Marriage Department

The Marriage Department is responsible for issuing Marriage License applications.

Pursuant to applicable Louisiana statutes, applicants for Marriage Licenses must provide:

• A certified copy of both parties birth certificates.
• Both parties’ social security numbers.
• If either party was previously divorced or a spouse is deceased, you will need to show proof of a divorce judgment or a death certificate.
• To purchase a marriage license without parental or court intervention, you must be at least 18 years of age. If either party to the marriage is between the ages of 16 and 17, the signatures of both parents are required. If either party is under the age of 16, a court order is required in order to obtain a license.

Licenses generally must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance of the ceremony.

Note: Marriage licenses expire 30 days from the date of issue.

A marriage license may be issued in any parish, regardless of where the ceremony is to be performed or where the parties reside (RS 9:222).

FEES: $32.50 IN Cash, Money order or Credit/Debit with 4% fee.

• Must contain all information required on form (see application form – RS 9:223)
• Each parties’ social security number or one of the following if not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.:
  • Valid and unexpired passport from the country of birth, or
• Unexpired visa with Form I-94 as issued by the U.S.
• Must be signed in one of the following manners:
  • Both parties before a notary or deputy clerk;
  • One party before a notary and one party before a deputy clerk;
  • Waiver signed by judge or justice of the peace (they must be in the territorial jurisdiction of the court) valid only for the absent party;
  • Military exception – individual appearing attaches a copy of the other’s military ID; only appearing party needs to sign application.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED - (RS 9:225)

• BIRTH CERTIFICATE (RS 9:226)
• If born in Louisiana:
  • Certified copy of each party’s birth certificate (short form acceptable), or
  • Order waiving birth certificate(s) WITH letter from proper registration authority that a thorough search was made and no birth record was located (RS 9:227 & 228).
• If born outside of Louisiana but in a U.S. state or territory, (American Samoa, Guam, N Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands):
  • Certified copy of each party’s birth certificate (short form not allowed), or
  • Order waiving birth certificate(s) WITH letter from proper registration authority that a thorough search was made and no birth record was located (RS 9:227 & 228).
• If born outside U.S. or its territories:
  • Certified copy of party’s birth certificate and a valid and unexpired passport, or
  • Certified copy of party’s birth certificate and unexpired visa accompanied by Form I-94 as issued by the U.S.
  • Order waiving birth certificate(s) WITH letter from proper registration authority that a thorough search was made and no birth record was located (RS 9:227 & 228).
• Certified translation of birth certificate if certificate is in a language other than English:
  • Must include sworn declaration of translator.
• IDENTIFICATION:
• Valid and unexpired driver’s license, or
• A government issued identification card, or
• A valid and unexpired passport from the country of his birth, or
• An unexpired visa accompanied by Form I-94 as issued by the U.S.
• Written consent or court’s authorization for minor(s) to marry (if applicable)
• Covenant Marriage Declaration (if applicable)
• WAIVERS, if Applicable:
  • 24-Hour Waiver, no change to process; (R. S. 9:242)
  • Birth Certificate Waiver as described above; (R.S. 9:227 & 228)
  • Waiver of Notarized Application as described above (9:224)
• Copy of Judgment of Divorce or Date of Death if applicable.

Click here for printable copy of instructions. (PDF)

Click here for Marriage License Application that you can fill out on-line and print out for signatures. (PDF)

Covenant Marriage Act

The couple that chooses to enter into a Covenant Marriage agrees to be bound by two serious limitations on obtaining a divorce or separation. These limitations do not apply to other couples married in Louisiana.

In order to enter into a Covenant Marriage, the couple must sign a recitation that provides:

• A marriage is an agreement to live together as husband and wife forever;
• The parties have chosen each other carefully and disclosed to each other "everything which could adversely affect" the decision to marry;
• The parties have received premarital counseling;
• A commitment that if the parties experience marital difficulties, they commit to take all reasonable efforts to preserve their marriage, including marital counseling; and
• The couple must also obtain premarital counseling from a priest, minister, rabbi or similar clergyman of any religious sect, or a professional marriage counselor.

After discussing the meaning of a Covenant Marriage with the counselor, the couple must also sign, together with an attestation by the counselor, a notarized affidavit to the effect that the counselor has discussed with them:

• The seriousness of a Covenant Marriage;
• That the commitment to the marriage is one for life;
• The obligation of the couple to seek marital counseling if problems arise in their marriage;
• That they have received the informational pamphlet published by the Attorney General entitled "Covenant Marriage Act."

The two documents which comprise the Declaration of Intent - the recitation and the affidavit with attestation - must be presented to the official who issues the marriage license with the couple's application for a marriage license.

In order to obtain a legal separation (which is not a divorce and therefore does not end the marriage), a spouse to a Covenant Marriage must first obtain counseling and then must prove:

• Adultery by the other spouse;
• Commission of a felony by the other spouse and a sentence of imprisonment at hard labor or death;
• Abandonment by the other spouse for one year;
• Physical or sexual abuse of the spouse or of a child of either spouse;
• The spouses have lived separate and apart for two years; or
• Habitual intemperance (for example, alcohol or drug abuse), cruel treatment, or severe ill treatment by the other spouse.

A marriage that is not a Covenant Marriage may be ended by divorce more easily than that of a Covenant Marriage. In a marriage that is not a Covenant Marriage, a spouse may get a divorce for adultery by the other spouse, conviction of a felony by the other spouse and his imprisonment at hard labor or death, or by proof that the spouses have lived separate and apart for six months before or after filing for divorce. In a Covenant Marriage, a spouse may get a divorce only after receiving counseling and may only get a divorce for the following reasons:

• Adultery by the other spouse;
• Commission of a felony by the other spouse and sentence of imprisonment at hard labor or death;
• Abandonment by the other spouse for one year;
• Physical or sexual abuse of the spouse or of a child of either spouse;
• The spouses have lived separate and apart for two years; or the spouses are judicially or legally separated and have lived separate and apart since the legal separation for
  1. one year and six months if there is a minor child or children of the marriage
  2. one year if the separation was granted for abuse of a child of either spouse;
  3. one year in all other cases

Couples who are already married may execute a declaration of intent to designate their marriage a Covenant Marriage. They must sign a recitation and affidavit similar to those described in this pamphlet, after receiving counseling. The counselor must attest to the counseling. This intent to designate their marriage into a Covenant Marriage must be filed with the official who issued their marriage license and with whom the marriage certificate of the couple if filed. If the couple was married outside Louisiana, a copy of their marriage certificate, with the declaration of intent, shall be filed with the officer who issues marriage licenses in the parish of the couples domicile.