HOW TO APPLY FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE

In order to be married in Edgar County, the following must be observed.

To acquire a license without parental consent, each person must be at least 18 years of age. Any person between 16 and 18 years of age may be married if written consent is given by BOTH their Mother and Father. Illinois does not recognize same sex marriages.

The Application for the Marriage License will be filled out by the Office staff based on a series of questions asked of the parties, as required by Illinois law. The following items of information (the last five being for statistical purposes only) must be answered by both parties:

• Full Name (first, middle, last)
• Residence Address (street, number, city, county and state)
• Date of Birth and Current Age
• State or Foreign Country of Birthplace
• Social Security Number
• Usual Occupation
• Father’s Full Name, Address and State or Foreign Country of Birthplace
• Mother’s Full Maiden Name, Address and State or Foreign Country of Birthplace
• If Parties are related to each other, Specify Relationship
• Race (White, Black, American Indian, etc.)
• Education (Highest grade completed in elementary, secondary or college)
• Number of This Marriage
• If Previously Married, How Did Last Marriage End (Death,Dissolution,Invalidity)
• When Did Last Marriage End (Month, Day and Year)
• Where Did Last Marriage End (County and State)
• Are You of Any Hispanic Origin, If yes Specify (Cuban,Mexican,Puerto Rican,etc)

Waiting Period and Use of License
The Marriage License becomes effective on the day after it is issued and is good for a period of 60 days. The License can only be used in Edgar County. The Officiant (person performing the ceremony) can reside outside the County, but the ceremony must be held within the County of Edgar. The ceremony may be either Religious (performed by a Minister, Priest, etc) or Civil (Judge of the Court).

Residency
Each party will be given an Oath and must sign the Affidavit portion of the Application: “We hereby certify that the information given in this application is true to the best of our knowledge, that we are free to intermarry under the laws of this state and the laws of the jurisdiction where we reside.”
If either party resides in another state, you must be free to marry within the state where you reside. Those who live outside of Illinois should inquire about the laws of their residence state.

Hours To Apply and Fee
Completion of the Application, preparing the License and giving instructions to the couple takes approximately 30 minutes. Please report to the County Clerk’s Office no later than 3:30 p.m. The Office opens at 8:00 a.m. and is open during the noon hour. Please allow yourself ample time, if you need to apply during your lunch hour. The Fee for the Marriage License is $27.00. See Civil Ceremonies for an additional fee, if needed.

Civil Ceremonies
Should you need a Judge of the Circuit Court to perform your Marriage ceremony, please contact their Administrative Offices at (217) 466-7473 for their availability (setting up a date and time) prior to making Application. After the Application process has been completed, you will be directed to the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office where you must pay a $10.00 fee.

Acquiring Certifications and Social Security Name Changes - Fees
The couple will be given a document to use to order certified copies of the marriage license. The Officiant must return a portion of the License stating when and where the ceremony was performed within ten days. Therefore, a week to ten days after the marriage, the order form should be return to the Clerk’s Office by mail or in-person to purchase a certified copy. A Bride who takes her husband’s last name must send one certification to the Social Security Administration. The form to notify the Social Security Administration will also be given to the Bride at the time of applying for the License. Usually, there are many others who will need to know of name/address changes (Department of Motor Vehicles, Insurances, Credit Cards, etc); and, a checklist of those most common will also be provided. The fee is $14.00 for one certified copy and $4.00 for each additional copy requested at the same time.