Access Washington County Marriage License

Washington County marriage license records are maintained by the Probate Court in Marietta. Both applicants must visit the courthouse in person to apply for a new license.

Washington County Probate Court

The Washington County Probate Court is in the Courthouse Annex at 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750. Call (740) 373-6623 ext. 2413 to reach the clerk's office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The court is located in downtown Marietta, close to the Ohio River.

Both applicants must appear together. The clerk will have you state under oath the information required by ORC 3101.05. This covers your names, ages, residences, birthplaces, occupations, parents' names, and the name of who will perform the ceremony. If you have been married before, you will need to provide details about each prior marriage, including the divorce jurisdiction, date, and case number. Bring all your documents so you can handle everything in one trip.

Here is a screenshot of the Washington County government website with court and records information.

The court provides a free genealogy search for people looking up older records. This is not common across all Ohio counties, so it is worth taking advantage of if you need to find a historical marriage record.

What You Need

Each person needs a valid government-issued photo ID. Driver's licenses, passports, state IDs, and military IDs all work fine. You must provide your Social Security number on the application. Under ORC 3101.051, that number will not be displayed on the public version of the marriage record. It is redacted before anyone can see the file.

Divorced applicants must bring a certified copy of the most recent divorce decree. The application asks for the names of all prior spouses, the names and ages of any minor children, and the details of each divorce. Getting this wrong is not just an error on paper. Falsifying a marriage license application is a crime under ORC 2921.13. Both people must be at least 18. Those who are 17 need juvenile court consent under ORC 3101.04.

Fees and Timing

Washington County's marriage license fee is around $50. Contact the court at (740) 373-6623 ext. 2413 to confirm the current amount and accepted payment methods. Ohio eliminated its waiting period in 2001. The license is good right away and stays valid for 60 days per ORC 3101.07. If you miss that window, you will have to apply again and pay the fee a second time.

At least one applicant must live in Washington County. If neither person is an Ohio resident, the marriage ceremony must take place in the county where the license was issued.

Marriage Record Copies

Washington County has marriage records going all the way back to 1789. That makes it one of the richest sources of historical marriage data in Ohio. The Ohio History Connection specifically lists Washington County as having records from 1789 to 1918 in its archives. This is a great resource if you are doing deep genealogy work. The Probate Court can also provide certified copies of more recent records for legal purposes.

Marriage records are public under ORC 149.43. Anyone can ask for them. The court removes Social Security numbers before releasing records. For statewide searches, the Ohio Department of Health has a marriage index starting September 7, 1949, that covers all 88 counties. Before that date, there is no statewide index and you need to search county by county.

The free genealogy search that Washington County offers can save you time and money compared to other counties that charge for every lookup. If you are not sure exactly when a marriage took place, the staff can help you search the index at no charge.

Officiants and Certificate Filing

ORC 3101.08 lists who can perform a marriage ceremony in Ohio. Ordained ministers registered with the Ohio Secretary of State, judges, probate judges, mayors, and religious societies all qualify. The Washington County probate judge can also perform weddings under ORC 2101.27. The officiant must return the signed certificate to the court within 30 days. Late filing is a minor misdemeanor with a fine of up to $50.

Research and Legal Help

For legal guidance on marriage requirements or related family law matters, Ohio Legal Help has a directory of probate courts and self-help resources. The Ohio Supreme Court website offers standardized probate forms and court rules. Washington County's location on the Ohio-West Virginia border means some residents may have family records split between states. If you need records from West Virginia, that is a separate system entirely, but the Washington County court staff can point you in the right direction for cross-border questions.

The FamilySearch database covers Ohio county marriages from 1789 to 2013. Washington County records in that database go back to the late 1700s, among the oldest in the state. Keep in mind that records before 1899 usually do not list parents' names. If you are tracing a family line deep into the early days of Ohio settlement, you may need to combine marriage records with census data, land records, and other court filings to build a complete picture. The Washington County courthouse has been a working records hub for over 230 years, which is something worth keeping in mind when you consider how deep these files go.

Nearby Counties

Browse marriage license records in neighboring Ohio counties.