By state
Texas marriage license: fee, waiting period and expiry
What the county clerk charges, the day the ceremony may take place, the last day the license is valid, and what the premarital course saves.
License fee · Texas
$71–$82
| County range | $71–$82 |
| Waiting period | 3 days |
| Earliest ceremony | October 27, 2026 |
| License expires | January 22, 2027 |
Your wedding day fits the license.
Fee set by each county clerk; 72-hour wait, waived with the Twogether in Texas course, which also cuts the fee. Official page
A Texas marriage license is bought from a county clerk, and each county sets its own price: the clerks' pages read for this site ask $71 to $82 (Travis $80, Denton $81). Couples who complete the Twogether in Texas premarital course, at least 8 hours with a registered provider, pay $60 less and skip the waiting period. Without the course the license cannot be used until 3 days have passed since it was issued, so a Friday license allows a Monday wedding at the earliest. The license stays valid for 90 days after issue; after that it expires and a new one must be bought. Active-duty military members are exempt from the wait. Both partners apply together in person at the clerk's office with a photo ID, and the license can be used anywhere in Texas, not only in the county that sold it. After the ceremony, the officiant returns the signed license to the clerk who issued it, and that clerk records it and sells the certified copies.
Marriage license fee in your state
License · Texas
$11–$22
| Who sets the fee | each county or town |
| Course discount | $60 (8 h) |
| Example | Travis $80, Denton $81 |
Fees and rules read on official pages by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the fees are checked
Choosing the county
Any Texas county clerk can issue the license, whatever the county of residence or of the ceremony, so couples can pick the closest office or the one with online pre-applications. Prices differ because each commissioners court sets the local share: the examples read for this site run $71 to $82. The fee field of the calculator takes your county's figure.
What to bring
Both applicants appear in person with a valid government photo ID (driver's license, passport, military ID) and their Social Security numbers if they have one. Someone divorced within the last 30 days needs a court waiver, because Texas law sets a waiting time after a divorce decree before remarriage. Applicants under 18 need a court order removing the disabilities of minority; parental consent alone is no longer enough.
The 72 hours, counted correctly
The clock starts at the minute the license is issued, not at midnight. A license bought at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday can be used from 2 p.m. on Friday. The calculator counts in whole days, which gives the first calendar day the ceremony is possible; plan the ceremony after the hour of issue that day.
License waiting period and validity
Waiting period · Texas
72 hours
| Valid for | 90 days |
| Rule | Fee set by each county clerk; 72-hour wait, waived with the Twogether in Texas course, which also cuts the fee. |
After the wedding
The officiant signs the license and returns it to the clerk within 30 days. The clerk records it and becomes the office that sells certified copies of the marriage record. The state's Vital Statistics Section keeps an index and issues verification letters, not certified copies: see marriage certificate copies. To change a name, start with Social Security, then the driver's license: the ordered checklist.
Common-law marriage in Texas
Texas also recognizes informal marriage, often called common-law marriage, when a couple agrees to be married, lives together in Texas and presents themselves to others as married. It can be recorded with a declaration of informal marriage at the county clerk. The common-law marriage page compares Texas with the other states. A Texas birth certificate, often requested by clerks of other states, costs $22: Texas birth certificate.