By state
Tennessee marriage license: county clerk fee, course and 30 days
Tennessee pairs one of the higher license prices with one of the biggest course discounts, and gives couples only a short window to marry. The figures from the county clerks, the dates and the copy afterward.
License fee · Tennessee
$97.50–$107.50
| County range | $97.50–$107.50 |
| Waiting period | none |
| Earliest ceremony | October 24, 2026 |
| License expires | November 23, 2026 |
Your wedding day fits the license.
Fee set by each county clerk; a 4-hour premarital course cuts it by $60; valid 30 days. Official page
A Tennessee marriage license is sold by the county clerk, and each county sets the amount: the clerks' pages read for this site ask $97.50 to $107.50 for residents, for example Montgomery County $107.50 ($47.50 with course). Couples who complete a premarital preparation course of 4 hours and bring the certificate pay $60 less, which brings the same range down to $37.50 to $47.50. Tennessee sets no waiting period, so the ceremony can follow the issue of the license immediately. The license is valid for 30 days and can be used anywhere in Tennessee, not only in the county that issued it, so a couple living in Clarksville can marry in the Smoky Mountains with a Montgomery County license. Once the ceremony has taken place, the signed license returns to the county clerk for recording, and the record then reaches the Tennessee Office of Vital Records, which sells certified copies at $15 each and keeps the last 50 years of marriages; older ones are held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Fees were read on the county pages on October 24, 2026, and this site is not a government office.
Marriage license fee in your state
License · Tennessee
$37.50–$47.50
| Who sets the fee | each county or town |
| Course discount | $60 (4 h) |
| Example | Montgomery County $107.50 ($47.50 with course) |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
Course or no course: the price gap
Tennessee leaves the license fee to each county clerk, and the figures read for this site are among the higher ones in the country. The premarital course changes the picture: its certificate takes $60 off, more than half of the price. The table shows the range read on the clerks' pages, with and without the certificate.
| Without the course | With a course certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest resident fee read | $97.50 | $37.50 |
| Highest resident fee read | $107.50 | $47.50 |
The course lasts 4 hours. Georgia uses the same mechanism with a $40 reduction: see the Georgia marriage license page. The cost by state page ranks Tennessee among the others.
30 days, statewide
Tennessee sets no waiting period, so there is nothing to count before the ceremony. The constraint is the other way round: the license is good for only 30 days. A couple who buys it too early, for instance to pair it with a course taken months before, may see it lapse before the wedding. The mini calculator gives the dates for Tennessee; apply within the last weeks before the ceremony. The license can be used in any Tennessee county, not just the one that issued it.
License waiting period and validity
Waiting period · Tennessee
none
| Valid for | 30 days |
| Rule | Fee set by each county clerk; a 4-hour premarital course cuts it by $60; valid 30 days. |
Resident prices and what to ask the clerk
The fees published by the clerks read for this site are resident prices. Couples coming from another state should ask the county clerk for the amount that applies to them before they travel, and confirm which documents each partner must bring. Both partners should plan to be present when the license is issued.
Copies after the wedding
After the ceremony, the signed license goes back to the county clerk who issued it to be recorded, and the record is then sent to the state. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records sells certified copies at $15 each and keeps the last 50 years of marriages; earlier records are at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The marriage certificate copies page compares the states, and the name change checklist shows where the copy is needed first. North Carolina, next door, also has no wait but charges one fee in every county: see the North Carolina marriage license page.