birth certificate along with other identifying documentation deemed acceptable, prior to issuing the license.  If determined necessary, the Clerk may require a notarized affidavit of some person other than either of the parties seeking the marriage license attesting to the applicant's age and identity.

Marriage is prohibited when the applying parties are first cousins or nearer of kin to each other, as per Oregon Revised Statute 106.020 (2), whether of the whole or half blood, whether by blood or adoption, computing by the rules of the civil law, except that when the parties are first cousins by adoption only, the marriage is not prohibited.

Both parties must identify the legal name each will take after their marriage ceremony on the Marriage License, Application, and Record of Marriage form.

There is a three-day waiting period before the license becomes valid and the couple can get married. The waiting period can be waived for legitimate reasons; ignorance of this law or the couple just can't wait to be married are not considered legitimate reasons. The determination for the acceptance or rejection of waiver requests are made by the County Clerk or a Circuit Court Judge.

Once the license becomes effective the couple has 60 days to have a marriage ceremony performed anywhere in Oregon.

*NEW* Submit your marriage license application online, then come into our office to pay the fees and obtain the documents for your marriage ceremony.  Please arrive within 30 days of submitting the online application form or the application will need to be resubmitted.  We delete all application data after 30 days if the couple does not come into our office to obtain their license. PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must obtain their Marriage License in-person at the Benton County Kalapuya Building before the three-day waiting period and license period take effect.

Marriage License Fees

The fee for a marriage license in Benton County is $52; this includes a designer marriage certificate, and is payable at the time of application via check, cash, money order or a recognized PIN debit or credit card. Certified copies can be pre-purchased at the time of application at a reduced fee of $4 per certified copy. Certified copies are often needed when proof of marriage is required and are issued after the completed marriage license is returned to our office following the marriage ceremony.

The Records & Licenses Division accepts, cash, checks, money orders, Master Card and VISA Debit and Credit Cards, as well as, Discover Credit Cards. "Consumer convenience fees" are applicable to card payment options.

Marriage Ceremonies

If you wish to schedule a non-civil marriage ceremony, we are aware of the following individuals that may be able to assist you: Non-Civil Marriage Officiant contacts