How to Fill out an Indiana Marriage License with Examples & FAQs

Asked to officiate a wedding in Indiana? Getting married in Indiana? Whether you're a new wedding officiant or soon-to-be newlyweds, here’s everything you need to know about the Indy marriage license process, including cost, waiting period, and – most importantly – how to fill out an Indiana marriage license correctly the first time!

Wedding bells are ringing, so let’s take a look! 

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How to Fill Out an Indiana Marriage License: Samples & FAQs

1. How to Fill Out an Indiana Marriage License (for the Officiant)

In Indiana, a couple must have a marriage license to get married. Marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office, and the marriage license application can be started online to save time. After completing the online application, couples must go together to the clerk’s office to pick up their license in person. 

If you’re performing a wedding in Indiana, you should ask to see a couple’s marriage license before the wedding ceremony.  Confirm their identities, and that the license has not expired. 

After the wedding, the officiant will complete the marriage license and return it to the same Court Clerk office where it was issued within 30 days. This is the officiant’s legal responsibility, however some clerks may relax the rules and allow the couple to return their own license. Still, we recommend that officiants complete this step themselves to avoid potential penalties. Until a license has been recorded, that couple has not been married under Indiana law.

The license must be returned within 30 days of the wedding ceremony. 

To summarize, an Indiana wedding officiant’s duties include:

• Verifying the information on the marriage license.
• Signing and completing the officiant’s section.
• Returning the signed license to the marriage division of the Clerk's Office for filing, by mail or in-person

Here are a few pointers from a few Indiana Circuit Court Clerk’s Offices to help you get started:

• The officiant must verify the couple’s identity before performing the ceremony. Compare the names on the license to the couple’s photo ID. 
• Print all responses clearly in black ink (no cursive, except for your signature). 
• Check if the clerk’s office received the marriage record: email [email protected] or use the online marriage record search (via Indy.gov) 
• In the space where it asks for the officiant’s title, write “Minister” if you are ordained with American Marriage Ministries. (Please write “Minister” even if the wedding itself was not religious in nature, because your minister ordination is the authority which allows you to perform marriages.)

Learn More: AMM Officiant Training | Officiant Title on Marriage License

• If there is a space labeled “Email,” write your personal email address. Professional wedding officiants may write their business email address. 
• In the space marked “Address,” you will write your personal home address. 

Learn More: AMM FAQs | Which Address Should I Write on the Marriage License?

• The couple must sign the marriage license after the ceremony in the spaces marked (Applicant 1 and Applicant 2). After you and the couple have signed the license, check that all spaces are filled in and then return it to the issuing office within 30 days of the wedding.
• No witness signatures are required on Indiana marriage licenses. Do not write in witness names on this official document (doing so will invalidate it). If you’d like to have wedding witnesses, we recommend you purchase a decorative marriage certificate as a keepsake item instead. 

Who signs the marriage license? Indiana marriage laws require the person who performs the ceremony and the wedding couple to sign the bottom portion of the Marriage License form after the ceremony. (Photo: Jim Nyamao / Unsplash)

2. Indiana Marriage License Example

Below is a sample Indiana Marriage License form, which has been recreated from a Marion County marriage license. Your license may not look identical to this one, but it will be similar. Read each section carefully before you begin, and connect with this issuing office directly with any questions you have.

Above: Sample Marriage License, Indiana Example, Marion County

3. Returning the Marriage License in Indiana: Who, Where, When? 

Who returns the marriage license in Indiana? 

The wedding officiant is responsible for returning a marriage license after the ceremony in Indiana. 

Where is a marriage license returned in Indiana? 

The completed license must be returned to the same Indiana Circuit Court Clerk’s location where it was issued. The marriage license can be returned by mail or in person to the issuing office. 

When does a marriage license need to be returned in Indiana?

A completed marriage license must be returned to the issuing office within 30 days after the marriage ceremony in Indiana; we recommend that you return it as soon as possible to avoid filing delays. 

Can I return an Indiana marriage license by mail? 

Yes, completed marriage licenses can be returned by mail in Indiana; licenses must be returned by the officiant who solemnized the marriage.

Find your clerk’s physical address using this resource: Indiana Archives and Records Administration | Clerks of the Circuit Court Address List (We strongly recommend that you call and verify the address before putting a license in the mail. Phone numbers are also provided in this online list.)

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4. What if You Make a Mistake on an Indiana Marriage License?

If you make a mistake while filling out the marriage license – such as a misspelled name or address – contact the issuing office directly to ask what steps should be taken to correct the error. Do not use white-out or corrective tape. Depending on the type of error, the couple may need to purchase a replacement license to fill out again with accurate information. 

Contacting the Circuit Court Clerk’s office for next steps is the simplest way to handle any issue that comes up.

(Photo: Lance Asper / Unsplash)

5. Who Can Legally Marry You in Indiana?

Who can officiate a wedding in indiana? You can! Friends and relatives can perform weddings anywhere in the state and sign the marriage license by becoming an ordained minister online with American Marriage Ministries. 

Indiana recognizes online ordination for wedding officiants. This means that people who are ordained online through a reputable and recognized church, including American Marriage Ministries (AMM), can officiate weddings in Indiana and sign the marriage license. Minister registration is not required, so once you’re ordained, you’re authorized to marry couples anywhere in the state. Click the link below to get ordained with AMM today. 

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A word of caution: If your officiant is ordained online with a church other than American Marriage Ministries, it’s important to verify their minister credentials before they perform your wedding ceremony: 

• How to Tell if Your Officiant Can Perform a Legal Wedding

6. How to Get a Marriage License in Indiana

All couples must have a marriage license to get married in Indiana. Marriage licenses are issued by the Circuit Court Clerk office, and the application process can be started online using the Indiana Courts Marriage License E-File tool.

After completing the electronic application, you and your partner must head to the clerk’s office, where a clerk will print out your application and ask you to sign it. The Clerk will also issue you a Marriage License form, which you’ll bring with you to the wedding ceremony. 

Remember: Indiana residents must apply in the county where at least one applicant lives; once their marriage license is issued, it can be used anywhere in the state. Out-of-state applicants must apply for their license in the same county where their wedding ceremony will take place, however.

After the ceremony, your officiant will complete the license and return it to the issuing office. Until your license has been recorded, you are not legally married under Indiana law.

7.  How Much is an Indiana Marriage License? (Cost)

Marriage license prices may vary slightly by county, and sometimes increase to keep up with state budget costs. For the most-current Indiana marriage license cost, click the link below, or contact your local licensing clerk: 

• AMM Officiant Training | How Much Does a Marriage License Cost?

8. How Long Does it Take to Get a Marriage License in Indiana? (Waiting Period)

Indiana has no waiting period to marry, which means couples can get married on the same day that their marriage license is issued – same-day weddings are legal in Indiana.

• Learn more: Can You Get Married on the Same Day You Get a Marriage License

9. How Long is an Indiana Marriage License Good For? (Expiration Period)

In Indiana, a marriage license is valid for 60 days per state law (§ 31-11-4-9). This means you can hold your wedding ceremony at any time within 60 days of the date your license was issued – don’t apply for your marriage license more than 60 days before your wedding date. After the wedding, your officiant has only 30 days to return the license to the clerk’s office.

If you have any questions, ask your licensing clerk for the most up-to-date expiration information. 

• Marriage License Waiting Period, Expiration, and Return
• See all Indiana marriage license laws 

10. How Do I Get a Copy of My Marriage License in Indiana?

To obtain a certified copy of your marriage license (and all Indiana marriage license records), contact the Clerk of Court in the county where it was issued and returned. If you don’t know which county your marriage took place in, you can look it up using Indiana Courts’ Marriage License Public Lookup. 

Are marriage licenses public record in indiana? 

Yes, marriage records are public in Indiana. Anyone can request and view filed marriage licenses and marriage applications using the Indiana Courts Marriage License Public Lookup tool. However, most personal information (such as your home address, social security number, full birth date, etc.) is kept private; in general, public marriage records only show the marriage date, the Indiana county where the license was recorded, and applicant names.

• Learn More: Are Marriage Licenses Public Records? (And Where Can You Marry in Secret?)

Explore More Indiana Wedding Ideas & Inspiration from American Marriage Ministries

• How Much Does it Cost to Get Ordained Online in Indiana to Officiate a Wedding?
• How to Get Married in Indiana - Planning a wedding in the Hoosier State
• Treasure in a Goodwill bin: 134-year-old Indiana marriage certificate finds its way back to family with help from a stranger