Marriage License & Domestic Partnership

A marriage license may be obtained at our office from 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday.
Please allow 20-30 minutes to complete the application process.

There are no medical examinations or blood tests required.

THE LICENSE IS VALID ONLY IN THE STATE OF OREGON.

The couple must appear together in our office to sign the license at the time it is issued. Both parties
must have valid picture I.D. in the name that is entered on the marriage license application.

Oregon law requires a three (3) day waiting period before a license may be used, and it is valid for sixty (60)
days after the effective date. For example, if you are issued a license on Monday, you cannot be married
until Thursday. However, this waiting period may be waived by the County Clerk or Deputy Clerk if good
and sufficient cause is shown. The waiver must be requested at the time the marriage license is issued.
There is no additional fee for a waiver.

You do not have to be an Oregon resident to obtain a marriage license. Legal age for marriage in the State of
Oregon is18 years of age. A17 year old can obtain a license if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who
will sign a consent form. The consenting parent must appear with the couple and complete an affidavit of
consent. Birth certificates and photo ID are required. Parent and guardian consent forms are available from
this office.

The fee is $50.00 payable by cash, money order, cashier's check, debit or credit card and is non-refundable.
No extensions of time or refunds of money are made once the license is issued. Payment made by debit or
credit card, will be charged an additional processing fee.

The following information from both parties is required on the marriage license:

• Full Legal Name (This is the name given by birth certificate, divorce decree or court issued legal name
change. Your marriage license is an important legal document and there are legal ramifications for not
providing your full, legal name at time of application).
• Street Address
• Date of Birth
• State of Birth
• Social Security number
• Father's Full Name
• Father's State of Birth
• Mother's Full Maiden Name
• Mother's State of Birth
• If either party has been married before, you will need to know the ending date of that marriage. There
is a one-day waiting period after a divorce is final. The date of the final divorce decree is needed on
the marriage license application.

The Marriage License Application and Record of Marriage form requires both parties to establish the legal
names each will take after their marriage ceremony. This must be determined prior to the completion of
your application.

Oregon law does not allow a marriage license to be issued to first cousins or nearer kin.

The license is VALID ONLY IN THE STATE OF OREGON. Your ceremony can be officiated by:

• A Judicial Officer.
• A religious congregation or organization as indicated in ORS 106.150(2).
• A clergyperson of any religious congregation or organization who is authorized by the religious
congregation or organization to solemnize marriages.
• Secular organizations; or a celebrant or officiant of any secular organization who is authorized by the
secular organization to solemnize marriages as indicated in ORS 106.150(2).
Sherman County interprets ORS 106.150 "in the presence of" to mean the couple, officiant, and two
witnesses must be physically present in the same room, without the use of any electronic means such as
Skype or telephone, throughout the ceremony. Two persons age 18 or older are required to witness the
solemnization of the marriage.

Following the marriage ceremony, the completed License and Record of Marriage must be returned to the
Sherman County Clerk's Office within five (5) days of the marriage. The officiant is responsible for
returning the License and Record of Marriage. If the original form is not returned within 5 days after the
marriage, a penalty shall be assessed (ORS 106.990). Your license becomes a record of marriage once it has
been returned and signed by the local official.

*There is no requirement for the officiant to register their ordination or ministerial certificate/license prior
to performing the ceremony. The officiant must meet the requirements under ORS 106.120. In addition to
properly completing the Marriage License form the officiant will need to provide on the marriage license
the name, physical address and phone number of the organization/congregation that granted authority.

A certified copy will be issued after the marriage has been performed and the correctly completed license
has been returned to our office. Additional certified copies are available through the Clerk’s office for a
fee of $7.75, per copy. The certified copy is used to change names on a driver's license, social security card, etc.